Spend two nights in Thái Nguyên to relax a bit after the loooong drive down from the mountains. Sorry but there was nothing interesting to share. As far as I saw the town when shopping that is. The only interesting thing to report: There was a girl from Brasil I think on her scooter so I went with her to have pizza. No clue why she craved it and sure enough the pizza was as bad as I expected it. That interesting it was. Might be because I was too lazy to go and see the city. Apart from that, I have nothing to report from Thái Nguyên.
Nam My Van Homestay
The Nam My Van Homestay and booking.com
Nam My Van Homestay is in a small lane down from the main street. No way you would wander down that lane and find that homestay by yourself. They have a 9.1 rating by now on booking. Usually, they are really good booked and very happy to have this biz on the side. Mitsos told me the other day in Surat Thani how bad booking and such sites are for the small people. But here I sit, and this guy was so happy. He could not have a biz at all without. Who would find him?? Also, last winter, when I was in Indonesia, I stayed a few days with a family that converted the family house into a hotel. He told me that before booking, only rich people could afford to open a hotel. Or you had to be lucky, and your hotel was on a street that became the main tourist area to have enough customers. Like Khao San Road in Bangkok, a long time ago. But now he said I can open my own place here, and people come, and it is far from the city center. I asked a few more of the small place owner and they all said the same. We have no idea how to find customers if we were not on these big booking sites. I guess every medal has two sides and sometimes it is good to see the other one as well. Of course, Mitsos does not really agree with me here. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below!
Entrance to the homestayThey had two dogs a German Shepard and this little brown one.
On the Road Again
Brewed according to the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516, they claim. Interesting!!Quite modern place on the other side of the lakeSunset over the mountainsNice view down the valleyThat looks sooo great!
Today’s drive: I drove 214 kilometers in 6 hours and 31 minutes with gas and food stops.
Pom Coong
Went back to my old Guesthouse No 24. Boy, this place changed a lot. The upper part of the village where the guesthouse is looks still like 3 years ago. But if you walk down to the other guesthouses. They ship (mainly) Vietnamese tourist by busses so you better stay clear. And the quiet fields further down in the valley? New expensive hotels and small villa resorts all over the place. Guess I do not have to come back here again. Sad – I really liked it here and they have super good food in the guesthouse as well.
Sunset over Pom CoongDinnerUsually, I have my place all the way down in the Longhouse. This time I got the one at the door. Why not? Most of the time I am the only guest so it does not matter to much. And yes – there is a mosquito net here as well.Breakfast at the guesthouse. Strange mix but since I do not eat meat she got creative every morning :-)Walked a bit into the valleyI love that green!LunchThis couple came here with the whole birthday set. You get a cake and a bag with the hat, candles, plates and forks as well as a knife. You eat the cake and take some pix and everything goes into the trash. HmmmmThey made some pictures till coffee was readyI got some cake as well. It was good!!Beer o’ clock!!My Dinner
Dinner on the other side of the Street
Burning the pigs hairSmall dog prepared for DinnerNot sure why they eat such a small dog but ppl eat super small pigs as well. Meateater – who can understand them??Wonder what big dog is thinkingOne is a pet and one is food… DogfoodWaiting for dinner
The Lao Loop
Wanted to do the Lao Loop the last two years but it was gray sky for most of the time so I skipped it. Which was a mistake. This year I went and I left the Canon in the bag and took only 3 pictures with the iPhone. There was nothing interesting left to share :-(
If you want to see them old IFA trucks from East Germany still working – you have to come to Vietnam. Not to many left on the streets but in the nNorth you still find them every other dayI do not get this sticker. It is so wrong – every word apart from Angeren is spelled wrong. Who makes this and why??Water Wheels
Today’s drive: I drove 237 kilometers in 8 hours, 7 minutes, with gas and food stops.
If you are in the area, do a loop on the QL15 C and swing on the DT432A. It should be much nicer.
My mother got me an Eurorail ticket when I was 15, and together with two friends, we adventured into France. This was the beginning of a new addiction. I do like to take pictures, so one thing leads to another. On this site, I want to share some of my pictures and some of my trips with you! Now I am on the road for more than 8 months every year. Visiting old friends and making new friends while exploring this big blue ball.
