The town perched high in the mountains

Tourists take souvenir photos in Tam Dao town, Vinh Phuc province. Photo: Xuan Hien

Tam Dao – a town that seems not meant to be lived in… but rather to be a tourist destination . Hotels sprout up, reaching straight to the sky, vying for the view… Shops line the slopes, tablecloths are made of white lace, and food steams from the dishes… Every table has a plate of chayote.

Life here is simple and follows a steady rhythm. During the week, everything moves slowly, the days drag on, and the market is sparsely populated. But on weekends, everything comes alive with hustle and bustle.

Hotel and guesthouse prices have doubled, young men are speeding up and down the hill on motorbikes to pick up tourists and sell rooms… The police are also speeding up and down the hill to catch these young men. Street vendors selling bananas and chayote are also rushing up and down the hill to sell their goods directly to tourists and deliver to hotels… The sound of motorbike engines roars…

The stalls were bustling with cooking, steam rising in thick plumes. People brought all their jackfruit, chayote, purple sweet potatoes, and other produce to the central market.

Tourists arrive in large groups, or as families, in cars of all prices, ranging from 4-seater to 7-seater. Trucks also arrive, carrying beams and rafters for the construction of new buildings…

On Saturday night, the market transforms into a barbecue street, outdoor karaoke cafes operate at full capacity, and dance floors are illuminated with flashing lights… The singing echoes all the way to the mountains and seeps into the damp, gloomy rest rooms…

I brought along a book I bought a long time ago but haven't read a single page of – The History of Love – a book that requires a bit of quiet to read, to follow the rhythm of the overlapping characters, so I kept putting it off. The book was wrapped in plastic, yet the spines were already speckled with yellow mold.

For two days, besides lying in bed reading, I would take my books out to the balcony, from where I could see three sides of Tam Dao and clearly observe life unfolding below.

Markets, eateries, swimming pools, church rooftops, chayote fields stretching halfway up the mountain… Tired of sitting around, I grabbed my bag and went down to the market… stopped at a charming cafe, sat under an umbrella, put my feet up on a chair, sipped coffee, read a book, or watched people pass by.

There were a couple of photographers constantly picking flowers and chasing butterflies, pinning dozens of hibiscus blossoms to their heads, laughing uncontrollably. Cameras clicked incessantly. There was a couple having their wedding photos taken; the bride wore a white dress, flip-flops, and a skirt that reached her knees. The groom wore a seven-colored Mexican hat and a slightly wrinkled suit… Happiness is marked from this day onwards.

The wind blew the clouds away, and the cold air descended the mountain, then the sun reappeared… The weather was chilly… The coffee was pleasantly bitter!

The day dragged on slowly until 3 p.m. on Sunday. The streets gradually became deserted again…

Around 6 PM, I got in my car and drove down the mountain slope, leaving behind the town that had already gone to sleep, to recharge after two busy days. Anyway, I enjoy observing weekends like this!

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/thi-tran-cheo-leo-3153201.html