Local entertainment

Part of working on a project like this in another country is becoming familiar with other cultures. It is very important to understand the similarities and differences people have - we all have much to learn from one another. Music is one thing people of all cultures share.

Vietnamese people love music - not just popular music but traditional folk music. This young girl and her mother sang for us one evening - after we asked them about their folk music.

Traditional folk music is one way the people here remember the past - and remember its lessons. They believe that the past is given to improve the future - they prefer to look ahead toward things to come by remembering lessons of their ancestors.

To see a short video of the songs, choose one of the selections below:
1. Nhac Rung (Forest Music) - words to Nhạc Rừng
2. Cay dan sinh vien (Students' Guitar) - words to Cây Đàn Sinh Viên

Caterpillar search

We have had several days of looking for caterpillars - it is difficult to find them, they hide under leaves and are camouflaged by their colors.

Some caterpillars we found were hairy - these are moth caterpillars. The hairs are used as a method of protection - the hairs are like tiny stingers and make a rash if you touch them.

Other caterpillars were smooth and very camouflaged, distinct characteristics of a butterfly caterpillar. When a caterpillar is found on a leaf it is probable that it is a food source as well as a home.

We did finally find a few - and some eggs, too. When eggs are found it is very exciting, because the scientist can see what the food plant is that the caterpillar larvae eat.

This batch of eggs was collected, along with some of the plant on which it was found. They will keep them until they hatch to determine the species, and make a notation in the research notes. The caterpillar and leaves were collected for the same reasons - to identify the butterfly it will produce.

Moths, not Butterflies

Moths differ from butterflies in several ways. Most moths have feathery antennae. At rest, their wings are often folded flat across their backs. Their bodies tend to be plumper and sometimes look furry. Moths fly at night and during twilight hours. In general they are very short-lived, with some only lasting a few days.

We have come across a number of moths (to my pleasure) and been able to compare them. The one pictured here is my all time favorite. One of the scientists on this study actually loves moths - and collects them. He hadn't seen this one before and was terribly excited to find it.

Moths tend to be slightly larger than butterflies - and moth's colors aren't as bright. Moths may also be indicators of forest health but are not currently being studied as such.

This is a snapshot of a moth who joined us one evening in the internet hut - you can see the size compared to my hand. You can also see from these photos how the colors of moths are not as vibrant.

This last photo shows how a moth might mimic another insect in order to ward off predators - this one shows a moth that largely resembles a wasp or bee. Notice the transparency of the wings - pretty awesome, huh?

Peak view

The three peaks of Tam Dao are Thien The, Thach Ban and Phu Nghia. We climbed the first peak - Thien The, which stands 1592 meters high (one meter = 3.281 feet). This is much taller than the television tower peak that we climbed a few days ago.


Granted, we did start out at 870 meters - but it was still a lot of work - especially because of how steep the climb was. We had no steps here, just a lot of rocks and bamboo - but we finally made it to the top.


Going down was another matter - and once again, more strenuous, I think because I was so tired - I had gotten so little sleep the night before. This photo doesn't do justice to how steep it was, but it does show that I was behind most everyone - and taking my time looking for stable footing. My guides were patient with me - I think.

The Bamboo Forest

The bamboo forest is one of the six transects, and one that has the fewest butterfly populations. Butterflies are rarely seen under the canopy of the bamboo forest. Two separate days were spent in the forest looking for butterflies but the numbers we saw were low.

You can see from the first photo that there is little sunlight in the forest. Butterflies congregate more on the edges of the forest and in open areas. They do need nectar so look for flowers - which are not seen as much deep inside the dense bamboo.

Trekking in the bamboo forest is difficult and in this situation it is extra strenuous because of the steep grade. This day we climbed the first of the three peaks in Tam Dao, which is also the highest and covered in dense bamboo forest, which I came to be grateful for - it provided things to hang on to when the climbing got tough.

Good Evening, Vietnam

The night sky is incredible in the north, away from the city. This week's night sky and moon have been very lovely. Lien took this photo - what a talent to capture the night sky on film!

If you want to see what the night sky looks like in different parts of the world, look at the NightSky website. There is no night-cam in Vietnam, the closest is in India, but it would be the same since the latittude is very close. The India star cam is the dark blue star on the map.