Mai Chau – a quiet district in Northern Viet Nam. Surrounded by hills, this district is adorned with beautiful rice fields and vegetable farms. We spent two days hiking and biking the streets of Mai Chau. The views from up the hill are breathtaking. The villages are full of farmers working in the fields, grazing their cows, feeding the chickens, selling their home grown vegetables. Unlike Sapa, this district is still not much on the tourist map so we could see the authenticity in culture, food and simplicity in the people and their lifestyle. The houses are made on stilts and it is not uncommon to see people hanging out in their hammocks under the raised floor. It felt like we went back in time to a place of serenity and tranquility. So many of us have to travel hundreds of miles to enjoy such scenery! How wonderful it must feel to wake up to such a magnificent view everyday. If the view outside our home and work place was like this, I think our productivity would multiply and the stress of to-do’s and deadlines would be out the window :o)
