I’m back from my trip to Sapa. My Japanese buddy Sayaka and I had a great time. Since I am used to speaking to ESL students her lack of English skills didn’t phase me. Straight off the overnight train we did some serious trekking around Sapa. Our first venture was down to the Cat Cat village home of the H’mong people. The H’mong people are animists and worship spirits. They typically wear indigo-dyed linen clothing with large silver necklaces and earrings. When they aren’t out in the fields working their fingers to the bone, the women are making crafts to sell to tourists at the market or along the trekking routes.
(FYI Sapa is in the northwestern part of Vietnam. It used to be a hill station but right now it is home to ethnic hill-tribe peoples. Its valleys and mountains and proximity to the Chinese border make it a popular destination for travellers. The only way to get here is by overnight train. No buses make the hilly incline.)
Our second day allowed us to rise later than usual. We were four as we started out with a new guide and new group. However, as we descended upon the villages we quickly became five.
The older hill-tribe women and young girls really know how to work tourists. And who could blame them. You have to hand it to them. They catch on really quickly.
Spotting a tourist with or without a guide she will escort them to where ever they are going. Then the whole way they try to become familiar with the foreigner. As if she is reading from a script the girl or woman will ask the typical getting to know you questions. We know that they are just warming us up for a quick sale.
It’s a game really, and I didn’t mind playing. The woman/girl gives an inital price and the participants come to an agreed selling price. Of course we feel smug when the woman/girl agrees to our lower price. Wouldn’t I feel cheated if my friend bought the same garment for a lower price?
Then should I feel good that I successfully bought a purse for three dollars instead of the six the woman/girl initially requested? Who’s really winning this game? Or should I have just handed over the six dollars with no questions asked? These are difficult questions to answer and they could ruin your holiday if you thought about them too much.
Anyway we had a wonderful day. Because the additional trekker was French, I had the opportunity to practice my french. I was pretty happy with what I remembered. Maybe I should give studying french a go. Maybe not.
We felt so alive and free with the wind blowing and the sun shining down on us. It didn’t matter that none of us spoke the same language. (The languages being Japanese, English, French, Vietnamese, in case you were wondering) I just love being in the great outdoors with nature.