IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN SAPA Yesterday we arrived here by night train and then spent four hours hiking through the mountains with a guide. We spent last night in a "home-stay" at one of the villager's homes. Today we hiked three more hours out of the valley then had a jeep bring us back to Sapa. The whole experience was incredible. Hiking throught the muddy mountains was a very Zen experience, no time to think or worry about anything other than what is happening NOW or otherwise end up in the mud.
We saw many of the ethnic minorities of the area including the Black Hmong, who dress beautifully in indigo clothing and persistently try to sell you their wares as you hike up muddy embankments (slipping the whole way, they'll laugh at you for that). We also saw the Red Dzao people, who dress beautifully in red, and also try to sell you their products, but not quite as aggressively. We spent the night with the Dzay people. Barn yard animals aplenty: ducks, chickens (including several very noisy roosters), dogs and puppies, a cat, and of course water buffalo.
Our guide, Tung (means "pine") was so knowledgeable. He showed us the dried up Hemp plant which is a boom crop for the summer, but not for the reasons you think; they use the hemp to make thread (and we saw a woman working the hemp so it's true). He showed us some wild coriander and used it making soup for our dinner. He showed us the 101 uses for bamboo, but I'll let Mark talk about this. Also showed us the amazing ingenuity of these farmers. They really maximize their use of the water and land, including using water to run generators. They place their outhouses on top of the streams (smartly) to carry away waste. Our bathroom last night was a little bamboo hut over the stream with a hole in the middle to squat over. No running water other than the stream and no electricity except what is created by the small generator (which in our house was a bare light bulb, one in each room).
The whole experience was wonderful. The reason I wanted to come here was to see how the other half lived and now I have, to some extent. Having a nice hot shower today was a luxury I don't take for granted. So is good medical care...a lot of the kids had hacking coughs, runny noses, and possible eye infections. That said, they are definitely beautiful people, much more attractive than the folks we've seen in Hanoi. And they are extremely fit. They must be to hike through the mountains every day like they do.
The scenery should be mentioned as well. It's like the images on every guidebook for Southeast Asia and China, rice patties on hillsides with water buffalo munching away....Amazing.
At the end of our journey we were "adopted" by a kitten (like Katherine for Mom, Dad, and Susan). She begged food from us, she was just skin and bone...and after acquiring a full belly from "dropped" ramen, she took refuge on my lap and under my shirt. If we had found her in Atlanta there's no doubt we'd have a cat now.
I'd like to say more, but Mark is looking over my shoulder waiting for his turn to blog, so.......