Life Abroad: Teaching, Parenting, and Traveling Overseas: Sapa - Clean Air, Hiking, and Beautiful People

Beautiful Views

The moment we stepped out of the van in Sapa we knew that we’d love it. The cool, clean air and evergreen covered peaks filled our souls with the respite we needed from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Train to Sapa

Although the town of Sapa is much larger than I expected, it can be walked in less than a day and still holds the charm of small town. Unfortunately for me, the streets are mainly lined with hawkers selling their wears. Yet, the sellers don the traditional dress of their native tribes making them appear beautiful, but no less pushy.

Walking through Hmong Village

We booked our stay in Sapa through a tour company in Hanoi, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the ease at which it provided our travel. As soon as we arrived, we were treated to a buffet breakfast that left a bit to be desired, but filled our bellies well enough. After breakfast, we were whisked away by our tour guide, May, for our first excursion.

Beautiful Faces

She led us through the streets and out of Sapa. Our destination was Cat Cat village an ethnic village that is completely devoted to tourism now. Their doesn’t seem to be anything that remains of the village that was home to the Hmong rice growers that occupied it. All that remains are souvenir shops and a staged cultural dance. The setting, however, couldn’t be more beautiful.

The Rains Stop!

Cat Cat Falls

The community gathering hall is at the confluence of three creeks creating one of the most beautiful settings that I have seen.

After visiting the village, we looped back around through the caribou strewn rice terraces back to Sapa. From there we were led to our lunch, and subsequently dinner spot, Café Michelle. We were treated to a nice lunch of lemon grass chicken, sesame pork, cucumber salad, and spring rolls. After lunch, we were taken to The Sapa Lodge, our house for the evening and where May left us for the rest of the day. We couldn’t have been happier with the location and quality of the room. The room overlooked the valley and was spotless.

Our wonderful guide, May

May and Rosemary enjoying the view

On day 2, May picked us up after 9 and we headed out for our homestay. All throughout breakfast it had been raining cats and dogs, and I was a little worried that we would be trudging through rain the whole day. We left our hotel umbrellas in hand and ponchos on, and walked through a substantial rain for a bout ½ an hour, just until we reached the valleys edge. Then the clouds began to lift and it turned into a spectacular day.

Beauty

The Sapa valley in June is filled with green rice terraces. The rice plants are not quite in bloom, but they provide vibrant shades of green that blanket the hillside. Our walk zig-zagged through down the mountain side, passing rice paddies, small streams, a hydro-power plant, and much more.

Rice Terraces

We stopped for short lunch at a tourist spot that sat right above a pig pen. The smell that emanated from the pig pen tainted my whole lunch, but left a lasting memory and reminded me that I was still in Asia. As we ate, the restaurant began to fill with other hikers, mainly Caucasians, and with each new group the local sellers would gather around the them hounding them for a dollar.

While we ate, two young boys were playing in the river below. They were jumping, splashing and laughing about. Then one boy picked up his fishing rod and began to fish. Aside from the swimsuit, his underwear, and the color of the water, chocolate milk, that scene could play out n just about any river town in the world. Boys will be boys no matter how rich or poor they may be.

Hemp

May led us through a couple villages and we stopped in her house to gather some clothes. I was surprised to see how impoverished her family appears to be. Her brother and two friends were sleeping on the dirt floor, there was a meager wooden table with 4 squatting stools around it next to them, and in the loft above was the family’s yearly supply of rice.

Arriving at our homestay in the late afternoon, we were both happy to see that it was an actual homestay and not a hotel, dubbed homestay. The women that we stayed with had one child, a young boy, and they spoke almost no English. Their living quarters consisted of a large open-air room on the bottom floor and we stay upstairs where there must have been 20 cots strewn about on the floor. Luckily, it was just us and another couple staying up there, so we had the run of the place.

This will do - Beds at the homestay

We were served a delicious 4 course dinner again, and then May brought out some rice wine, and her brother and brother’s friend joined us. This was one of the highlights of my stay in Sapa. Sitting around with May’s family, including her sister Bam, brother Tu, and his friend drinking “happy water” and trying to carry on a conversation in very limited English. For the first time, I felt like I was interacting with the Vietnamese.

Rosemary's a hit...again!

Enjoying some "Happy Water" with Tu and his friend

Our hike out began in a rainy downpour, but again the rain subsided, and we were provided a stunning walk out of the valley. Along our way, we walked past a huge waterfall that was overflowing from the night’s rain. Interestingly enough, as we approached and left the falls the water receded and cleared up substantially. We arrived back in Sapa at about 2pm and spent the next few hours drinking coffee and wandering the city.

Our Sapa stay was definitely a highlight of the trip thus far. The beauty of the mountains, valley, and people will be etched in my mind forever.