Sapa is a scenic town in Northwestern Vietnam just 40 km south of the Chinese border. The town is nestled in the high peaks of the Hoang Lien Son mountain range and has commanding views of the valley and rice terraces below. In my opinion it is one of the top must-see places in Vietnam. We had originally booked a tour through Ocean Tours, but obviously got out of that and I am glad we did. Most people book tours starting in Hanoi for about 150 USD. If you do the trip on your own it will cost around 100 and will be on your own schedule.
We did another lovely night train during which I jostled awake and groggily started packing up at 1:30 am. My fellow cabin mates tried to tell me that it in fact wasn’t time to get up, but I didn’t process what they were saying. The train station is about an hour away from Sapa itself and requires a van ride for 50,000 Dong. On the ride we met a very friendly couple from San Francisco whom we later ran into at the Hill Station where we shared dinner. In town we found a hotel and ate breakfast from its restaurant while taking in the views. Unfortunately, this was a fateful meal. Tim and Maya got food poisoning and not the friendly kind. It was bad. Really, really, really bad. So they stayed in the hotel for a day and a half. The other two of us joined the Sapa Sisters for a tour through the villages of Lai Chau, Ta Van, and Giang Ta Chai. The first two villages were depressingly touristy. We were followed the all the way from the first village to the second and slightly harassed by Hmong women trying to sell their scarves. It was the trek from the second village to the third that is worth writing home about. We were far enough out that there were no other tourists and the path opened up to Sapa’s famous rice terraces.
We passed two brothers playing with a wheel barrow and they followed us for a while. They were even excited to do a jump shot with me. We passed water buffalo and view after beautiful view. Then we came along an entire village out collecting bamboo. Our guide told us that twice a year each village goes out for two days to collect wood. Everyone is involved even six year olds. I was shocked to see eight year old girls with baskets strapped to their backs hauling 30 kg of bamboo. At one point two girls stopped to take a break next to where we were sitting. When they got up they just starting running down the hill in their oversized rain boots in an attempt to keep momentum. The guide explained that they would do about six trips up into the hills in one day. What I did notice was that the boys were off having bamboo wars. Apparently, the hard labor is considered to be more of a girl’s job than a boy’s… gender equality has a ways to go here.
I asked about how the Vietnam War impacted the region and our guide said that it was a safe place during that time, but in 1979 China invaded and killed 3,000 people. China targeted Vietnamese people and not the Hmong because the Hmong people emigrated from China and are of Chinese descent themselves. There were even instances where Vietnamese people hid with the Hmong and China let them be. We then discussed the many diverse tribes of the region. Most moved from China during the time of the Mongol invasions while others came from Thailand. The two tribes we met were the Black Hmong and the Red Dzao. They have very distinctive traditional clothing and different languages. The Red Dzao wear brilliant red head dresses and the Black Hmong wear hemp clothing dyed with local indigo.
Another interesting thing I learned from my guide was what the average woman’s life is like amongst the tribes. Many women get married as young as 15 and by the time they are 22 they normally have 3 or 4 children. On their standards I am an old maid. Most spend their time in the rice fields and dying hemp and cloth. Our guide is the envy of her village. She was the youngest of her family and was able to study both English and Vietnamese at school. Her language skills have given her a way out of peddling handicrafts to tourists. She plans to only have two children and hopes for them to study in a school in Sapa. She was a fun person to spend a day with and she made me think about how lucky I am to be a woman from where I am from. Thanks Mom and Dad for making my education possible. It has made the world of difference.
Once back in the hotel Tim and Maya told us about the bothersome construction that took place all day. We felt sympathetic, but it wasn’t until the next day that I would realize how bad it had been. I was standing in my room when all of a sudden there was jack hammering right above my head. Man was it loud! And then there was a crash and the floor shook. My immediate thought was, “It isn’t possible to get out in time. This level is going to give.” I honestly thought the building was collapsing. My flight or fight response kicked in and I ran to the door. The window shattered and a huge pile of bricks lay all over the floor. The ceiling of the balcony had collapsed and had come flying through the window. The workers immediately entered with smirks and just giggled a little. The situation wasn’t funny and fortunately the manager took it more seriously. Between the near death experience and the food poisoning she gave us the two nights free. Yet, another unforgettable experience.
Visit Sapa and you won't be disappointed!
We did another lovely night train during which I jostled awake and groggily started packing up at 1:30 am. My fellow cabin mates tried to tell me that it in fact wasn’t time to get up, but I didn’t process what they were saying. The train station is about an hour away from Sapa itself and requires a van ride for 50,000 Dong. On the ride we met a very friendly couple from San Francisco whom we later ran into at the Hill Station where we shared dinner. In town we found a hotel and ate breakfast from its restaurant while taking in the views. Unfortunately, this was a fateful meal. Tim and Maya got food poisoning and not the friendly kind. It was bad. Really, really, really bad. So they stayed in the hotel for a day and a half. The other two of us joined the Sapa Sisters for a tour through the villages of Lai Chau, Ta Van, and Giang Ta Chai. The first two villages were depressingly touristy. We were followed the all the way from the first village to the second and slightly harassed by Hmong women trying to sell their scarves. It was the trek from the second village to the third that is worth writing home about. We were far enough out that there were no other tourists and the path opened up to Sapa’s famous rice terraces.
We passed two brothers playing with a wheel barrow and they followed us for a while. They were even excited to do a jump shot with me. We passed water buffalo and view after beautiful view. Then we came along an entire village out collecting bamboo. Our guide told us that twice a year each village goes out for two days to collect wood. Everyone is involved even six year olds. I was shocked to see eight year old girls with baskets strapped to their backs hauling 30 kg of bamboo. At one point two girls stopped to take a break next to where we were sitting. When they got up they just starting running down the hill in their oversized rain boots in an attempt to keep momentum. The guide explained that they would do about six trips up into the hills in one day. What I did notice was that the boys were off having bamboo wars. Apparently, the hard labor is considered to be more of a girl’s job than a boy’s… gender equality has a ways to go here.
I asked about how the Vietnam War impacted the region and our guide said that it was a safe place during that time, but in 1979 China invaded and killed 3,000 people. China targeted Vietnamese people and not the Hmong because the Hmong people emigrated from China and are of Chinese descent themselves. There were even instances where Vietnamese people hid with the Hmong and China let them be. We then discussed the many diverse tribes of the region. Most moved from China during the time of the Mongol invasions while others came from Thailand. The two tribes we met were the Black Hmong and the Red Dzao. They have very distinctive traditional clothing and different languages. The Red Dzao wear brilliant red head dresses and the Black Hmong wear hemp clothing dyed with local indigo.
Another interesting thing I learned from my guide was what the average woman’s life is like amongst the tribes. Many women get married as young as 15 and by the time they are 22 they normally have 3 or 4 children. On their standards I am an old maid. Most spend their time in the rice fields and dying hemp and cloth. Our guide is the envy of her village. She was the youngest of her family and was able to study both English and Vietnamese at school. Her language skills have given her a way out of peddling handicrafts to tourists. She plans to only have two children and hopes for them to study in a school in Sapa. She was a fun person to spend a day with and she made me think about how lucky I am to be a woman from where I am from. Thanks Mom and Dad for making my education possible. It has made the world of difference.
Once back in the hotel Tim and Maya told us about the bothersome construction that took place all day. We felt sympathetic, but it wasn’t until the next day that I would realize how bad it had been. I was standing in my room when all of a sudden there was jack hammering right above my head. Man was it loud! And then there was a crash and the floor shook. My immediate thought was, “It isn’t possible to get out in time. This level is going to give.” I honestly thought the building was collapsing. My flight or fight response kicked in and I ran to the door. The window shattered and a huge pile of bricks lay all over the floor. The ceiling of the balcony had collapsed and had come flying through the window. The workers immediately entered with smirks and just giggled a little. The situation wasn’t funny and fortunately the manager took it more seriously. Between the near death experience and the food poisoning she gave us the two nights free. Yet, another unforgettable experience.
Visit Sapa and you won't be disappointed!
