Buzz
I've traversed the S-shaped land of Vietnam, exploring the lives of its people in different regions. Along the way, I've come to realize many things that perhaps I could never fully grasp just by burying my head in books for a lifetime. Every place I've set foot in has left me with impressions, special emotions about a truly beautiful, peaceful, and familiar Vietnam.
Terraced fields – a characteristic image of the Northern mountainous region
Yet, the more I travel, the more I realize that, despite exploring many new destinations, I always have an irresistible urge to return to that land again and again. It's the pristine and mysterious Northwestern Mountains and Forests, captivating countless wanderlust-stricken hearts, including mine!
SAPA – Whispers of the Clouds
Morning mist veils Sapa's path at dawn
It's not my first stop on the journey to conquer the Northwest mountains, but Sapa leaves the most memories in me. My impression of Sapa is perhaps the 'clouds'. This beautiful land seems to favor me too much, as during my days here, the skies of Sapa are always covered with drifting white clouds.
The majestic nature of Sapa
A cup of coffee for the morning in a different place
Instead of choosing the bustling town center, I opt for the rustic stilt houses in Tả Phìn village or sometimes Tả Van to spend the night. Only here do I fully understand the lives of those simple ethnic people, listening to their stories about farming and reaping, about ancient legends, drinking a few cups of local wine with them,... Just that makes me feel like I've become a child of this land without realizing it.
The simple kitchen of Sapa's ethnic people
The adorable innocence of an ethnic child
At the windy peak of Fansipan
The most intense feeling I had in Sapa was perhaps when I was on the summit of Fansipan - the roof of Indochina - embracing all of Sapa within my sight. There was a sense of pride, a profound feeling, standing atop the roof of the Fatherland, hearing echoes of Sapa's land and sky or the whispers of those drifting clouds?... I couldn't tell anymore!
The simple scenery of a Sapa village
Hà Giang - Rediscovering the land of blooming rocks
The pink-purple buckwheat flowers
I still remember the first day I set foot in Ha Giang. After a day breathing in the air here, I hastily pulled out pen and paper to record all my feelings about Ha Giang, fearing I would... forget. But I was wrong. How could I forget such a unique land like Ha Giang?
Besides the word 'special,' I don't know which word can fully describe the soul, the beauty of Ha Giang. Its beauty will take you from one astonishment to another.
The dreamy beauty of delicate flowers
Endless buckwheat flower fields stretch out
The first time I arrived in Ha Giang was in early October, and I was truly overwhelmed when standing before the vast fields of buckwheat flowers, a real paradise on earth in the autumn. Amidst a mysterious rocky plateau, a beauty full of coldness could be the birthplace of delicate pink-purple buckwheat flowers swaying in the wind. I stood there, amidst the vast natural landscape of Ha Giang, in awe of the marvels of nature.
Simple and rustic houses imbued with the colors of time
The ancient town of Dong Van
In Hà Giang, I love wandering along the rugged roads made of soil and stones, winding past simple houses tinted with the hues of time. Early in the morning, I enjoy strolling through the bustling markets or the ancient streets of Đồng Văn to buy odds and ends, listening to the ethnic people conversing in a language I can't comprehend.
Occasionally, I spend half a day climbing to the top of Mã Pí Lèng Pass just to admire the sunset and breathe in the fresh air of Hà Giang's land and sky.
The land and sky of Hà Giang as seen from Mã Pí Lèng Pass
Ethnic girls in Hà Giang
Hà Giang always maintains its gentle tranquility, yet it captivates many wanderers, beckoning them to come and go, only to return again!
Blossoming flowers showcasing their beauty under the azure sky
Mộc Châu – where peace is found
Farm in Mộc Châu
This is my first land in the journey of exploring the Northern mountainous region, and I can't recall how many times I've been back here, but one thing is certain, there hasn't been a moment in the year in Moc Chau that I haven't been there.
People often know Moc Chau for its plum and cabbage flower season, but for me, every time I return to Moc Chau, it doesn't matter which season it is anymore, it's just... the longing to go!
Terraced fields in the ripe rice season
A glimpse of Moc Chau in the white cabbage flower season
Many say Moc Chau is like a replica of Ha Giang, of Sapa, but to me, Moc Chau is always Moc Chau unlike any other destination. Only in Moc Chau can you find vast fields of white cabbage flowers spreading from the hillsides to the immense valleys.
I'm also addicted to the smell of ripe rice in Moc Chau, during the cabbage flower season, I often linger here a bit, waiting for the rice harvest. I wander around the terraced fields of Moc Chau watching the locals farming, admiring the shimmering golden carpets.
Tranquil surroundings enveloping the two little ones
Sometimes I deeply miss the ethnic minority children in Moc Chau, they are dressed in colorful traditional costumes, a bit messy but always adorable.
I miss the lush green tea hills stretching to the horizon, and I have never been able to explore all those tea hills. I miss the billowing white smoke rising from the old wooden stilt houses,... I miss it so much that I pack my bags and go again!
Simple life by the Moc Chau tea hills
So, the beautiful lands of the Northwest mountains are no longer just destinations, they are like my second home - going is just to come back. I see each visit to this land as a date, like the dates of couples, remembering is still loving, and loving is still returning!
