Filipino guy loves Vietnam through every little thing

Sunny traveled to Vietnam to get drawing materials. Photo: Sunny Boy

As a visual artist with a passion for travel , Sunny has been working, creating paintings and traveling to different countries for over a year now. He arrived in Vietnam in the last week of September and planned to explore the S-shaped country alone for 4-5 months.

Before leaving, Sunny spent a long time planning the trip. He searched for information about the places he wanted to go, the experiences he wanted to try, estimated the cost to save money and at the same time enjoyed as much as possible.

Go your own way

Up to now, Sunny has been in Vietnam for a whole month, exploring 3 destinations: Hanoi , Ninh Binh and Dong Van in Tuyen Quang. Sunny just arrived in Sapa a few days before traveling to other provinces in the North.

“Although I had done a lot of research beforehand, the actual experience was completely different,” Sunny said. “As soon as I arrived in Hanoi, I was really attracted. It wasn’t a culture shock, but I was shocked by the price of food and drinks in Hanoi. There were so many options, so I tried as many dishes as possible. Vietnamese street food is amazing.”

He did not go on the usual tours in the capital but instead walked and cycled alone to visit museums, temples, pagodas, large and small art exhibitions, sipping coffee, milk tea, bread, pho...

Sunny realized, “There are so many things to experience in Hanoi. Every ten steps, I come across a new coffee shop, pho restaurant, temple, or tourist attraction... There are days when I cycle all day, wandering around, looking around, filming videos, and taking photos of the streets.”

Visiting Bai Dinh Pagoda, Ninh Binh. Photo: Sunny Boy

After a week in Hanoi, he met new friends and together they took the train to Ninh Binh, which happened to be the rainy and stormy season in the North. The weather was erratic, even many tourist attractions were flooded, but Sunny still enjoyed checking in from Hang Mua, Bai Dinh Pagoda, Tam Coc - Bich Dong relic site...

Most international visitors come to Dong Van to take the Ha Giang Loop tour by motorbike for 4-5 consecutive days, but the Filipino guy spent half a month in only one homestay and painting. The host not only reduced the room price because he stayed longer than expected but also lent him a 50cc motorbike so he could drive himself to sightseeing spots such as: Lung Cu flagpole , Ma Pi Leng pass, Nho Que river, Sung La, Lung Phin...

From the towering rocky mountains, the newly blooming buckwheat flowers along the roadside to the constant smiles of both children and the elderly here. Every stop, every person he met in Dong Van made Sunny surprised and ecstatic.

Enjoy the little memories

The Northern climate, after experiencing a series of storms, from hot sunny days to heavy rains, has turned to the cool autumn weather. Although Sunny traveled a lot during the changing seasons, he was lucky to not encounter any difficulties, but he saw with his own eyes the remains of landslides, destroying the roads in the northern mountainous areas.

The young artist has been in Dong Van the longest, he finds that the nature and climate here bring a nostalgic feeling of the highlands of the Northern Philippines such as Baguio, Sagada... However, Sunny is still impressed with the unique forms of landscape, village architecture and colorful traditional costumes of local ethnic groups.

Wading in Tam Coc - Bich Dong, Ninh Binh. Photo: Sunny Boy

Sunny said the homestay owner lent him a Cub motorbike so he could freely go wherever he wanted. After just a few minutes of instruction, he could drive, carry his drawing materials and camera, and go from village to village in Dong Van. One time on the way to Lung Cu, Sunny was surprised to see a vast field of buckwheat flowers with a path leading to the top of a nearby hill. He couldn’t resist stopping the motorbike and immersing himself in the romantic scene.

Another image that has always impressed him is ethnic mothers carrying heavy loads on their backs. “I suddenly felt heartbroken but also admired them because they were trying to feed their families.”

Sunny initially planned to do just one series of paintings, as he had done in the Philippines. But after a month, the young artist was full of inspiration and said he might release up to three different series of paintings about his experiences and landscapes in Vietnam. “I will remember and cherish the special moments here,” Sunny said.

Source: https://laodong.vn/du-lich/kham-pha/chang-trai-philippines-yeu-viet-nam-qua-tung-dieu-nho-be-1600004.html