Sapa - Day 2

We awoke after having the most refreshing night's sleep for a long time - our oversupply of blankets really helped here!

We said goodbye to our homestay family, but not before our parting group photo (we figured they probably do this every single morning, but they still managed to have such lovely smiles):

The weather on the second day of our  trek got better and better as the day went on.

We got much better photos of the valley today:

However, because this is the middle of the dry season, the rice paddies were not quite as green and lush as you sometimes see them:

 

 

 

Here's Hazel at the top end of a waterfall looking like she's about to break into a Country & Western number...

 

 

 

 

 

By the time we'd got to the bottom of the waterfall, the Sun was well and truly out:

No matter where you are in the world, as soon as the Sun appears people start to wash their clothes:

...and their cars (or motorbikes, in this case!):

Our guide took us to meet the village chief of the Red Dao tribe as we passed through - here she is on her doorstep:

And this is her granddaughter in the kitchen - check the size of the pots!

 

Further on in the village we met these two characters:

The likeness is uncanny! ;-)

While stopping for lunch, we met some more ladies from the Black Hmong - another opportunity to buy wares!

 

 

 

 

Cooooo-eeeeee!

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the afternoon we got back to Sapa town

We were grateful at this point for a hot shower and change of clothes.

 

 

We went out to explore the town, checking out the sights, sounds,  shops, and of course the colourful people.

 

 

 

Some of the wall hangings in a shop (we bought the blue one, top-left):

And some of the clothing on offer:

 

Here's some of the men-folk trying to look busy (playing cards!) while being left holding the baby:

This was a funny moment. Hazel tried to escape the woman's sales pitch by running across the square. As you can see, this was little deterrent, as the lady took up the chase:

 

The following day was market day, and we loved spending our time there, before getting the night train back to Hanoi.

 

 

We love how this shot mixes traditional, tribal identity with the 21st Century... But we did wonder whether the helmet would fit over her headdress!

 

 

 

 

 

Haze bought a little hat from this lady below, and then modelled it - to the amusement of all and sundry!

We didn't often see men getting involved in family activities (in Vietnam, at least), so it was nice to see this family just passing the time together on the steps of the church:

All in all, Sapa was a wonderful experience: great scenery, and a journey into a completely different way of life.

Namaste!

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Sapa - Ladies in Waiting

After getting a night train from Hoi An to Hanoi, we got straight onto a tour to Sapa, starting with - another night train. Early the following morning, we were greeted with the following view from our hotel while enjoying breakfast. These are just a few of the ladies from one of the local ethnic tribes who live in the villages surrounding Sapa.

We were informed by a lady who'd done the same trek the day before that these women would be coming with us on our trek today, and that each of us would probably have already been 'chosen' to pair up with one of them. There were only three tourists on our trek (us two and an Australian woman called Jana), and here are our new friends: Dong on thee left (who was with Pete), Tru on the right (who was with Hazel), and Too in the middle (who was with Jana).

Here they are with Hazel getting to grips with modern technology:

Sapa is way up in the hills and reminded us both of the Alps. The very early and misty start certainly had an Alpine temperature, so we were well wrapped up!

The girl on the right was our guide for the tour (Su).

During the first day we walked down from the town into the valley where the Hmong villages are, on the way passing a few cheeky scamps...

...some beautiful craftwork...

...and a very few men, none of whom seemed to do very much:

In the Black Hmong village the women would use the indigo that grows on the hillside to die their fabrics:

The ladies do tend to give tourists the 'Hard Sell' on their handiwork, but some of it is really beautiful and well worth the money - and you know it's going to the people who make it! It's all part of the experience of spending time with these people,

 

 

The women here are from a different tribe to Tru and Dong (the red headgear gives it away). We think they're from the Red Dao tribe, but we may need to confirm it.

 

 

 

 

Here's some more of the people we met on the way:

And here's a small selection of the things they were selling:

Not long after lunch we arrived at our homestay. Taking advantage of the fact that there was only three of us in a place that sleeps 12, we commandeered four blankets each for the chilly night ahead!

 

Some of the people from the homestay round the corner dropped in to pay us a visit soon after we arrived, and we were invited back to theirs also.

  A couple of beers into the evening, we were in stitches when a water buffalo decided to come and join us. Moooooooooooooooooooo!

We were also paid a visit by undoubtedly the craziest of all the local tribespeople - 'Avon Calling' doesn't even come close:

Her enthusiasm and keen sales pitch meant I was happy to pay twice the going rate for a packet of postcards - especially as she knew half the people pictured in them! Sadly her name has been lost in the fog of time, but her infectious laugh will live on for a long time yet! :)

Namaste!

del.icio.us Tags: Sapa,Vietnam,Trek