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RE: TRAVELMAN IN VIETNAM: I RENTED A MOTORBIKE AND DID THE NORTHERN LOOP- WELL, PART OF IT.
Fine and interesting post about another adventure in SE Asia.
It looks like the locals up in the mountains lead a pretty hardscrabble existence – albeit in very beautiful surroundings.
A few years back, I traveled to Hanoi and onwards to Halong Bay / Catba Island. Whereas the people in Hanoi seemed relatively well-off or at least "comfortably middle class," those on Catba Island were clearly not doing as well, financially speaking.
How about those farther away, up in the mountains. I was advised to go there and check out a "more authentic Vietnam," but did not have time.
Did you notice if the locals are much worse off than most in Hanoi? As they are in a rural setting, I'd assume so. But, is it noticeable / significant?
Onwards ...
Yes, the tribes seemed to live on a meager existence. I'm not sure if they were any more or less happy though. It looked like they simply had a different way of life and knew nothing else. Those in the towns seemed about the same as those in Hanoi in regards to socio-economics. I'm going go into it in my next one or two posts.
OK, thanks for the quick update.
Sounds like many people who live relatively far away from civilization but who actually have enough. It's enlightening to see how such people can be so content.
Looking forward to future posts.
I must say, when I was around the Sa Pa area, some H'mong guides I did trekking’s with said that alcohol can cause quite some trouble under the male population sometimes in the more deserted areas.
Thanks for the reply. I guess alcohol is hard to escape and is often one of the major issues in those places.