Warm winter in Cao Son
Itinerary:
Day 1: Hanoi – Lao Cai – Cao Son – Lung Xeng Nung
Day2: Cao Son – Tin Thang – Coc Ly – Bao Nhai – Lao Cai – Hanoi
Mission:
- Bring 6 clothing packages donated in Hanoi during this November to tribe village in Cao Son
- Find out the most difficulty of the local people here to support them.
Cao son overview:
- Location: Muong Khuong – Bac Ha – Lai Chau
o 460km from Hà Nội.
o 80km from Lao Cai.
- Elevation: 1500m.
- Transportation: Train, Auto
- Average temperature: 16-18
- Ethnic minority groups: H’mong Hoa, Nùng, Tày, Ba Dí và Dao Đỏ.
During one month asking for donation from many sources, we got many old clothes. We spent the Saturday for classification and packing. We had to bring all to the train station in the morning as we go by night.
20:35 the train departs. Early but to prepare for the next day, we go to bed, try to read something before fall asleep.
4:30, wake up, Lao Cai is here. Contact early,the bus is ready for us, but for a long way ahead, we have breakfast first. From Lao Cai, using 7- seats car, our driver said that it’ll take us more than 2 hours to get Cao Son.
The road is quite narrow, crooked according to the mountain side. It’s the time to forget the big city and enjoy the beauty of mountain ranges, valleys and hill tribe villages.
Passing the town, we take a stopover to visit the local market here. In the highland, several nearby villages have a market, open weekly. People come here from many minority groups, including H’Mong, Nung, Dao…make the market looks more colorful with beautiful dresses. The Flower H’Mong girls are easiest to recognize by their brocade skirts and shawls.. Tuesday is not the day for the market so there are not many people, but we can still buy daily life stuff here.
From Lung Khau Nhin to Cao Son, the road is sloping. That’s why the local people here call this area: Cao Son plateau ( cao: high, son: mountain). But once we get to Cao Son, all the tiring is driven away. The cold and fresh air here makes us – the people from a plain area – to be of sound mind. Ciao Cao Son.
