Rural Life in Vietnam

Yesterday, on my day off, I took a 10-km walk down  a country  road near and around the project. Walking is (cycling if i had a bike) is a great way to see the countryside. As always,  lots of friendly people and many appeared hard at work as the pictures will show. You kind of get the feeling that the land has been worked so well for so long. Bufalos are everywhere and no doubt part of the ecosystem that has been producing food for so many people for so long. Bufalos carry loads, pull plough and harrows and fertilize the land. Their numbers are not huge, just enough to to help the farmers do the work and produce some of the protein they eat.

Vietnam exports rice to the world. Apparently 2/3 of rice exports traded in the world markets comes from Vietnam. Now consider that most of the work from planting and harvesting is done on a semi-manual fashion with lots of human and bufalo power.

The Meknog River Delta and many other lands growing rice are able to support 2-3 crops per year because of the sheer fertility of the land. The terraces are so well done and built so to allow water accumulation for the first phases of the growing cycle of rice, then slowly drained to allow harvesting....

We can certainly learn so much from the people here. You also notice the deep budist faith with shrines big and small scattered everywhere.

Well check the photos and appreciate...

They love their flag!!

Bufalo having a nibble

Chooks nibbling on bufalo turd. Eventually the locals will nibble the chicken!!

A cute, not so well kept little place

Typical little farm house. To the right is a stable where the all-precious bufalos are kept

Another little place

Rice terraces

Farm House with its terraces

A shrine. I could have walked their but did not since i thought i needed to be invited

Nice place and the yin/yang symbol

Planting rice

Rice seedling nursery. Often around the house

Transplanting the seedlings. Note the lady having a chat on her cell phone. By the way, everyone has a cell phone and use them very well.

From theseedling nursery, bundle of plants are palced in the flooded terrace

The the planters (as in the photo above) come along and plant them out

Terraces at distance

Water-controlling channel

Plant away

This bufalo ploughed the block bellow. Unfortunately the smilling farmer did not allow me to take a shot while he worked.

Looks messy but it will lok a lot better once the bufalo drags the harrows over it.

They followed me for quite a while. Brother and sister.

The bufalo grazes a terrace that is not growing rice this season...