In the depths of this land of Maï Châu, which became famous following the visit of Cuban President Fidel Castro in the years 1992, then prospered by the strength of the arms and the power of the hocks of the women and men clinging to the sides of mountain at dawn without luch.

"Poppies". From one generation to the next, the same actions, the same efforts, the same undernourishment, end up having the last word. Hunger and thirst are then deceived by the chewing of plants, of the poppy. But to be able to chew it, you have to have it. Thus, the "poppies" are cultivated according to the customs for a peaceful life... and not to sell secretly.

Opium Cellar. On the side of the northern border, on a market day, in an old fortified estate belonging to a former local king, who has become the main curiosity of the village, the stroll leads us to a room open to visitors, above the door a sign in Vietnamese "Kho Thuôc phiên" (Opium cellar), then a stones throw from there, a solid house, the door to a room wide open. On an opium bed are two men lying on their sides. All the smoking paraphernalia between them. One of the two prepares the ceremonial preparation. On seeing us, he greets us with a slight smile as if to invite us to lie down.

"Dawn". So, if you ever come across a man crouching down  by the side of the road, his head resting between his fists on a block of stone, do not judge him too quickly, because he has his reasons, like this child, buttocks in the air despite the harshness of winter. So tell yourself that the life expectancy of people from above rarely exceeds fifty-six years and that 50% of children die before the age of five without having time to discover this moment called "Dawn".

Stomach Ache. Or that other grimacing, who stops in front of the kindergarden we're building in Xam Pà, puts down her basket, rubs her stomach. Intrigued, we go to meet her. To our question, she replied that she had a stomach ache the day before... Then happy with the gift, explains to us that she is going to turn back to buy medicines in the village before climbing the hill in the opposit direction in the dark, if squats, bends forward to put on his hood, takes a deep breath, screams as he gets up. Without being able to turn around, she makes a simple "Farewell, Uncle!". Or this one carrying an endless bamboo pole crowned with a transparent plastic bag to catch stink bugs (bo xít) that she will sell at the market or directly to an inn.

Meal thinly composed. While awaiting the return of their mothers, the girls prepare the evening meal, barefoot on the floor. The pots placed on bricks. At any time, inattention can cause burns. Meal thinly composed, without accompaniments, for families who have barely fifteen dollars a month... The most popular seasoning is salt, followed by oil and dehydrated noodles, distributed by city-dwellers at entry of autumn.

Fried Stink Bugs. One lunchtime at our hostel in Pom Coong, we are surprised to see a plate of black insects that the waitress presents to us saying that they are fried stink bugs, delivered in the afternoon by a vendor. Crunchy under the teeth, they only have a vague taste of protein. Well ! This appetizer costs more than beef and suits the tastes of beer consumers more than ours.

Seeing them, we remembered our hike that morning in a nearby village where we had inflated balloons for the infants on the back of their brother, both beaming with joy. We then came across a young woman carrying a long bamboo pole at the end of which there was a large translucent nylon bag floating in the wind with a dark mass at the bottom.