Mr. Thuan and his wife brought the table and chairs, refrigerator, toilet, kitchen, rice… during the trip through Vietnam combined with work.
Departing on Valentine’s Day February 14, the trip was a gift that Dinh Thuan (41 years old) and his wife Vo Yen (43 years old) gave each other. Another reason for them to cross Vietnam is to realize the preciousness of the trip. After the fourth outbreak, Ho Chi Minh City has experienced long days of fierce blockade. At this time, the couple often reviews photos of past trips. They know that they need to cherish the days of being young and healthy, discovering all of their countries.
Unlike the previous trip to Vietnam at the end of 2020, they often stayed in hotels and resorts, this time Mr. Thuan and Ms. Yen prepared more furniture to be able to go deeper and further into each locality and close to nature. . He changed to a two-wheeler pickup. The vehicle is equipped with a tent for camping, tables and chairs, a refrigerator, an oven, a stove, a toilet, a sprinkler and a battery. The couple even brought rice, rice and entertainment equipment from home.
“The only thing we didn’t bring was the living room because there was a natural setting. This trip was psychologically ready at 1-5 stars or even a thousand stars (outdoors) so it is necessary to prepare fully, so as not to be too deprived of basic amenities”, Mr. Thuan explained.
Departing from Ho Chi Minh City, they ran along the sea route and Ho Chi Minh trail, passing through Binh Thuan, Phu Yen, Binh Dinh, Da Nang, Thua Thien Hue, Quang Tri, Quang Binh, Hoa Binh… More than 20 days when they were about to arrive in Hanoi, they learned that the number of Covid-19 cases in the community had increased, so they went to Quang Ninh first and planned to explore the Northeast. But knowing that Nam Nghiep and Son La villages were in the blooming season of Son Tra flowers, their schedule turned completely to the Northeast and Northwest.
“We don’t plan in detail in advance, but keep in mind the landmarks and attractions that we must visit, and the schedule will change depending on the situation,” said Thuan with a smile. So in the past 50 days they have been to many famous places such as La Gi, Mui Ke Ga in Binh Thuan; Danang beach; Mooc stream, Phong Nha in Quang Binh or Ban Gioc waterfall, Cao Bang; Ta Xua, Son La… Learning from the previous trip, this time they only drive for a maximum of 4 hours a day, the rest of the time is for rest and entertainment. Seeing a beautiful places on the way, they stopped and camped all day like in Mu Cang Chai rice field or Boi river, Hoa Binh.
During the journey, Mr. Thuan is 100% responsible for driving, so that his wife can enjoy the scenery and take advantage of the job. The rest of the cooking, packing after camping, they will do together. Wherever the couple went, they held hands and played together. This makes Mr. Thuan often joke that “the two of them combined are more than 80 years old, they are parents of children but never grow up”. But in their hearts, they know that it is the new scenes and experiences that are helping them stay younger and love life more.
When they came to Hang Tau, Chieng Hac, Son La, feeling safe from the gentleness and sincerity of the people, the couple decided to camp overnight. They order rice cooked by locals with firm, sweet “jogging” chicken.
“The scenery in Hang Tau is so wild, there are only about 20 houses in the village. Here it seems that there are only two children, no phone signal, no electricity, completely escaping from the outside world”, Ms. Yen recall. This is one of the moments that you find most peaceful and impressive.
Because of post-Covid-19 travel, many other destinations seem to be for just two people. The next time they came to Mui Treo, Quang Tri, they had to go through a small road in the middle of the forest as if there had been no visitors for a long time, the trees were overgrown to make the car mirror folded. They camped on the edge of the wild mountain, watching the blue sea, and enjoying the fresh and deserted air.
In addition to the joy of the empty space, the couple shared their sadness and sympathy for those in the tourism business. Of all the homestays and hotels they stayed in during the journey, up to 70% of the establishments were empty, there were only 4 places where they were alone because they went on a weekday.
After 3 days of visiting Hanoi, the couple drove back to Ho Chi Minh City, on the way will visit all the destinations that have not been visited in the first leg. Thuan and Yen share that each trip brings them a different feeling and lesson. This time, Ms. Yen is known to an ethnic minority named Lo Lo, or to see the highland girls of Ha Giang with white, pink and beautiful skin, different from her imagination.
“For us, life always needs to be balanced between working and enjoying. After Covid-19, this is even more important, we can both work remotely and explore the beautiful scenery of the country instead. because you keep trying to do and accumulate wealth until you have no chance to use it,” Yen said. The trips also help brothers and sisters understand and share more with each other, so the “matching friends” have no reason to disagree or argue.
In the near future, the couple will continue to explore Vietnam’s roads in combination with camping. Currently, the two-wheeler pickup truck meets their needs well. Depending on the conditions and needs, they may equip a “mobile home” mobi-home of their own, to return to the waving of the highland children, the white medlar bloom in the mountains and forests. , Boi river is clear and peaceful.