"This is better than Disneyland....." - Apocalypse Now
We arrived at our homestay and were greeted by the matriarch of the family. She showed us to our room, the five of us sharing four rather large beds each with a mosquito netting canopy. We were joined by Hope, a young woman from the Philippines who taught English to kindergarteners in Hanoi and later by 10 students from Paris who were doing a road building service project outside of the village. The family was 3 generations with the youngest a 2 1/2 yr old boy (who loved to run around with no pants) and an 8 month old girl.
We had wonderful conversations with our 3 British friends and Hope about their experiences at "uni" in England and the Philippines and how they ended up on the adventures they were on. I envied them their youth and hope Luci takes some of their spirit with her when she leaves home to start her own journey.
The Red Dzao have a traditional medicine bath that they prepared for us. They steeped herbs in boiling water and then added them to a 1/2 barrel bathtub. We each went in for 20 minutes and let the infusion work its magic. And yes, they changed the water between bathers.
After our baths, the French arrived and it was time for dinner. The son (the father of the children) cooked the entire meal and the food did not disappoint. To go along with the food, he poured shots of rice whisky and the French shouted out different sayings and we all drank.... Shot after shot.... After shot. The whisky was homemade and had a very brandish flavor but not quite the alcohol content. After dinner and drinks, more conversation until it was time for bed.
Eating with the family and Mo and talking with the other travelers and sharing our experiences and world views in a village house, on a hillside, in a distant place was a remarkable experience in a trip filled with them. I hope that maybe this blog will inspire you to, one day, if you afford the time and money, go out and experience our great big world. Just make sure to pack your tolerance, patience, and your sense of humor.
We are not slumming it, no hostels or dive hotels and using booking companies for our rainforest and Sapa treks. Including airfare from/to Philadelphia we are at around $100.00 per person per day.
We've met Europeans, South Americans, Canadians, Australians and, of course, Asians but not one person that I can remember from the United States. I wonder why that is? With Trip Advisor, Google, and a smile almost anything is possible.
Again thanks for reading and start planning