Sapa and Bac Ha (North West Vietnam)

Over the week-end I went up to the mountains in Northwest Vietnam, taking the night train from Ha Noi to Lao Cai. From Lao Cai then a bus transfer to Sapa. Sapa is a lovely mountain resort, which the French already enjoyed in the 1920's.

The views up there are stunning - hills and lots of terraces in which the locals grow rice and corn. On Saturday I walked (for those who know me, yes be surprised!) walked to the nearby village of CatCat and then on to waterfalls. 3km down hills and the same 3km up again. And yes I resisted taking a motorbike up - although one was offered every 3 minutes on average! And all this in the sun, with very little shade on the way...

In Sapa there was the weekly market, where also local minority groups come and sell their hand made products. They make very nice cushions and bed covers - well done with a lot of details. Most of the tissues are made out of hemp and dyed in indigo. In Sapa there are mainly Black Hmong, in beautiful indigo cloths.

The next day, I went to Bac Ha, a famous mountain market, which only takes place on Sundays.

Locals here have much more colorful closes than in Sapa and are colled Flower Hmong. Here we got to see the full weekly market: vegetables, fresh fish (still alive in water basins), freshly slaughtered buffaloes and pigs, but also lots of handy craft, mainly sold to all the tourists who come there.

As said the countryside is stuning and at times reminded me of the "prealps fribourgeoises". The vegetation is different but the scenery is similar I found... but maybe its a hidden access of homesickness?!

Speaking to the local girls while bargaining with them was much fun, although exhausting. The standard sentence was "You buy from me".

All in all a nice trip to the country side. I arrived back in Ha Noi this morning and am off to Halong Bay and Cat Ba Island tomorrow.

(am in Halong Bay, only got to publish the pictures and post from here)