Tet, the Lunar New Year

Tet - Wednesday 18th to Friday 20th and beyond.

Tet is the Lunar New Year, it's a really big thing in this part of the world and as you might expect, the celebrations start before the New Year and go on for at least six days afterwards. 

We had already been to the Oxalis new year bash before we left for Tu Lan and had been shopping to get supplies for any visits made as it is tradition to give gifts to the owners of any houses that you visit, including ‘Lucky Money’ to any children (this year the agreed amount for us to give was 50 000 VND).

Dave, Ruth, Chrissy and Watto at Nguyen's house

At each house that you visit, food is provided, mostly a complete meal but occasionally just snacks, it would be considered rude not to eat so a degree of pacing is required. Beer is also provided and it is really difficult to drink any less than two at each venue as your hosts are very generous, also you should strictly drink an odd number as even numbers are bad luck! Apparently, this year, we were fortunate as we were not offered too much rice wine.

Snacks at Ky's house

Typical snacks on offer were Nuts and Seeds, Sweets and Crystallised Ginger and Carrot and as these appeared before any meal, you had to eat a few to soak up the beers! Typical food on offer at each venue was Spring Rolls, Rice, Beef and/or Pork stir Fry, Stewed Pork, Sticky Rice, Barbequed Pork, Spare Ribs and sometimes fish.

On New Year’s Eve, at around Midnight, a lot of fireworks are set off, these are pretty standard but in addition a number of ‘Bombs’ are set off, these are anything but standard and I can now imagine just how awful it would be to live in a war zone, the noise is incredibly loud and reverberates around the valley. The ‘Bombs’ are left over from the war, I think the locals (some of them, although the sensible ones contact the Mines Advisory Group), when they find an unexploded bomb in the jungle, remove the explosive, portion it up and insert a crude fuse. The fuse is set off, the ‘Bomb’ is thrown and then they run like crazy! All very dodgy and occasionally it goes wrong and somebody is injured or killed.

Some of the Oxalis Guides at Howard and Deb's House

Below is our itinerary, as you can see we were very busy as once you have an invite it is also bad form to refuse unless you have a prior arrangement, in which case it is generally rearranged for a more convenient time.

Wednesday, after our return from Tu Lan;

Dung’s for a swift rice wine (Dung has his own homestay and helps to manage two others including Khanh’s, he speaks excellent English and used to work for Oxalis).

Oxalis with Cho (the Oxalis owner) simply whiskey drinking.

Khanh’s until midnight to see in the New Year and to watch the fireworks and bombs set of around the village (Khanh is the man who found Hang Son Doong, is in charge of all three Son Doong Porter teams and together with his wife Nghia, owns the homestay where we have breakfast).

Dave and Ruth at the Thahn Dat Hotel

Thursday

11.00 - Vung Hue (One of the restaurants where we often eat, all very odd as they opened up just for us and cooked all the things we normally order, but they didn’t actually sit with us!).

16.00 – Landlady (mine and Ruth’s, she lives next door, has two Sons and a Daughter and two Grandsons).

17.00 - Nguyen’s (one of the porter team leaders, Khanh’s brother).

Watto, Luyen, Howard and Adam at the Thahn Dat Hotel

Friday

11.00 - Ky’s (one of the porter team leaders, I think he is Khanh’s Cousin, his wife is one of Nghia’s Sisters).

13.00 - Thahn Dat (the Hotel where the expedition is based).

14.00 - Tu’s (one of the porter team cooks).

15.00 - Uy’s (Assistant Guide at Tu Lan, all-round nice guy, I think his Mother is also one of Nghia’s Sisters).

16.00 - Howard and Deb’s with Oxalis Guides.

17.00 - Ha’s (one of the porter team cooks, married to Nghien (the hairdresser) who is also Nghia’s Sister).

20.00 - Tuan’s (drives the trucks with all the equipment and gear up to the Son Doong drop off point, another all-round nice guy).

Mr Tu and Family

Saturday

7.30 - Special breakfast at Mr Khanh’s which included Whiskey and Sake. Ruth then departs with Howard for her Son Doong Tour, the first of the Lunar new year.

11.00 - Duc’s (the Operations Manager at Oxalis).

11.30 - Bac’s (one of the Oxalis drivers).

17.00 - Nguyen’s (a different one to last time, Howard and Deb’s neighbour).

Watto with Mr Tu's Son

Sunday

Things are beginning to return to normal, no invites and some of the shops are open, a rest day for my bloated stomach!

The pictures were all taken on someones 'phone so the quality may or may not be as good as normal.

Next up for me is a Song Doong tour with six Americans (all related) starting on the 25th, passing Ruth on her way out.