Exploring Rural Vietnam with Team Rosie: A Journey Through Diên Khánh

Join Team Rosie in exploring rural life in Diên Khánh district, Diên Lâm commune, Vietnam.

On a journey one early morning, Team Rosie navigated through a muddy road left slippery by the previous night's rain. The path was incredibly challenging to traverse. It felt like stepping into a different world—a world without internet or even cell service, completely disconnected. Every few steps, we had to stop because the mud was too thick, fearing a face-first fall into the muck.

It was the first rain of the season, and afterwards, the air felt incredibly fresh. Passing through bamboo groves along the road, we saw clear ponds with ducks merrily swimming about. After a while, we reached the actual farm, where they grew vegetables and raised chickens, pigs, and even cows. The tranquil rural scenery was overwhelmingly peaceful.

The roads were flooded, forming puddles that reflected the sky, yet this did not stop the locals from going about their work. Amidst a heavy downpour, a man was seen protecting machinery, soaking wet yet with a resolute look in his eyes, as if to say, "Storms can't defeat me."

The villagers here are very friendly; our team was invited into a home for a warm cup of tea, sharing local stories. This is the spirit of rural Vietnam. Life here follows a different rhythm, untouched by technology, yet the richness of personal connections fills any gap. The farmers not only shared their tea but also stories about their village—the crops, the harvest, and the everyday life that continues despite modern life's changes.

Men are seen transporting goods on old motorcycles, traveling on dirt roads, turning each day into an adventure, not needing the internet or a cell signal, just a resilient heart and hands unafraid of hard work.

Lacking the distraction of technology, we truly lived with the land, the people, and the culture. A small house beside a pigpen exemplifies the simplicity of life here; no need for grandeur or display, just peace and happiness from the simplest of things. The locals, riding their old motorcycles, tirelessly transport goods back and forth, their demeanor a testament to the strength and perseverance of the people here.

A man wearing a raincoat and helmet, carrying a basket on his back, his face obscured, yet his shadow on the village road tells countless untold stories.

We caught glimpses of a girl sitting next to a bowl of noodles with a clear gaze, the slow steps of a cattle herder on the village path.

Here, village meals are cooked with local rice, fragrant with the scent of fresh grain. They preserve traditional flavors in every meal with vegetables from the garden, fish and shrimp from the village pond, free-range chickens.

Each dish here carries a touch of love from the cook's hands. From boiled shrimp to sweet and sour soup with river fish and various vegetables, these dishes are wholesome, providing the best healing energy for the body and soul.

Here, people don't just eat to fill up; they eat to remember, to understand the traditions and culinary culture of the local area. Especially after hard days of work, a warm meal with family and friends not only restores strength but also offers the best healing therapy, making all worries seem to disappear.

So, when you feel tired of the daily grind, remember a place where life depends not on network connections but on human connections. Perhaps, just perhaps, getting lost or muddied might be the way to rediscover what's truly important in life.