vaga #4/6 Mai Chau

Part VI

Mai Chau, three hours from Hanoi I knew that it was a people of the Tai ethnic group dedicated exclusively to weaving. It was something of an adventure because I left without knowing much and hoped to find a place to sleep, yes, there was a "homestay"

a hamlet of about 8 blocks, and on the other side of the river only a narrow paved street for motorcycles, it goes on for kilometres travelling along the slopes of the valley, this photo is outside my “homestay”.

The houses are always on stilts, upstairs there was a large room with mattresses and nothing else, downstairs was the kitchen, dining room and outdoor living room and a separate bathroom in a separate shed, when they use it as a “homestay” there is a downstairs room where the family sleeps, other nights there  are restaurants in the hamlet area and the shops  are under each house, at night they move the clothes inside, but it is kept under lock and key.

On arriving at the "homestay" and they see me as something unusual as a guest, she told me about some cabins, I said yes at once,  and I did not ask for prices, nor did I look at it, I was pleasantly surprised by a wonderful cabin overlooking the rice fields, I stayed longer than I  thought I would because it was so pleasant; Its people, the place, my house, it was during the planting of the rice, from my terrace I could literally see them sowing the rice, and the last photo is my cabin from afar. There are government programs for "homestays" they advise them on  how to implement bathrooms, put notices on the doors in English with the name of the "homestay" and some English they even receive euros and know how to change them to dong (Vietnamese currency) since there is nowhere else to exchange money. They speak English  strictly for the business, I mean the prices, days of the week, and they show the food menu because they have the possibility to eat in the same house.

SOWING RICE

It was one of the greatest lucky events that I have had, right under my nose, the sowing of rice ! that was entertaining !!!  looking and walking among the rice fields in full sowing.

first the earth is ploughed in this case the mud, then there are seedlings one every several lots, they take out bunches of rice, and they throw it into the paddy

Right, centre, left, right, centre, left and hundreds of times, and the  same with the back bent for hours and hours and for weeks that the sowing lasts.

they work in groups on the same lot as a cooperative, but each one has their own piece of land they and they maintain it throughout the year. The sowing and harvesting is done in a group, generally "I help you, you help me", they go through areas starting at the beginning of the valley and continue all together until the end, here they advanced about a hundred metres a day.

Prehistoric implements, the wheelbarrow, the ploughing is done  with a shovel, although in the distance I saw a machine like a grass cutter that was used as a plough, I did not see the buffaloes doing their jobs.

this photo made me laugh, right next to the restaurant, they took care of every last millimetre of land, with crooked lines, I identified with them, I couldn't make a straight line, either. The other photo is the technique that they  throw down a rope, they plant along the rope that they put down every 5 meters and that gives them the reference to always go straight.

The photos of the reflections of the recent planting are the ones I like the most, because, with  time they become a green meadow

TEXTILE TOWN

A photo of the town I was in  a little further on the other side of the river with only a narrow street for motorcycles, there is an enormous tranquillity, sometimes tourist buses arrive for crafts, they go during the day.

if there is no restaurant or shop under the house, there is a loom and I mean 80% of the houses have their own loom. It is observed in the first one next to the living room, food is eaten at a table and high chairs and a wooden sofa, I hadn’t seen this before me, it was always on the floor, the clothes that are sold a lot are for them, they are their celebratory outfits.  

All the looms were half - working, because  they were planting rice, I only saw a woman working. I also met a cooperative with about 10 looms and 3 sewing machines in their shop, all of them were busy planting.

I came across this fabric, it impressed me the same as that of the (Mapuches) Chilean Ethnic Group, I was left disoriented, the designs may be  patterned that can be repeated, but to add in the fact they were  made of wool, which is not usual, it is too thick for the climate, which is why they usually work in silk, rare, and finally I add that they are white with black, here they are colourful.  A whole intrigue, the coincidences, in fact there has never been an exchange in the past of techniques or designs.

 I finish with this photo that I have put in before in the vaga #1/12 Enghish “b” it turns out that it was in this town and I leave it now in context. One afternoon while out walking they gestured towards a house, that I approached as everything was open, they offered me  tea, talk, and lots of laughter, it was a married couple of about 45 years of age, they had a "homestay" in front of mine, that night they invited me to share a meal with them at 7 pm. When I arrived I was surprised they had French red wine and several snacks. So much attention for nothing, that I offered to help since I was going to be a few more days, she told me tomorrow at five in the morning, and you help me with the sowing, a silence, and she laughed, I offered to teach her English, she threw her arms  around my neck, and we met every day at 7 pm, the photo was taken during the classes.