Day 4: Four Generations in One Homestead

• From - To: Tai Dam Homestay – Meadow Mai Chau Homestay

• Distance: 137 km, 3:00h

• Route: CT02

• Accommodation: Meadow Mai Chau Homestay, Double room with Terrace with A/C 12 Eur per night, including breakfast

Tai Dam Homestay doesn't have air conditioning in the rooms. Later on my trip, staying in rooms with just a fan was fine, but at the start, my body was still adjusting to Vietnam's heat and humidity. I managed to sleep well; it wasn't excessively hot. However, in the morning, I started sweating before I could even dry off from the shower. I took another shower. By breakfast, I was sweating profusely. After yet another shower, I went out to explore the rice terraces, descending a slope to a vigorous waterfall a kilometer or two away. The host shared that four generations of his family live in this homestead. His ninety-year-old grandmother still weaves colorful tablecloths, scarves, and curtains on wooden looms, while her great-grandson cries in his young mother's arms. Thirty years ago, when the host was a teenager, he and his father would go hunting; dragging any catch for days on a cart to the nearest settlement to sell. Apart from hunting, they worked in the rice terraces, raised chickens, pigs, cows, and bred fish in ponds. But life has changed, and there’s no longer a need to hunt in the dense mountain slopes. The communist government allowed families to start businesses and offer services. Hence, guesthouses and tourists emerged, paying as much for one night's stay as could previously be earned in several months of hunting.

After enjoying the waterfall and examining the rice terraces' irrigation system, drenched in sweat, I packed my belongings, secured them to my Winner, took another shower, and got on the bike. Starting slowly in first gear, I descended the steep slope and retraced about 10 km of the previous day's route back to CT02. Returning the same way is never dull – you see new views that were behind you going the other direction, making it feel like a fresh journey. The sight of the stunning rice terrace slope, grand valley, or river bend is even more delightful the second time.

The 37 km stretch of CT02 winds through farmers' homesteads and over forest-covered slopes. It then merges with another road crowded with dusty and smoky trucks and buses. I had to fully cover my eyes with protective glass and lower the chin guard of my helmet. I wanted to overtake these large vehicles quickly, but the road was twisty, and it wasn’t easy. The biggest challenge was when huge vehicles approached from the opposite direction.

I completed the last 18 km to Mai Chau in 30 minutes without stopping or looking around much. In the town, I refueled, navigated the narrow roads, and easily found the Meadow Mai Chau guesthouse overlooking a wide rice field. A hospitable hostess greeted me, offering dinner choices from an English menu, and then escorted me to my room via wooden stairs. I had booked a room with a fan for 10 EUR a night, but remembering my morning sweat, I asked for an air-conditioned room on the first floor. For an extra 2 EUR, I got a cool, dry room with a private shower (other rooms share two shower, toilet, and washroom facilities across the terrace).

By three o'clock, the sun heated the humid air to 38 degrees Celsius. After two days in the Winner's saddle, my tailbone was sore – I felt it as soon as I sat on a wooden bench. I placed a pillow under my tailbone (such a relief!), grabbed a bottle of Saigon beer from the fridge, and allowed myself to relax while reading A. G. Riddle's 'The Solar War,' the second book in 'The Long Winter' trilogy. I read for nearly two hours, but the pillow eventually lost its comfort, and a neck ache set in. That's the toll for a first-time motorbike traveler. I stood up to stretch and realized I desperately needed a massage. Acting on that thought, I carefully sat on my Winner and headed toward the nearest massage parlor in Lac Village, as indicated by Google Maps, 3 km away – or 2.5 km via a narrow path through a rice field. I enjoyed Lac Village – it has a dozen guesthouses, restaurants, and bars with scenic terraces. If I had known, I might have chosen to stay there, especially at the Mai Chau Sunset Boutique hotel with a pool.