At daybreak it was obviously NOT to be. The hotel was shrouded in the grayness of low hanging storm clouds. The discussion at breakfast was “what to do?” It was telling that Penny, who never needs protection from the elements, had acquired an umbrella from the hotel staff.
Our planned destination was Cat Cat, a village about 2 miles to the south. The distance wasn’t the problem; the terrain was. It was a very steep and rocky trek. Add the rain and mud and it would be treacherous. Without a view, it was a no-brainer!
Phung decided that ponchos were in order if we were going to venture outside.
We headed out and for a brief moment, the clouds settled below the mountain peak – it was very cool.
We decided to go to the market and see the handicrafts of Red Dao.
The daytime market doesn’t compare to the folklore of the former Saturday evening market. As the story goes, Sapa was famous for its “love market”. This cultural highlight used to be the place for tribal locals to find a partner and get married.
Tradition has it that young Red Dao used to come to Sapa and sing songs to find their partners. Girls, hidden in the dark, would sing, play panpipes and mouth organs. When found by a boy - if they liked each other - they would disappear into the forest for three days. Some of them got married after that.
With the development of tourism, the real love market no longer takes place. There is a representative performance of the singing and rituals on Saturday evening in one of the community buildings.
Sapa would be considerably less colorful and interesting without the H’mong and Dao people, the largest ethnic groups in the region. The H’mong are more numerous and resourceful. Their villages may look primitive but most will have mobile phones and an email address to stay in touch. Traditionally, they were the poorest of the poor but have rapidly learned the spirit of free enterprise. Most of the Montagnards have no formal education but the arrival of foreigners/tourists has made them well aware of the value of money and many of the youngsters have picked up a basic level of English, French and a handful of other languages.
The incursion of tourism has forever changed the local tribes. Their simple lives: the cultures and languages, customs and clothing, with a backdrop of mountainous beauty are the attraction. The local women’s pursuit of tourists down Sapa’s main street, bartering over colorful clothing and souvenirs, can be an annoyance for those hoping to be left alone.
The rain really didn’t stop business in town. Umbrellas and ponchos were selling briskly and the Black Hmong women seemed to have matching umbrellas as they walked up the main street pursuing sales!
The market where the Red Dao were working was bustling. The billowing red headdresses of the Red Dao are visible all over town.
It is a surreal sight amid the accelerating development; that translates into hand embroidery and using cell phones simultaneously.
There were heavy negotiations over some handicrafts; photographs were involved. And there were some angry Red Dao as well. We made our purchases and continued through the remainder of the market to check out produce (greens galore, banana flowers, and bamboo) and poultry (chicken feet) among other items. There is always a Kodak moment to be found!
As the rained slowed we decided to make our way to the waterfall. Thac Bac (Silver Waterfall), with a height of more than 325 feet, is one of the highest waterfalls in the country.
It was a loop track, steep and scenic, and there were stairs all the way. Phung, Jenny and I decided to climb and we left Caroline and Penny with the vendors by the barbeques I’d taken on the role of stair counting: 473 to the top and 488 coming down the other side.
We had a snack of roasted sweet potatoes and eggs, rice stuffed in bamboo, and tea before heading on our way. Mr Bill was right there with us; on the grill, almost in the fire!
We drove to Ta Phin Village, home to Red Dao and about 6 miles from Sapa. Our arrival coincided with a few other larger vans with many more tourists. This allowed us to slip through most of the gauntlet of red headed women and children anxious to have a conversation and a sale with the tourists.
The scenario repeats itself at most of the villages: “Hello…what is your name? Where are you from? How old are you? How many children do you have?“ Most of the woman speak just enough of many languages to make an instant connection. More amazing is that these language skills are acquired from speaking with and making contacts with tourists.
I must say that there is always something to see in each village. I loved this young boy riding the water buffalo.
It felt as though spring was in the air. There were babies everywhere: humans,
ducks,
and pigs.
Ta Phin is one of the villages that offers overnight community-based tours. They have upgraded some of the facilities and offer an “up close and personal” experience of living amongst the minorities.
We stopped to see the ruins of an old church that was beautiful in its decay. The building had crumbled, but enough detail remained amid the moss to capture a by gone era.
Leaving Sapa, one might see stunning scenery on the passes were it not for the hovering clouds and fog. Intermittent clearing gave us snippets of the magnificent mountain peaks and vertical rice terraces.
I was sad to leave the mountains. There were still places to see and treks to make. It had been a pleasant relief to leave the hustle and bustle of the city.
Enroute to LaoCai, we stopped by the Sino-Vietnam border; it was the closest I would get to China on this Asian adventure!
We saw all that LaoCai had to offer (which really was not much) while we waited for a very delayed overnight train to Hanoi.
We settled into our “deluxe” sleeper cabin and realized that a later departure was advantageous, as we would have a later arrival (6:30am) in Hanoi. I was lulled to sleep in the rocking cabin.
And the adventure continues in Hanoi…
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