Today, we went to Lung Cu to see the biggest flag in Vietnam positioned at the most northerly point. It is 52 square meters representing the 52 ethnic groups in Vietnam.
The flag is replaced once a week. Today, it wasn’t flying as high, so I could touch the flag. The way up is 839 steps and you get an excellent view and of China some distance away.
Then the driver dropped us off some place before Dong Van and the guide and I walked for 3.5 hours back to town – almost to town. It would have been the same route the Hmongs would have taken from the village to town.
We stopped at one part of the way to have lunch of Xoi that the guide purchased in the morning. It was very simple.
At the end of of the walk, the guide told me that we were walking illegally. This was territory that tourists weren’t allowed to enter. I don’t think it’s the first time she’s made this illegal walk.
Thereafter, we headed on to Meo Vac, the next town we were to spend the night.
Between Dong Van and Meo Vac is the most beautiful of the geopark and it didn’t disappoint. This is called the Ma Pi Leng pass at about 1500m.
My hotel at Meo Vac is a far cry from the one at Dong Van. by all measures, it is fit for a king, or at least a very tall person. The door is like 2.5 meters high at least.
Eats today:
Breakfast – Bun Ga. A round noodle rather than flat rice noodle with chicken.
Lunch – Xoi. Glutinous rice with minced pork, dried pork floss, onions and a bit of chilli sauce.
Dinner – Possibly the best since starting this tour on the 3rd of March. Lean pork fried with coriander, ginger, garlic. Boiled tough chicken. Boiled cabbage and associated broth. And the highlight of the meal, toufu stewed with tomatoes and coriander.
Oh, and I had a snack of bahn mi before dinner because I was so hungry. The baguette was spread with some sort of butter, chilli sauce, fried onions, cucumber and pork floss. It was a weird butter, but it came together okay. Although I threw some to the local street dog. He sniffed at it and walked away. So who knows what sort of crap I ate? Anyway, the baguette was not toasted, so was chewy. But was not that bread-like. Makes me wonder if they are even using high protein flour at all.
