Kathy tells me it rained like crazy all night in Sa Pa. I was oblivious and got enough sleep that I think I'm finally over my jet-lag. I have to say that our experience in Sa Pa as well as in Hanoi convinces me that the Vietnamese really know how to do a breakfast buffet. Omelettes, stir fry, cold cuts, pho, fruit, etc., etc. I could get used to this.
By the time we finished breakfast the rain had let up and we started our 100 km drive to the regional market at Bac Ha. The market was interesting, but I'm not sure I'd drive 60 miles to visit it on a regular basis. On the other hand, the drive itself was fabulous. The mists drifting over the mountains and rice terraces made every view look like a Chinese (or Vietnamese) landscape painting. The guide kept apologizing for the fact that the rice harvest has left the terraces brown, but they are beautiful, nonetheless. (photos on Facebook). The buffalo and the songbird and fighting cock markets were most interesting. Our guide says that a young water buffalo can fetch as much as $2,000 US in the market (that's 42,000,000 VN for anyone keeping score). I suspect thats's still a better bargain than a small tractor for the very small fields most farm here in the mountains.
After the market, we stopped at a Flower Hmong village to visit a home. The "Flower" Hmong are distinguished from the "Black" Hmong who live in the SA Pa area by the very colorful costumes the women wear. The market was full of Hmong handicrafts - some handmade in Vietnam, but many more machine made in China.
Speaking of China, when we returned to Lao Cai to catch what we hope will really be the night train to Hanoi, we walked to the Vietnamese end of the border crossing to China - as close as we'll get on this trip at least.
More tomorrow from Hanoi or Halong Bay, the next stop on our adventure.
No comments:
Post a Comment