Camping, Vietnamese Style

While many Vietnamese migrate from the countryside to cities to get a job and send money home to their families, I prefer to leave the city, not get a job, and have my family send me money. 

So I decided to come to Vietnam cause Keavney told me about this bird thing anyways here I am.

Our duty was to trek into the wilds of Pu Hu nature reserve in search of whatever birds we could record for a report on what birds live around here, while noting illegal activities in the interest of knowing what goes down here (turns out, a lot).

We began our 20 km round-trip up the mountain. There aren't any real trails out here, so Dong told us we would be following a stream and instructed us to wear sandals. Erik and I wondered at this, as we lugged our quite large packs up the creek, ready to purity water, cushion our backs, stab...whatever with our survival knives, basically everything a normal Canadian would bring to the wild to survive. We quickly realized why they were keen on sandals as we squished our hiking shoes through the stream.

On their part, our Vietnamese forest officer guides brought simply a sachel of food, a machete, lighter, and jug of rice wine (water? why would you need that?).

James, our commander

Turns out these are some real men of the bush, although we questioned their methods a little. They erected a bamboo and palm leaf shelter with only their machetes, but it was on a slope, lending us to believe these people heartily enjoyed discomfort. While we settled in our sleeping bags, we realized that Dong and the other officers were just sat around the fire and drank rice wine all night to keep warm. Alright.

The shelter where we spent one cold, miserable night

They also impressed us with their bamboo craftsmanship, carving up bamboo chopsticks, leaf plates, a long bamboo feeding trough, and bamboo jugs for cooking rice and brewing tea. 

Erik, bottom right. Dong above him. Enjoying the communal feeding trough!

I asked Dong why he married his wife. His reply: "The question is not why, but why not!"

I like that.