UPDATES (12/15): Entries updated for Phnom Penh and Siam Reap, Cambodia, and the map has been updated to show the full loop of my journey.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Sapa Day 2


Sapa continued to be amazing through the second day, as we left in the morning to set out on a trekking tour through the villages and rice terraces just outside of the center of the town. Me, Ian and our guide walked out to the hillsides where the rice was grown, with indigo plants and corn interspersed here and there. As we continued to get deeper into the trek, I knew I was in for something special. We dropped down into a valley where the trail was lined with towering clusters of bamboo trees. We saw some large spiders, a bamboo beetle, and some other unusual and colorful insects. Continuing over a swaying wood bridge over a stream that carved through the bottom of the valley, we then began climbing up through more bamboo groves. After a quick stop for a lunch of egg, cucumber and tomato sandwiches provided by our guide in a wooden shack, we continued through toward the villages that housed members of the indigenous tribes that lived on the hillsides. We took stopped briefly at simple "mills" that were run by the water flowing down the mountains, used by the locals to husk the rice that they harvested. After this, our guide took us to a traditional shack that housed a family from the Black H'Mong tribe. It consisted of little more than worn wooden boards for walls and a tin roof (which were were told was a recently adopted feature). Just outside of the house, we were greeted by the smiling children that lived there, ranging in age from toddlers to about 8 years old. They were curious and very excited to see strange visitors, and clamored to see the pictures of them that we had taken on our digital cameras. They laughed and pointed, and squeezed in around the cameras; they were very friendly and full of joy.

We then continued on through the rest of the village, around which roamed dogs, pigs, ducks, and hens with their chicks. We were also passed by a few of the water buffalo that were used to work the fields. As we passed the villagers threshing rice in the fields, most were quick with a smile and even a "hello". We then visited a stone carving shop, selling solid carved objects with beautiful detailed adornment. The highlight in the center of the room was a 3 foot-tall urn, with ornate handles and carving that took over a year to complete. Revitalized after a quick snack of a bitter orange-like citrus and strong green tea, we continued on out past a few more sparse houses, and took a quick swing on a large bamboo contraption set up outside of a simple guest house. After passing over the stream at the bottom of a second valley, we then made our way to the waiting SUV that our guide had arranged to take us home. The trip back gave us spectacular views of the route we had just hiked, as well as a few harrowing turns on the edge of the mountains. We returned to our hotel exhausted by the beating sun and long hike, but inspired by sights that we had just taken in. After checking out from our hotel, we took a winding van ride back to the train station in Lao Cai, where another overnight train took us back in to Hanoi.

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