Up in the Mountains - Bac Ha and Sapa

For the last four days we have been exploring the minority village people of the mountain towns. Interacting with them has taught us a lot about culture and simple lifestyle here. From treks to markets we have really enjoyed our time here.

We got to Bac Ha by an overnight train which was quite the experience. Our cabin was a nice sleeper with 2 bunk beds. Luckily we got the 2 bottom bunks...... at first we thought maybe we would have the cabin to ourselves, as the train was about leave a family of 4, 2 small children and their parents hopped in the bunks above us. Just to give you a visual, these are tiny beds that the average persons feet would hang off. Then to add to the excitement, the Vietnamese man got up to get out of the cabin and the door wouldn't open. He tugged for a few minutes then we both gave it a shot and the thing wouldn't budge. Another quick visual.... family of four, Meg and I, fast spoken Vietnamese, the guy pounding on the door and paniced faces. After the captain of the train and several others came to the rescue the door was finally pried open. We were now on our way. Luckily Ambien came to the rescue for the remained of the ride and we were both knocked out within a half hour.

We went to Bac Ha specifically on Sunday because there is a large market in which all the locals come to buy there goods for the week. Everyone is dressed in their traditional village dresses. The market was filled with vegetables, fruits, freshly slaughtered meats, fabrics, hand-made clothing, and more..... It was so colorful and interesting. We stayed the night there and had a great time without glimpse of another tourist.

We moved onward to Sapa taking the local bus. We had an interesting time communicating with the driver but made it eventually. Sapa is another fairly small mountainous town. It is know for the trekking through the villages. We did day trek over a mountain and through a small village. We interacted with the local, one woman in particular that was making thread from hemp. It was a great hike and a fabulous workout, not to mention the outstanding views. We are tired of typing so we our signing out.

M and L