Hiking Sapa

Sa Pa! Located far in the northwest highlands of Vietnam, this town of mountains, markets and terraced rice fields takes time to reach, but is worth the effort. 

Unfortunately, we discovered that the secret is out and LOTS of people are willing to make the effort. I was kind of shocked by how touristy the town. Having traveled via night train, we arrived at the station in Lao Cai early in the morning. We were so far north that the border to China was just one kilometer further. From there we found this cafe and waited for our shuttle to Sapa.  We had prepaid our tickets but no was waiting our arrival--we were getting rather nervous that someone would come fetch us, but in the end it all worked out.

The shuttle dropped us off right in the center of town where we were immediately swarmed by women trying to sell us souvenirs. I confess to feeling both overwhelmed and annoyed, but after learning a little bit more about these Hmong women and the limited opportunities they have to provide for their families, I view the situation with more compassion. 

I'd hoped to get away from the traffic of Ha Noi, but the streets were still plenty crazy.

Before long we'd made it to our peaceful little treehouse homestay.

We had 4-5 hours before we could check-in, so fortunately they let us store our luggage. In the end, my Mom decided to hang out and read a book at the cozy little adjoining Matsu Cafe while I headed out for a hike. Don't worry--my Mom had some pretty adorable company to hang out with.

Looking on All Trails, I found this a seven mile route from Sa Pa to Tan Va Bridge. The plan was to hike to the village, then take a car back to Sa Pa.

Getting up above the town, I felt grateful for the quiet and solitude. The route quickly became quite steep--a very narrow paved path just wide enough for a motorbike.

I must have passed hundreds `of chickens. Every family has dozens.

There were tons of dogs as well. So can anyone explain to me how come all of the stray dogs in Viet Nam and Cambodia seem not reactive, but Zion barks his head off every chance he gets?

At least the puppy yipped for a moment.

For me, it was really special to catch glimpses of regular village life in spaces where tourists were unexpected.  For the most part I tried not to take too many photos, but I snagged this cute school class that was being taught by song.

The silver necklaces that Hmong children wear are for spiritual protection.

I also loved getting to see the terraced fields up close.

I was so entranced by all the sights that I forgot to check my trail may for a while. When I did, I realized that I was the blue dot far away from the red route. Oops! It was a bit of a slog back up the hill, but worth it to get off the beaten path. By the way, my cell service was fantastic the entire way even though I was in such remote places. Apparently phones and internets are controlled by the government, so there are strong connections no matter where you go. Downside is the government definitely monitors all that is going on. 

Further along I made it the terraced rice paddies. We just missed the harvest, so the rice paddies weren't the golden yellow hue that sends tourists flocking to Sa Pa. Still, it was fascinating to see. At the lower elevations, the Vietnamese farmers can get two to three harvests a year--one to feed their families and others to sell for profit. At the higher elevations, the Hmong people have to terrace the land to make it farmable and may only get one rice harvest--hopefully enough to feed their families, but not enough to sell. This helps explain why so many Hmong women and children must sell to tourists in the market in order to survive.

As I began the descent into Ta Van, I passed through a bamboo forest.

Rounding a corner, I came nose to nose with some water buffalo in the paddies. Glad they are docile!

Somewhere along the descent I lost the trail again so I never ended up making at Ta Van bridge or even the touristy little village there. I could have made it there along the main road, but a driver stopped and offered me a ride back to Sapa for a fair price. By that point I'd already gone a few extra miles and was eager to join up with my Mom. 

Also, our tree house was waiting! The view was pretty superb.

A little later we went for a walk back through town to explore. After hours of hiking, I was famished and ready for some carbs. The local specialty of chestnut cake was the perfect solution.

Thanks for the great day, Sapa!