After the initial excitement of this trip died down, we thought we would be taking less pictures and be less tacky of tourists. The rural mountain town of Sa Pa and the surrounding villages, however, brought it all back. The pictures below do the area little justice, but please take a scroll.
The most convenient way to get to Sa Pa from Hanoi is the overnight train. As you might be able to tell from how well Paul fits in the hallway, these accommodations were designed for the average Vietnamese person and the beds were a bit short. The best part though was definitely the constant jolting from side to side throughout the night as well as the occasional abrupt stop that almost launches you out of the bed.
We arrived in Lao Cai around 5 in the morning still groggy from the less than plush train ride but still ready for action. We packed into a van with other tourists going to Sapa and began the 1 hour ride up into the mountains. Apart from the occasional roadside fire billowing smoke into the van windows, the road being one of the windiest we've experienced, and the driver pretending to be Ricky Bobby in the Nascar championships, the ride was uneventful save for everyone almost losing their breakfast (which thankfully we hadn't had yet). The only casualty was a two year old boy from Laos who couldn't keep his composure around one of the turns and ended up spraying his mother a bit. The drive did offer our first views of terraced mountainside and built the anticipation for the trek.
Descending from the town of Sapa into the valley was one of the most breathtaking views we have seen so far. Immense mountains overshadow lush green sloping fields all converging down to a meandering river.
We could see the village people hard at work harvesting rice from the terraces and placing them in large sacks, which were then driven into town on the backs of mopeds or carried on a backpack, like the two boys below. We were told each bag weighed over 50 kg, or about 100 lbs.
We saw a few interesting sights on the road as well. Being a farming and agricultural culture, the villages around Sa Pa grow, produce, and raise almost all food that they need. We saw many roaming chickens, ducks, pigs, and water buffalo as we walked. Also, our guide pointed out a plot of towering marijuana plants right next to the trail. We were informed they were for making hemp to be used in clothing and would be shown the process later on. Beyond that were huge terraces for growing rice, of course, and also corn.
Also of interest were these little stopping points along the trail. At every one, small village children were waiting for tourists to attempt to sell them bracelets. The children would stick handfuls of bracelets literally into your face and beg you to buy them. Being the kind-hearted and caregiving travelers that we are, we said "No."
Kidding, we did end up buying two of them off of the little girls and sticking them into our pockets before continuing on. After a few more inclines and meeting new people from different tour groups, we arrived at a structure for lunch.
Immediately after sitting down, we were swarmed by the local village women that tagged along for the trek. "I help you, you buy from me!" As we were pre-warned, the women would try to bribe us to buy their handmade goods with their assistance from the trek. As native Coloradans, we didn't use much help, therefore feeling less obligated to buy from them, along with the fact that we didn't have any Vietnamese currency on us. The nagging eventually died down and we were able to eat the meal prepared for us. A certain woman insisted that we buy anything she had, and with our new bargaining tactics, we were able to ditch the over-payed for hats in exchange for two small, hand-stitched hemp bags.
After a quick lunch and more fending off local saleswomen, we were finally able to see the true village life. There were numerous dogs roaming the village and Hunter happened across this gem of a puppy:
And then he found this intuitive pig and stall design, where the poop is pushed right out of the side of the building. It seems as if their pigs have been eating well.
We followed Mi through her local streets as she explained to us their different methods of processing their crops, extracting indigo to use for clothing and other accessories, and creating their beautiful hemp products. A few children were playing with an old, hand-run rice grinder, which were used 20 years ago. Nowadays, the automatic mill is used, powered by the water running through the village. Many women create amazing and intricate patterns by hand using beeswax which is then melted off after getting the perfect shade of indigo. Dozens and dozens of shirts, scarves, belts, and bags were hanging from the ceiling to dry, each covered in their own unique and hand-drawn design.
We completed our journey to the homestay at around 4 pm and were greeted by a welcoming woman, a few dogs, and a cat. With time to kill before dinner, we set off on another adventure to see the river that ran through the middle of the village. A concrete path littered with food and candy wrappers led all the way down to the river, through the several massage huts for tourists. At the beginning of the trek, Hunter began picking up the trash he would come across, soon to find that it would take a team and a few days to clean up the entire place. Despite how appreciative we were to have this opportunity, we realized that we among others are contributing to the tourism, which is slowly littering the valley.
We came back for some free time to relax while our host prepared dinner in her conveniently laid out kitchen. We joined our other trekkers at the table and had a delicious home-cooked meal while talking with the travelers from New Zealand, Laos, and the Netherlands. After the 11.5 mile trek, we were worn out and ready for bed.
DAY 2
After a night of good rest, we were revived and ready to crush the rice patty terraces. Our host prepared thin, crepe-like pancakes with bananas, sugar, honey, and lime, which disappeared into our stomachs not long after. We set out on out hike to the other side of the river, this time with only Mi and our Dutch friend, Marijke. Many tourist groups were out on the same path, so Mi guided us to the more "challenging" path, which turned out to be even more beautiful as well. We hiked past the usual pigs, buffalo, and chickens, and this time were rewarded with a family of goats grazing the grass. We came across a meadow like area where we sat and were able to take in all of the views.
The hike continued through bamboo forests, across rivers, and down slippery mud paths. Before the trek, a bet was made that whoever fell first had to buy a round of beer. We all survived day 1 in our clunky rain boots, though Paul made a few close calls by catching himself before hitting bum to the ground. While the boys jumped and leaped down a steeper, muddier hill, Nola carefully worked on foot placement, and despite all efforts, fell flat and slipped slightly down the hill.
We came to another river and were given the option of paying 1$ to use the bridge, or to cross the river for free. We chose to cross, and again, Nola fell slightly into the river, which actually cleaned her pants of the mud from the previous fall. On our final leg of the trek, we climbed a steep and muddy terrace to lunch. A final meal was served along with more women insisting to buy their goods. After the meal, we hopped in a van and drove back to the town of Sa Pa.
Sapa came to a close too fast but we had an incredible time. This place is filled with wonder and authenticity as we got to experience rural villages and interact with people who had lived there for many generations. It was an incredible way to see Vietnam and will be an amazing adventure for us to remember.
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