October 25 - The Museum of Ethnology

Happy Birthday, our 6 year old BIG brother, BIG kid!  Today, for Hudson's birthday, he chose an outing to the Museum of Ethnology.  It is an outdoor, open-air exhibit of the art and culture of Vietnam's ethnic minorities of the highlands.  Meandering paths led us to a bunch of different houses, made of primarily of bamboo (and other wood).  Hudson (and us) got to scramble up these narrow, steep, rudimentary ladders and go into replica houses. Inside were fire pits and eating areas, sleeping sections with simple straw mats and weaving looms, tools, and other things they used to make their 'trade' items.  The villagers live and meet in these houses for war councils, rituals and celebrations.  For lunch we had ice cream in an outdoor cafe, where we could hear live Vietnamese music playing in the background.