Kids in Y Linh Ho

The first day of the trek. We met Song in town at 9am as organised and off we went. As we got out of town we climbed steeply up a small winding path, stopping to pick some fruit on the way. We continued upwards through paddy fields and one village and then further up and then stopped for lunch a couple of hours later in a beautiful alpine looking meadow at the top of the mountain, one minute shrouded in cloud, the next clearing. We sat down and Song began making rolls up with Laughing Cow cheese (the only cheese widely available that we've seen in Vietnam) and tomato for us, she had banana in hers and we ate with just four horses for company ... lovely. We had some small bananas and apples too and then some children appeared from nowhere trying to sell us some bracelets. We didn't buy and eventually they left.

We continued on our trek, some of it quite hard, up and down hills and balancing on the sides of concrete water troughs at the edge of paddy fields ... it was wetter than Song had anticipated and we all got a little muddy. Us in our trail shoes ... her in flip flops which is mostly what they wear although we've also seen in a couple in wellies which looks a little odd with the tribal dress.

A few hours later we arrived at her house on the outskirts of her village. The villages here are really spread out so there is sometimes a long way between one house and the next. Her house was up a little hill with just one other house below, belonging to her someone from her husband's family. Song was born in Lao Chai, another larger village close by, but moved to Y Linh Ho when she married her husband. She also converted to christianity when she married him and now is a pretty devout christian. Her family are Shamen. She's one of eight children and her mother is apparently still having them. Song about 28 years old (she's not sure as they don't follow birthdays) and has two children of her own, aged about 6 and 8. She doesn't want more as they are expensive!

Her house is quite large and made entirely of wood. There is a porch which you have to skirt around before getting to the front door, locked with only a small padlock. Inside it is dark, no windows but a small plastic skylight in the corrugated iron roof. They have electricity but only one lightbulb hangs in this room. There is a small sectioned off bit as you enter where her husband and her sleep and, in the main room, two double beds, a small table and some plastic chairs. At the far end of this room is another small room, the kitchen. They have no running water and go down to the house below to fill up plastic water bottles from a spring although its not terribly clean. Song says they boil it before drinking. We've brought our own drinking water for the two days. In the kitchen is a fire pit and a few pans and utensils. The bush outside is your toilet. They shower in the kitchen with boiled water, a part of the floor is sloped so the water drains from showers and washing up.

We meet her husband (who doesn't speak any English) and the kids - who don't either but that doesn't matter. Two of the kids are hers but there are others tagging along. They take us down to the river to play and they are pretty boisterous in their play! This pic shows her two (closest to the camera) and others sliding down the concrete path to the river on bamboo bark. They then proceeded to throw stones at each other and have a proper wrestling match. Tears for two of the boys and a cut lip for one ... all in a days play. No wonder one of them already has s little finger missing.

Back to the house, we teach the kids to play pairs with cards and they get it pretty quickly although there's some cheating going on! Song is making dinner. We then eat. Steamed rice, tofu and tomato, greens and home made spring rolls ... lovely. Often they just have rice and vegetables she tells us. After dinner, her husband and the kids go to church and we sit and chat, play cards and Song reads some from her bible. She is just learning to read and struggles.

When they get home its early to bed. Us in one of the double beds in the main room, the kids in the other. We climb in about 9pm, tired from our walk and get to sleep quickly. They rise early here ... Song tells us about 4am with the roosters.

A long entry but a great day so wanted to get it all in.


Haikus
Ragged dressed children
With endless energy
In the land where rice is king

Lunch on mist meadow
Children sing their sales pitch
Naughty horse with big dong