It’s hot here on the 7th floor balcony of Cat Cat View Hotel. I’ve just arrived back from a five-hour trek with a 26-year-old woman from the Black H’Mong tribe in nearby Ta Van village. This is my second day of walking with Chi; she is lively and funny and speaks pretty good English, considering she is self-taught. At one point this afternoon, referring to her ability in English, she said she thinks all white people must live near rivers because our language flows like water. Chi is a bit of a poet.
Sapa is many things. Yes, it is first and foremost a tourist trap. The only reason it exists is because people from nearby villages bring their wares here to sell, so what else could it be? But it is also beautiful. And it is changing a way of life for these people, both in a positive and a negative way. For instance, someone is building a mother of a hotel on one of the best look off points in town. It is hideous. Yet there are many working there during construction and there will likely be many working there when it’s finished. This is an extremely poor area of the country, with most living hand-to-mouth. You can’t not want an easier life for them.
Yesterday, Chi and I walked to Cat Cat Village and back up again. Sapa has been cold, however I lucked out this week with lots of sunshine and temps in the mid 20s. Great for walking downhill but of course there is that requirement to come back. Today, we went to Lao Chai village where we had lunch and then on the Ta Van. I opted for a car for the 8 km ride back as it’s hotter still, straight uphill and I’m out of shape.
When we started out this morning, we picked up a couple of friends as we walked through town. Two women from Chi’s tribe walked with us as far as Lao Chai, their babies strapped to their backs. They walk into Sapa early in the morning – 5 a.m. or so – to sell their trinkets, then walk back again with the tourists, trying to cobble together money for necessities that they cannot grow themselves. We also saw Flower H’Mong and Red Dao, characterized by their ref headwear. This is a tough life, and these are strong women. Proud to be in their company for International Women’s Day….
