It has only been a month since my last trip to Vietnam in March, but I am going to Vietnam again for a business trip.
From April 7 to April 15, 2024, four of us—Nagao, Sako, Ethan (an American who joined our company this year), and Sego—will be going to Vietnam to collect data in a real tunnel.
The photo shows Kobe as seen from above after taking off from Kansai Airport.
This time, since the business trip involved measurement tasks, we divided up various measuring instruments to bring along. Although we had nothing to hide, I felt nervous passing through customs in Vietnam.
The next day, we traveled from Hanoi to Lao Cai, a five-hour drive. Our local interpreter arranged a tall vehicle for two employees who are over 190 cm.
After more than half a day, I arrived at the hotel at night. The hotel I stayed at in Lao Cai was coincidentally close to the border gate with China. (One of the three border gates between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the People’s Republic of China)
During the week I stayed, there were talks between the defense ministries of Vietnam and China, so many Vietnamese soldiers and media personnel were staying at the hotel. There were ropes set up around areas outside the gate.
In Japan, you can’t see the border, so my excitement increased by about 1.5 times. I wandered around the area, hoping to somehow get into China, but I realized that I couldn’t enter without going through immigration. Feeling frustrated, I decided to stick my right hand out from the fence and tell myself that my right hand had gone to China.
After about an hour and a half drive from Lao Cai, we arrived in Sapa.
Sapa is a town located in the mountains of the Hoang Lien Son range in northwest Vietnam. It is said to be a popular base for trekking.
The streets have a lot of charm. There were many European tourists, and I saw ethnic minorities wearing embroidered traditional costumes who live in Sapa.
While traveling, I encountered semi-wild water buffalo and horses. In Vietnam, livestock is raised semi-wild, and they eat natural fodder before returning home.
Unfortunately, this time the fog was thick and visibility was poor, but along the way from Lao Cai to Sapa, the terraced rice fields were beautifully spread out. They are said to be growing rice. There are a stunning number of rice terraces.
For lunch during a break from work, I had grilled pho. It was delicious and packed with vegetables, costing about 200 yen.
I often saw roasted chickens in the streets, but I also spotted semi-wild chickens.
For dinner, I had a hot pot with sturgeon farmed in Sapa (no caviar).
It’s a local dish from Lao Cai. It had a strong smell, so I added lots of vegetables to the spicy soup. There were some small bones, but the white fish was tasty.
It’s a decoration unique to Vietnam, and it’s very beautiful. The koi also added vibrant colors, enhancing the lovely atmosphere.
After a week-long business trip, I headed back home.
