Sapa and Ta Van

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I was surprised when I arrived in Sapa, I expected there to be hundreds of tribal women trying to take me to their village. Ah no, just a few men offering motor bikes!! And and I nearly forgot it was pouring with rain and cold. What did I have on shorts and a singlet - oops something the guide book neglected to say!!



Anyway after the bus trip I decided I needed a drink, just tea!! To try and work out where now. I decided a three hour trek in the rain was not going to work. I had found a place on the internet in Ta Van that had a home stay and so I bought a jacket ( unbelievably expensive) and an umbrella. Lucky I had a plastic poncho that I have carried everywhere and never used in my backpack. I jumped on the back of a bike with a friendly looking man and we headed off to Ta Van. It was a 40 minute ride over bumpy dirt roads, through waterfalls covering the road and in the pouring rain, until we arrived in the gorgeous village of Ta Van.



Again going with the flow, after trying to work out where the home stay was and we couldn't the man on the bike asked a family if I could stay with them. They do a basic homestay but had a few tourists staying with them. $15 a night with a view that is amazing. Again I have been so lucky.



I met Somile who is a 20 year old village girl who takes treks from village to village. She was taking a group today and I tagged along with her and her mother and had an amazing day, going to her house in the end to meet her baby and family. Instead of eating with the group I got to eat with the family traditional village food which was much better than what they feed the tourists. At lunch we had steamed pumpkin leaves with chilli and pork and rice. They don't waste anything and the leaves were great, watch out when you come to my place next for dinner!!



At the house I am staying at it is very basic and Ju who owns it speaks a little English and again I have been able to eat with the family, but I am not sure what it was but it tasted good! I think I am a bit of a novelty being "old" and traveling alone, keep asking where my husband is. When I say no husband they shake their heads and tut!! Still they have made me welcome and I love that this part of Vietnam even though becoming more popular is still relatively traditional. But if you are planning on coming to Vietnam I would get here soon before it vanishes under tourism!



No fans, no air conditioning, no Internet, basic,basic facilities and yet I would come back in a heart beat!

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Photos

Somile and baby Jem
Mother In law in back ground