Sapa

Sapa is a beautiful mountain town, and was my final destination in this trip beyond making my way back to Hanoi. I had only planned to spend 2 nights and one full day there, but upon arriving after my 175km drive arriving just after sunset, I was instantly convinced to extend my visa in Vietnam due to the charm and beauty of the town, and stayed 4 nights and 3 days. This was a worthy place to stay, and an especial joy to arrive into it after the previous 5 days of intense driving on the bike- my body needed a rest!

Sapa is described in my guidebook as "The Queen of the Mountains, Sapa sits regally overlooking a beautiful valley, lofty mountains towering over the town on all sides. Welcome to the destination in northwest Vietnam, gateway to another world of mysterious minority cultures and luscious landscapes." It is indeed. :)

Before I talk about Sapa, I want to first say that there are many things I haven't mentioned about this lengthy beautiful and taxing journey- there were many times where I was invited to sit and have tea in peoples homes along the way, besides the one time in Mai Chau. One place I was merely stopping for Pho and wound up sharing tea with the woman who prepared my meal for me (and this was also after crashing my bike from the incline of their driveway when I got off the bike too soon while still riding the gas, and hurt myself and smashed the side mirror of the motorbike- which I had just replaced the day before from a similar but less painful self-imposed accident).

Another hot afternoon, I stopped to buy water from a couple out of their shop, and after rubbing the belly of their adorable little puppy who rolled onto its back for me, the couple was charmed, and smiling, invited me to join them and their neighbor for tea. Another woman offered me to stay in her home when I stopped to buy gas from her during my final leg to Muong Lay, as it was starting to get dark and I still had at least 30km to go. People were just so kind and sweet. The views of mountains and farms and fields and people and Black Thais and White Thais and Black H'mong and Red Tzaos were breathtaking. It took me a long time to travel these roads partially due to twisting, turning, and climbing of the roads, but also because I had to stop so many times to take photos.

That said, I was ready to stop for a bit. I checked myself into the Mountain View Hotel, an excellent hotel with panoramic views from the rooms and a great deal- $15 per night. I had dinner that evening, and enjoyed the cool night air. I slept long and hard that night, and attempted to explore the next morning, but quickly felt the fatigue of my past 5 days of riding, and after being harassed and followed by the endless stream of Black H'mong and Red Tzao women trying to sell me their jewelry, bags, and other trinkets, I bee-lined it back to my hotel room, and gave myself the day that I really needed- horizontal in a cushy bed, watching Vietnamese HBO once more. This is a remedy that I employed back in Nha Trang when I had gotten quite sick weeks earlier, and was an excellent cure. Sometimes I just need to stop with the adventures and sightseeing, and recharge completely.

I had dinner out but overall a quiet night, and I was happy for it. The Black H'mong and Red Tzao women that I described are incredibly beautiful in their dress and decoration, and the history that lines their faces. I had an earnest desire to connect with them the day before when I started my morning exploration, but in doing so I made myself vulnerable to their central operative which was to sell me (and every tourist) stuff.

I was at one point followed by easily ten women and girls, all saying with a pleading voice "Buy from me? Buy from me!" and they have all learned to speak English, and start the sales by approaching people on the street and first asking "Where are you from?" and then "Did you get here this morning? How long you spend in Sapa?" and next "You buy from me?" and they are absolutely relentless. Or they say "You come to my village I make you lunch and you buy from me there?" for which you would bargain an unknown price....I had trouble saying "no" and/or walking away, because I was coming from my place of genuine desire to connect, but I quickly learned that if I was to go anywhere or do anything other than debate about buying or not, I had to just say "no" and keep walking, or if I answered someones' questions I sometimes would say "I'm from America- and I'm not buying anything! But I'm happy to talk if you want!"

There was one particular woman named 'Seh' and I connected with her on the first day, and at the end of my 3rd and final day, I did indeed wind up buying some beautiful metal hand-made earrings from her. I saw her throughout my days in Sapa, and got to hold her sweet 6-month old daughter named 'Boh' and was able to actually spend time with her and share space without the continuing push to buy from her.

Anyhow, the next morning, when I woke up rested, I had a changed perspective and new energy, and none of this seemed overwhelming anymore. I had a skip in my step and lightness in my heart. Exhaustion is difficult while traveling- I felt extremely lonely on that first day of rest, not knowing how I was going to continue on this long trip- the motorbike trip, AND two more months in SE Asia! But, it is amazing what a good meal and a good night's sleep will do for a person.

While drinking tea and waiting for my breakfast in the hotel, two guys speaking a different language sat down at the table behind me, and I had this strong inclination to ask to join them. So, I did! They accepted. They were two guys both named Daniel, from Sweden, and were very friendly and welcoming. We had breakfast together that morning, and we continued to hang out over the next two days and nights, as well as upon my return to Hanoi many days later, and also a 2 day trip to Halong Bay with one of them once I was back.

That morning I wandered down to the Cat Cat Village, which was a long wandering of stairs through people's shops and homes, and eventually a meandering path around farms and fields and waterfalls. It was raining and I had an umbrella and my rainponcho, and my heart was singing. I stopped and shared some of my fried lotus seeds with an elderly Vietnamese man sitting outside a restaurant who had waved me over, and wound up interacting with his daughter and her baby. The baby's father gave me the baby to hold! I was quite touched, as I have not encountered this in Vietnam so far. I continued on my walk, as I ascended the long hill back to town, I met a French couple who was being led by a Vietnamese guide. After talking for a bit they all invited me to lunch, which was very nice!

I found the Daniels after lunch and asked them to go for a walk up to the top of town which is a small mountain with a radio tower, but many sight and gardens along the way. We were hiking through fog, and it was quite fun exploring with them. We met up later for dinner, and wandered the streets of Sapa.

The next day I signed myself up for a 1-day trek through the villages, which was quite fun and beautiful, and not too strenuous. It was over a period of five or six hours. We had one Black H'mong girl leading us as our official guide, but we also had at least five or six Black H'mong ladies accompanying us unofficially, partially to keep us company and come along for fun, but also with the hopes that after so much time together we would buy something from them, which, at the end of the tour, most of us did. It was quite nice actually, because for the duration of the trek, we were just talking or sharing space and silence and walking, being helped down muddy hills by our lady hosts, and enjoying the scenery.

When we got to our halfway point for lunch, we reached what is an unofficial (but official it seemed) station where ALL of the Black H'mong and Red Tzao ladies are waiting from the different villages, hoping to target all of the tourist groups stopping for lunch. I got surrounded. There were at least ten women and girls surrounding me. What I didn't realize was how vulnerable I was at that moment, and that I was probably long overdue for lunch, which, for me is extremely important for me when it comes to potentially intense and overwhelming situations. I bought one thing from one lady, and this just made all the other ladies come at me even more intensely, saying 'buy from me! buy from me! buy from MEEEE!' and I turn and suddenly a woman with one missing eye is in my face saying 'Buy from me, Please!!' I start fanning myself with my hand to indicate to them that I am feeling hot and possibly faint, I crouch down to get my water from my backpack, and while drinking from it (still surrounded by this pack) there are two or three little children with dirty faces who now can reach me and say 'buy from me buy from me' and all of a sudden something short circuits in me and I push my way out of the crowd, tears already rising from my throat and making their way out of my eyes, and I walk ten feet away to get some space and allow the overwhelm to shake itself out of my system.

The one lady who I bought from comes to comfort me, as well as our tour guide. They are both very sweet and use comforting words and plead with me "Don't be sad! Please- be happy!" as I cry beyond my own control, in a way that is usually only reserved for the privacy of solitude, but, since I have been in Vietnam I have been in multiple situations where I could not hold my feelings in, and, while it feels very vulnerable, I think it has been good for me to let it out, even amidst strangers in a foreign world.

Once I have regained myself, I go in for lunch and eat with the Swiss and French couples that were in my tour group, and I feel much better after having eaten, though slightly humbled. The tour finishes an hour or two later after we walk some more and are then driven up a long long hill back to our hotel. I rest that afternoon, and meet up with the Daniels that evening for more food and more wandering of the streets, and set a time to meet for breakfast for the next morning, when I am due to leave for Yen Bai which is halfway back to Hanoi, or, if I am lucky - all the way to Hanoi!