Charlie and I enjoyed an exhausting, but magical day (Thursday) touring Ha Long Bay . The day began per usual at 3:30 am. We seem to be back on our daily routine of getting up with the chickens. We departed the hotel at 8am for the three-hour journey to Ha Long which is located in Northeast Vietnam, near the China border. Our journey there took us through some beautiful rural areas, and we had the opportunity to make several stops to observe the local farmers at work. A brief history lesson here…..Although Vietnam remains under Communist rule, the country adopted an open door policy in the late 1980s which paved the way for today’s thriving Capitalist economy. Families received small tract of land to cultivate, and the family farm is alive and well here. As many as three generations comprise a single household , and children are very much apart of the family business attending school for half the day and working alongside their parents and grandparents after the school day is over. The summer rice crop was harvested a few weeks ago, and the spring crop will be planted just after the New Years festivities conclude next week. Farmers are already hard at work plowing the fields, and the rice seed beds are full of small plants ready for transplanting. In the meantime, families have utilized any available land for growing flowers, herbs, and vegetables for sale in the local markets. We are impressed by an incredible work ethic here. Farmers were hauling their daily harvests to market well after midnight as we arrived from the airport They hard at work in the fields as we drove to Ha Long yesterday morning, and they were still in the fields when we returned late yesterday evening. Small children were working in the fields, and women were watering the crops with two large watering cans balanced on either end of a long pole. We were told that the average weight of the water– 40 to 50 kilos (80-100 pounds) –equals the weight of the average Vietnamese woman. Whether or not you have an appreciation for farming or gardening, we think the pictures speak volumes about this beautiful country and the people who live here. Enjoy, and be on the lookout for some breathtaking views of Ha Long Bay to follow.
- Preparing a rice patty for planting — on the way to Halong Bay, Vietnam.
One of the many vegetable gardens we passed along the way.
A woman watering the crops. She’s supporting her own body weight across her shoulders.
Sharing the road with the water buffalo — the primary work animal for farmers here.