A Time to Recharge

Bucket List Item #4: Visit a village-CHECK!

Sapa, Vietnam

I had nearly a week and a half left on my Vietnamese visa and while I could have rushed through northern Vietnam, I was feeling a little exhausted. I don’t like to rush anyway and I couldn’t wait to see the beautiful mountain villages so I decided to use the entire 30 days. While I had already LOVED everything I had seen in the country, I think the sleepless overnight bus rides and the intense heat was making me feel constantly lethargic. I decided to recharge for a week in Sapa, a beautiful mountain town surrounded by endless rice paddles, rolling hills, mountains, Hmong locals and small villages. I enjoy cities but I can’t get enough of the quiet, peaceful surroundings found in the remote destinations.

I was going to stay with a local hill tribe family, but when I got off the bus the whole process of finding one didn’t seem authentic, rather more touristy than I wanted. I did meet other travelers that did it and enjoyed their stay so maybe I missed out. I decided to stay at a family-owned guesthouse in the Ta Van village instead, which was great and I met some amazing people! We had delicious “family” dinners every night, played card games, chatted and went out on hikes together during the day. I had lots of time to journal, think and breath.

I was ready for some trekking so the next day I headed out through the town only to be followed by ten Hmong woman. They asked the same questions as the women who tried to sell me a homestay off the bus. “Hello, where are you from?” “What’s your name?” “You buy something from me?” I was warned that this would happen, but I thought I could keep walking and eventually they would leave me on my way. They were extremely persistent and in addition to telling me to pay for a guided tour, they pushed me to buy their handmade goods. I decided to turn around and rethink my plan. I was greeted by another group of women selling goods the entire time I ate my lunch. I was a bit uncomfortable because I feel bad enough saying “No thank you,” more than twice but it got to the point that I had to ignore them as rude as I felt.

The Hmong people and their handmade products are very beautiful and I was curious to learn more about the culture, but I had a hard time doing so unless I bought something. I completely understand how tourism changes the way locals operate and unfortunately a sense of authenticity is lost. I love to support locals, I just don’t like feeling like a dollar sign everywhere I go.

The next day however, I did decide to pay for a full-day guided tour. Not only because I really had no other way around it, but I was feeling guilty not supporting the tribes somehow. And it was worth it because I’m sure I would have gotten lost or missed out on seeing other villages nearby. I realized later that there were just as many guides as participants because we were each assigned our own woman to hold our hand or tell us where to step since it was muddy and slippery for the majority of the hike. We walked through a bamboo forest, past incredible viewpoints and hung out at a waterfall.

Before lunch we were brought to an area with lots of women selling bags, shawls and other souvenirs; following us around. As we went on our way, there was a small bridge that apparently we had to pay to cross. Or we could save a bit of money and walk through the river. I didn’t want to get my bag wet so I decided to pay the small fee. I later found out that it was a joke. I felt really silly for falling for the little prank but I’m sure they got a laugh out of me and watching everybody else get wet.

The rest of the trek back was so enjoyable and stunning. Children were running through the streets, animals crossing and I loved looking at the small traditional homes.

Another day I did end up walking eight hours to and from the main town of Sapa. I wondered through the city, people watched and drank another yummy Vietnamese coffee while listening to the calming sound of rain and thunder rolling above me.

Drinking coffee. Listening to the rain and thunder

The last day, a friend and I took a short motorbike ride up a mountain until we had no choice but to walk a bit further up the slippery, rocky road. There were two little boys playing around and running after us. They were so friendly at first; little giggles and big smiles. However, during the walk back down, they began to throw rocks, sticks and dirt at us. Yelling, “Money! Money!” They sure did have a strong throw for being so small.