Ha Giang adventures!

I’m think I can safely say that I am becoming a little more Vietnamese with every passing day. By now, eating with a knife and fork is odd to me, I can navigate through rush-hour traffic on my bike no problem (even with a passenger on the back…), and “ôi giới ôi” has become part of my daily vocabulary. But this weekend, on a trip to Ha Giang province, I got to see a whole other part of what it means to be Vietnamese.

I got the opportunity to go on the trip with a group called Hanoi Couchsurfing, with about 70 people in total! After a grueling night bus from Hanoi to Ha Giang city, we rented motorbikes and I was luckily paired with a great driver. Then we hit the winding mountain roads, and spent the day driving to the small town of Dong Van. Along the way, I got to take some incredible photos and make some new Vietnamese friends. The sheer beauty of the province was breathtaking. I felt like at every turn, there was another amazing mountain view to be mesmerized by. The stops at lookouts/restaurants/cafes, and the bond fire we had in the evening also made the experience a real adventure!

On the trip, we also got a chance to see what life is like for the ethnic minority, farming, communities in the area. We visited a traditional home, went to the local market, and gave some kids fruits and sweets. I took in so much just by passing through neighborhoods…  seeing the day-to-day lives of locals.  I saw children as young as 3 and women as old as 70 carrying enormous baskets and herding livestock down the steep roads. That includes at 5am, when we were on our way to a mountain peak to see the sun rise. Having the chance to experience this part of life in Vietnam, and not just read or research about it, was truly eye opening. I couldn’t help but want to spend time with these interesting people, and learn more about their lives. I realized that this curiosity is why I’m in the development field!  I want to help give opportunities to people like those I met in Ha Giang. Now that I have a field trip planned for work later this month, I hope that I will finally get to help my organization do exactly that!