House In The Woods

Today we spent time cycling round the villages near to our hotel here in Mai Chau. It has rained on and off all day and has been cold cloudy and dull. Just the sort of weather we're used to cycling in in GB.
We went with our guide who told us about this little house on stilts in typical local style which was occupied by a 'very old ' couple.
They turned out to be seventy two!
The man was sitting in his doorway watching his chickens scratching around and the rain falling, and invited us up to see his house and have some tea, a smoky brew made from some forest tree growing nearby. It was actually quite nice. I liked it a lot more than green tea which is incredibly bitter.
He loved his simple life he said, and was very happy.
They had a cat which was in danger of singeing itself it was so close to the wood fire. I think they must build the wood fire on a metal base because the hut floor is made of bamboo. The smoke just drifts out through the bamboo slats in the ceiling.His children live in a nearby village, and his daughter in law called in while we were there to collect some pig manure to fertilise her crops.