Journey to Hoàng Su Phì (To Vietnam's Terraced Rice Fields) 5: A Restaurant Without a Menu & Packing List

The reward after using the medicinal herbal bath is dinner. It's been about 27 hours since I left my home in Ho Chi Minh, lol. After a flight, a sleeper bus, and a rest at the hotel, I washed away the fatigue of a 10-hour motorbike ride in the bath. Now, off to the restaurant.

As soon as we sat down, dish after dish came out onto the table. According to my Vietnamese friend, in this area vegetables and mountain herbs are the main fare, and people don't eat all that much meat—but it seems they serve it to their guests.

Wild boar (stir-fried sweet and spicy), chicken (charcoal-grilled), pork (thoroughly boiled to render off the fat), fried spring rolls (packed with plenty of minced meat) — a serious hit of protein! For vegetables, green beans and boiled leafy greens, plus young bamboo? — thin bamboo shoots stir-fried with red shiso. It was young and tender and full of flavor, the kind of side dish that keeps you reaching for more rice. Since the only proper meal I'd had was about a bowl of pho for breakfast, I was starving, so I helped myself to plenty of rice too. I also enjoyed some beer and homemade shochu (made from rice), and then off to a relaxed sleep. A spacious bungalow, fully equipped with both a shower and a toilet. The canopied beds are one double and one single. This time I used the single bed as a place to lay out my luggage (there was a locker too), so I could see at a glance what to wear and how to put outfits together. Even though I said I'd packed light, it's a four-night stay. I do laundry, but I'm out trekking and such every day, the altitude is fairly high, and the weather isn't all that great. It doesn't seem like things would dry in a few hours under a blazing sun. This time I brought a lot of clothes that can be packed down compactly.

Sporty stuff—lots of fabrics that dry quickly even when you sweat. Rather than a towel, a Japanese tenugui... A neck muffler that protects your neck and doubles as a mask is a must-have for riding a motorcycle. For shorts, ones with plenty of pockets and a zipper help prevent dropping things. As for under-tights, it's not so much about the cold—it's more for preventing insect bites.

In my case, I use a UNIQLO bra camisole with a T-shirt, a thin sleeveless shirt, and a long-sleeved shirt to adjust the temperature. That's because a regular camisole or tank top is bulky, and it gets too hot when layering... so this works better. A parka with pockets is also a must-have. Whether I'm riding a motorcycle or trekking, it can handle rain whenever it falls. A smallish backpack or crossbody bag, insect repellent, sunglasses, wet wipes... I packed all of these into four MUJI compression bags. There's still plenty of room in two backpacks' worth. Since I brought my laptop along, I packed it up while using it nicely as a cushion. Relocation Life Ranking