ASIA

As I sat on the porch of my mountainside bungalow which was nestled comfortably into the rice terraces, a cool breeze whipped around my neck. The warm rays of the sun sparkled across the water in the rice paddies and illuminated the tall, green, rolling mountains in front of me...

...The fog lifted up from the river far below me and the clouds that touched the mountains spread apart to reveal the sleepy little villages once again. A buffalo and his farmer plowed the terrace in front of me. I felt a range of emotions from the beauty that I was experiencing and from the reflection of the past couple of days that I spent trekking with a local Hmong girl. I was sad to leave but Sapa had left me with a new friend, open eyes and a new appreciation for life.

Just an overnight sleeper train ride away from Hanoi and located near the Chinese border town of Lào Cai, Sapa is one of Vietnam's unspoiled treasures. Although Hanoi tourism is increasingly promoting the town, many people still don't know much about the charming place. The town of Sapa is attractive with its marketplaces, charming hotels, delicious restaurants and friendly ethnic groups displaying their handicrafts for your delight. However, Sapa provides only a taste of what is offered for discovery. The real appeal to this destination is the villages surrounding Sapa and the ethnic groups that call them their home. There are 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam.

BLACK HMONG WOMEN / CREDIT = Author

CREDIT WIKIMEDIA COMMONS = BobTubbs

Left: FLOWER HMONG: WIKIPEDIA=Brian Snelson

Right: RED DZAO WOMEN = WIKIPEDIA=WagnerT.Cassimiro-Aranha

The majority live in the Northern hill top regions. Some of the ethnic groups that can be found around the Lào Cai and Sapa region include the Hmong (Black Hmong, White Hmong, Flower Hmong, Blue Hmong), Red Dzao (pronounced Zao), Giay (pronounced Zai) and Tày. While all of the ethnic groups are prominent and very interesting, it is mostly the Black Hmong and Red Dzao that live in close proximity to Sapa. The easiest way to meet the local people of these hill tribes is to explore their markets or to be adventurous and opt for the treks and homestays.

I wanted to keep my experience in Sapa as authentic as I could. The first step was opting out of staying in a hotel in town but rather staying in a bungalow a short drive outside of Sapa. The Hmong Mountain Retreat is a place where you are awed by the powerful beauty of nature and mankind working together. By this, I mean the rice terraces carved into the mountains by the locals. Your bungalow has one large bed and a mosquito net. The most important feature stems from your open door onto your porch where you can sit with your feet dangling over the rice paddies, marveling at the view. Dinners are compiled of delightful vegetarian dishes. This retreat provides 40% of what you spend towards building a Hmong school nearby. On the day of your arrival you are met with the option of getting there from Sapa by a shuttle or by trekking.

Sapa is one of those places where it doesn’t matter if the weather is spectacular or not. No matter what, trekking will always be muddy so don't let the rain spoil the incredible journey. Before trekking to the retreat, I purchased a large motorbike poncho at the market in order to protect myself and my camera from the rain. Shortly after, I was introduced to my guide, Chi, a local Hmong girl. She wore a gorgeous indigo jacket that was embroidered with beautiful colors. As we walked down the mountainside, I noticed how good her English was. She told me that she had taught herself since she was 14 years old. She practiced her English with the tourists and now she is able to be a guide.

Before long, we had followers. Two other Hmong women trekked behind us. They wore sandals, wrap-around leggings, a similar jacket to Chi's, large hooped earrings, dangling silver bangle bracelets and colorful plaid scarves wrapped around their heads. The older woman wore a basket on her back that housed a baby. As we walked down a steep, muddy trail the women held on to me as I slid in my trainers. Unbelievably, even though they wore sandals or gumboots with no grip, their feet were barely muddy and they didn’t slide an inch. Later, I thanked them for their help by purchasing beautiful handmade pillow cases. To thank me for my purchase, they handed over little embroidered bracelets.

After stopping to eat soup filled with large rice noodles, cabbage and eggs, we continued on our journey to the bungalow retreat. The conversation flowed between us about Chi's local life, her son, men and if she is learning the right information about America through YouTube during her time spent in internet cafes. We sat for a while asking each other questions about our lives. She followed me back to the retreat because her husband worked there as a cook and she said that she wanted to be my guide for the rest of the trip. I didn't argue with that.

Our trek to the homestay wasn't a long one so we took a break and sat on some rocks near a rushing stream, soaking up the warm rays of the sun. If I thought that the landscape was spectacular during the rain it was even more magical on a sunny day. Chi and I spoke some more as we watched other Hmong women weave hemp bracelets and play with their children. That is when Chi really opened up about her local way of life.

She told me about how there is a problem with China taking Hmong women from their families during the night and her sister was one of them. Luckily, she escaped. She told me how she grew up with 14 siblings only eating cabbage and rice. During a rice famine a few years back her family survived on corn flour and water. They cannot take the leftover food from the hotels that they work at for their families. She told me how the women in the village can’t afford to use sanitary products and health care is non-existent. Chi began to cry and all I could do was comfort her as best I could.

Chi explained that she has only cried for one other Westerner. She wiped her tears and said that she wished that people could understand more about local life. Some of the women actually hope that China will take them because they believe that they will have a better life there. I looked around, lost for words. These were the stories that you hear about but here I was witnessing it firsthand. I took in the scenery and struggled with the thought that while I found this place utterly amazing, some of the locals didn't feel that way. I genuinely believed Chi and did not think for a second that this was a story made up to encourage me to give money. It was mostly the younger locals who picked up English and how to operate the internet that felt this way. They knew enough about the world to realize that their conditions were harsh compared to others.

Wiping her tears, Chi gave me the opportunity of a lifetime: to trek off of the path and up into the mountains to meet her family. I jumped at the chance to go. My feet dug into the mud and balanced on wobbly stones as we stretched our legs in the climb. While crossing streams, waterfalls and beautiful rice terraces we joked breathlessly. There was one final challenge of slowly maneuvering ourselves across the fresh rims of new rice terraces. Every move was made with the hope that I would not fall into the pools of water. I came to the conclusion that my Western feet were too big and that the Hmong could easily bounce from one terrace to the next because of their tiny feet. My idea to donate my trainers was not going to work here.

Soon we came across a village with an astonishing view of the mountainside lined with rice terraces and purple indigo flowers. Chi guided me up another hill to her family's home situated next to the rice terraces. As we walked into the darkness of the shack made of sticks, a pig ran past me and joined us inside. I sat on a tiny wooden bench barely an inch off of the dirt floor. I was introduced to Chi's skinny mother who was cooking rice over a campfire. She didn't speak English but her eyes gave me a warm welcome.

Chi hugged her two-year old son as I stared at the only picture frame in the house which was of Chi and her husband on their wedding day. As a duck and her yellow ducklings ran into the house and out of a hole on the other side, Chi showed me the bamboo bed which had a cushion of dried rice leaves. She showed me the grinder where they turned the dried corn into flour when there is no rice. Eventually, we said goodbye and began our trek to Tavan for the first homestay.

The homestays are in a sturdy wooden building and the beds are a thin mattress on the floor with mosquito nets situated above them. A few other backpackers and their guides stopped there for the night as well. We enjoyed a meal of rice, cabbage, tofu and what the Hmong referred to as "happy water", otherwise known as rice wine. One of my favorite parts of the experience was when the Hmong ladies danced with us to the music of one of the backpacker's I-pods. There was no separation of Western and Fourth World at that moment. We were just people enjoying life.

The following day, Chi and I trekked a longer distance through Giang Ta Chai to Ban Ho. After a difficult trek through the land of rice terraces and we wandered through bright green fields, bursting with farmers, children playing with buffalos and rolling mountains. At the homestay, banana trees shaded us from the heat of the sun. I was shocked to see a couple of backpackers there as we did not see any during our trek to Ban Ho. It was another great opportunity to meet other Hmong as well as backpackers who enjoy experiencing the places less travelled.

When my treks were finally over, Chi and I said a tearful goodbye. Since she could only speak English but not read or write, I took her number and promised to call her to stay in touch. I offered her some money and medication for her mother who was having stomach problems after she ate. It took her a few minutes to accept my offer. Chi was worried that I would need the money and the medication.

After, I went to my bungalow and sat staring at the mountain and tearfully reflected on my visit. Sapa opened my eyes to just how serious poverty and hardship was in this region. The Hmong were some of the most cheerful and honest people I have ever met. I wished I could do more to help. Just by spending time getting to know them, listening to their way of life, allowing them the chance practice their English, I think have accomplished something.

Chi appreciated my time in Sapa because it showed her that her people were not forgotten. After a lonely trek on my own to Cat Cat village and a motorbike ride to the Silver Waterfall, it was time to board the shuttle to overnight train in Lào Cai. My dear friend Chi surprised me by coming to say goodbye to me. Chi and her son waved to me until the shuttle was out of sight. I knew right then that we had both impacted each other's life.

For the traveler who is seeking an unforgettable eye-opening experience with a local, Sapa is a fantastic place to visit.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lindsay Simoncavage is a 25-year-old American who grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania. Ever since she could remember, she longed to explore the world. In 2007, the opportunity came to study abroad in Australia. In 2011, using Australia as a base, she gave solo travel a try, spending one month exploring and volunteering in Vietnam. Currently, Lindsay is writing her thesis about the Hmong ethnic group. Many Hmong live in the Sapa region of Vietnam, so she traveled solo to the Northern Vietnamese hinterlands with the hope of more personal interaction with these people than would be possible with group travel.

PHOTO CREDITS: Lindsay Siimoncavage, WIKIPEDIA as indicated.