'Maybe you buy from meeee?' - Trekking in Sa Pa and visiting the local hill tribes

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17-18 August
19 August back to Hanoi

We booked a 3 night, 2 day tour up to Sa Pa from Hanoi. The night train was very comfortable, and we ended up going with two young girls from Denmark, Tina and Charlotte. We met up with our guide, Huy, did some sight seeing around the little mountain town of Sapa, and later started a very easy 'trek' down into the valley. Sa Pa was just beautiful - home to local hill tribes, mainly the black H'mong, Zhao and Dzay people. They do thrive off the tourism there, and the little girls are very tenacious trying to sell their handicrafts. When I think of Sapa, I hear their monotone voices incessantly repeating, 'Maybe you buy from meeee? You buy from her, maybe you buy from meeee?' They are so cute, so it's hard to resist buying their little trinkets.

We spent the night at a homestay in the valley, in a little village Ta Van with some of the Dzay people. They made us a fabulous dinner - I couldn't believe how much food was there. And of course they break out the rice wine. That stuff is very potent and is probably an acquired taste!

The next day we went trekking in the rain and mud through the rice fields on the mountain sides, up to a big waterfall and down to another little village in the valley. The local Hmong girls followed us the whole way trying hard to sell us their little bracelets and key chains. Precariously balancing on the hill and slipping down the muddy pathway, it was really the last place I wanted to buy more handicrap. But the girls were still so cute. We made our way back up the other side of the valley and were picked up and taken back to Sapa. We went back to Laocai to catch our night train back to Hanoi.

All in all, we were happy with this tour. It was a sharp contrast from most of our other experiences in Vietnam. When we got back to Hanoi we had a day before we got on our 23 hour bus to Vientiane, Laos. As a final farewell from this lovely country, I suppose we shouldn't be surprised that we had been promised a comfortable AC tourist bus, but ended up with a non-AC bus that was jam packed full of cargo. We made a zillion stops before even leaving Hanoi, picking up more and more goods that filled all the luggage space below and the last three rows of the bus from floor to ceiling. They even shoved more goods in the aisles where some guy decided it would be a nice place to sleep for most of the night. The second driver attached a hammock diagonally across the aisle, tied up to the luggage racks. Every last bit of space was used up. It was dirty, and bumpy.... 23 hours later we arrived in Vientiane, exhausted, but happy that we didn't resort to flying Lao Airlines.

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Photos

The Hmong girls and me
by the waterfall. These girls are tenacious. They followed us the whole day on our trek through the rain and mud, the entire time repeating in their monotone voices, "Maybe you buy from meeeeee, maybe you buy???"

for sale in Sapa
All over vietnam they sell this local rice whiskey with snakes and scorpions.

Zhao woman selling handicrafts
Another hill tribe in this region are the Zhao, who wrap their head in red and pluck out their hair underneath.

Our guide, Huy
smoking tobacco from a traditional bamboo waterpipe.

Water buffalo
crossing the bridge in Sa Pa

Work is Glory
Chopstick holder at a bus stop outside of Hanoi

Bus from hell from Hanoi to Vientiane
23 hours on this uncomfortable non-AC bus