We left Hanoi at 8:00am this morning with a 4.5 hour car ride ahead of us to our next stop, The Pu Luong Treehouse. It's small eco-style hotel with small tree houses in the middle of a valley of Vietnamese rice farms.
The Drive
All in all it was smooth, driving through small towns and lots of natural beauty as we climbed up in the mountains. Going through a few of the more populated towns, every single house was proudly displaying the Vietnam flag on bamboo flagpoles.
The girls passed some time watching the Grinch that Stole Christmas. Just 3 more days...
For a solid 1hr+ of the ride, we were in thick fog through the mountains. Our driver did a great job in tough conditions.
The Last 200 Yards
Cars can only get as close as 200 yards to the entrance to our hotel for the next two nights, the Pu Luong Treehouse. A moped did the trick to get our bags to the end.
We're in a large room above the main eating area. They have one family room bungalow, but unfortunately it was booked already. We still landed one of the cooler rooms of our trip so far!
First a quick lunch and a coffee.
Time to Explore!
We went for quick 1.5 hour hike around the area to get a look. The fog never lifted today, so we only got to see a small amount of the scenery, but what we saw made us eager for a clear day. Fingers crossed for tomorrow!
The hike took us by some of the local rice farmers' homes. While we hiked, we must have seen 4-5 young babies with their parent or grandparent out for a walk. Everyone we passed by was extremely friendly, smiley and majority even gave us a "hello" along with a smile.
Meeting Some Children
We came across a group of four children playing a mysterious game. We approached and they welcomed us in, evening teaching us how to play. They didn't speak any English, but they were excited to say "my name is..." when we asked. Clearly something they've learned in school. They were 9, 8, 8, & 6.
They had some large seeds they were playing with, almost using them to bowl and knock over seeds that were placed upright. They were having a good old time and we got to join in.
There have been fewer interactions like this during our travels than I thought would happen. Much of that has to do with the lack of public playgrounds in many of the countries we've visited recently that are a natural meeting point for socialization of kids and families.
I'll Take the Outdoor Kitchen
Continuing our hike, I particularly enjoyed this outdoor kitchen. Not only was it a great space, but it came with all-you-can-cook poultry. Unless this family is vegetarian, these chickens won't be around for too long.
Evening Wrap
We spent the early afternoon playing a bit of blog catch up (we are nearly caught up for the first time on the trip, so close) and the girls did a mini school session.
Dinner downstairs was on communal tables. There's no menu, you're either vegetarian or non-vegetarian. The food was delicious and in an amazing setting. We all, but Sarah particularly, enjoyed the Christmas Carols and festive tree.
We go to bed hoping for a clear day tomorrow so we can see this amazing place come to life.
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