The Buffalo Ladies

I had no idea today was my 200th blip until I belatedly backblipped yesterday's photo this morning! So with this new found realisation I decided my 200th blip should be a truly iconic image of Vietnam. The only way to do this was to head out on the mountain bike and see what I could find. And wow - was I spoilt for choices! All the locals must have known it was my blip bday because normally I have a lot of trouble getting happy smiling people shots, they usually politely decline when I hold up the camera and I sadly smile and walk away, not today though :). I had my heart set on some farmers working in their rice paddies - what could be more typically Vietnamese than that? But these two ladies walking their buffalo along the side of the road ending up winning my vote. They were both so obliging when I asked for a photo - I think I won them over by swooning over the buffalo calf and taking lots of pictures of it!

My blip in the bag I started making my way back to Tam Dao, these road workers had the not so pleasant job of cleaning up the main road, then I stopped off at the banana and susu ladies to buy some bananas before heading home. I wasn't more than a couple of hundred meters from the bungalows when I decided to look out over the lake and see if I could spot any water birds. I did make out some egrets and the vague outlines of some ducks/grebes but they all disappeared into the shrubbery before I could pull out the big lens. Where I was standing I've discovered is absolute bee heaven! Bees on cobbler peg plants everywhere! I tried to get a few shots, but nothing extraordinary. But now I know where to come with the macro when I get back in March! These young boys came over to investigate what I was doing and also were happy to have their photo taken :)