2008 Blogs

Lak Lake and the Central Highlands

05/03/2009

Since April 30 and May 1 are holidays in Vietnam (Victory Day and International Labor Day), I joined with some old and new friends on a journey into the Central Highlands, specifically to Lak Lake.  We left Nha Trang about 8 a.m. with a great driver and guide who planned our route and eased our way.  Here you see us--2 Australians, 2 Scots, 2 Americans, 2 from London, and 2 Vietnamese--enjoying morning coffee and tea in Dac Lac Province.

 

Our first major stop was Buon Ma Thuot, the provincial capital.  Today it is famous for the coffee beans that grow there, but during the war it was a region that both sides wanted to control.  The tank in this next picture commemorates the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese liberation of Buon Me Thuot on March 10, 1975, a victory that the guidebook says led to the collapse of South Vietnam. 

After lunch we enjoyed a visit to the Ethnographic Museum and took an informative tour given by a young Vietnamese woman.  I've read that there are more than 30 ethnic groups in Dac Lac province, and I found the museum to be a good place for learning more about them, their textiles, baskets, tools, architecture, and other aspects of their culture.

From Buon Me Thuot we continued on to the Dray Sap waterfall, which is 100-meters wide.  It was a bit slippery trekking along on a stone path, but well worth it to view and hear the power of the falls.  A swinging bridge also provided a spectacular view. By 6:30 p.m., when we reached Lak Lake, it was growing dark and the narrow and curving roads near the end of our journey felt a bit treacherous, especially when we encountered other vehicles.  Upon arrival, we checked into bungalows, enjoyed an evening meal in a restaurant staffed by M'nong people, and slept well.

  

As a farmer's daughter, I absolutely loved our Friday tour of the Lak Lake region because I learned so much about rice cultivation.  I will never again take a bag of rice for granted.   With our guide, I walked on the muddy ridges separating rice fields and watched up close as the women harvested the crop.  I saw the farmers spreading rice on the road to dry, using the equivalent of a threshing machine, and much, much more.  If you'd like to see some more pictures from the trip, check out my new Picasa site at http://picasaweb.google.com/HerminaQ

Riding in a long boat and on elephants were two more highlights of the day's outing.  We glided across Lak Lake, which was as smooth as glass, on our way to to visit another ethnic minority village.  Little children ran out to greet us with big smiles on their faces.  I wanted to give them some pens/pencils and candies that I had brought with me for that purpose, but the guide advised against it, saying that they will grow to expect tourists to give them things, and that wasn't healthy.  I realized he was right when someone else in my group who hadn't heard the explanation gave them a bag of crisps and created quite a frenzied reaction.

After an extended ride around the lake in the long boats, a few of us also decided to take an elephant ride. This was much more than your typical zoo ride.  Two of us climbed into a little seat on top of the elephant, and headed out--through the mud, into the water, through some wooded areas, and then down a road leading to the resort.  Our trip lasted about 1 hour and the ride was bumpier than I had anticipated, except when we were in the water.   On land, our elephant stopped to nibble on tasty trees and plants lining the path.  I really like this picture because it captures both activities and the beautiful and peaceful setting of Lak Lake.

On Friday afternoon we moved from bungalows into an authentic M'nong longhouse, like the one pictured here.   It was a bit too authentic, actually.  As I sat on on the floor listening to the M'nong muscial performance Friday evening, a gecko  deposited a gift on my mattress. I figured that my mosquito net would protect me from further "gifts" from above, and I even had the foresight to put my backpack and tote bag inside the net with me so they wouldn't get dropped on overnight.  Unfortunately, I could not anticipate everything!  The next morning I awoke to find a hole in my mosquito net, a hole in the bottom of my tote bag, and a hole in the bag containing my nuts and raisins!  Evidently a very industrious mouse had gotten hungry in the night and decided to help him or herself! 

As a tourist, I have some mixed feelings about this weekend's trip.  I feel very privileged to have had a glimpse of this part of the Central Highlands before it becomes too contaminated by tourism.   Perhaps its more distant location will help preserve the area's unique treasures--especiallyl the opportunity it provides to reconnect to the rhythmn of everyday life.  On the other hand, I am keenly aware of the hard physical labor in order for people here to sustain themselves and their family, and how tourism can have a positive impact on their economy.  Striking a balance is the key, but as many of us know, that is often easier said than achieved.