Sa Pa: September/October 2006

In our latest issue, Eco Xavier, our Environmental correspondent, catches up with Ray and Nikki in Sa Pa - a beautiful mountain region in the far north of Vietnam, close to the Chinese border, perfect for trekking and home to a number of ethnic minority villages. We also invite you to take part in our prize winning "T Shirt of the Year" Competition, in which you can vote for your personal favourite from those you will have seen Ray wearing in many of The Daily Lama photographs this year!

Leaving Hanoi on 25th September, Ray and Nikki booked tickets to travel on the overnight sleeper train for the 10 hour, 324 kilometre journey. Prior to their departure, the staff at their guesthouse had organised one month visa extensions, giving them plenty of time to visit Sa Pa and continue their onward journey southwards back to Saigon.

Sa Pa, at an elevation of 1,650 metres, was originally a Hill Station built by the French in 1922, for summer retreats from Hanoi. It sits high on the edge of a plateau, surrounded by spectacular scenery and the Hoang Lien mountains, and is home to Vietnam's highest peak, Fansipan.

Above: This map shows Ray and Nikki's route through Vietnam, with the orange arrow showing their journey from Hanoi to Sa Pa, close to the border with China

Ray told me that although he had really enjoyed his visit to Hanoi, in some ways he was glad to be leaving the relatively grimy city for the clean, cooler air of the mountain region. "In Hanoi and in Saigon, I had been having some eye trouble as a result of the pollution" he told me. "My eyes had been reacting badly to both the exhaust fumes, and the dust, causing quite severe redness and irritation" he explained. "A few days in Sa Pa was just the tonic" he added.

For the second time since they arrived in Asia, Ray and Nikki travelled by overnight train. "The last train we slept on was in February, when we went from Penang (Malaysia) to Bangkok, so we thought we knew what to expect" said Nikki. "Things were a little bit different from our last trip" she continued. "Then, we slept in berths that were arranged along the entire length of the carriage, with little curtains for some privacy" she explained.

"This time, we were sharing a small compartment with four berths - two up and two down - which meant we would be in an 'intimate' space with two strangers for a few hours" said a hesitant Nikki. "It turned out OK and we spent the journey with a lovely French couple, sharing our travel stories and biscuits for a while, before nodding off to sleep" she added.

Above: "Excusez Moi Monsieur - avez vous un Jaffe Cake sil vous plait?" asks Nikki, of their charming French travel companions

Our travelling pair arrived early morning in Sa Pa to very grey, very wet, dull weather. "Our first thought about this was related to trekking" said Ray. "Heavy rain means trekking can be more hazardous, with very slippery walking and climbing conditions" he explained. "Not to mention the increase in the number of leeches!" added Nikki, an experienced victim of these creepy little suckers.

Above: Ray and Nikki arrive in Sa Pa to very poor weather

Not wanting to take any chances with the weather, Ray and Nikki made sure they had the right kit to take out with them, as they set off to explore the area. "The first thing on the list to acquire was a plastic rain cover, a 'must have' item in these sorts of conditions" said Nikki. "It gave me an opportunity to check out some of the shops, which I always like to do, and find out if my negotiating skills were up to the mark here" she added.

Above: Nikki tests her negotiation skills as she acquires a plastic rain cover

Below: Ray and Nikki both chuckled when they saw this local man taking his pig for a walk through town!

Finding a guesthouse has become a well rehearsed routine for Ray and Nikki. "We arrived in Sa Pa armed with a really good recommendation from our friend Dominique, who we travelled with in Laos earlier this year" Nikki told me. "She had told us to head straight for the 'Cat Cat' guesthouse, perched high up on one of the towns steepest streets, with views to die for" Nikki explained. "We took her advice, but on arrival, it was very overcast, almost foggy, and getting dark. So we realised we were going to have to wait until the next day, keep our fingers crossed for better weather and hope that her advice was sound" added Nikki.

Above: The view awaiting Ray and Nikki through their bedroom window the following morning - wow!

As you can see from their snapshot above, the weather they were hoping for materialised, and they awoke to absolutely stunning views. For the first time, they were able to see for themselves why their friend Dominique had been so keen on that place, and it took quite some time for them to take in the visual spectacle.

Above: The views from terrace at the Cat Cat guesthouse are to die for

Below: "Is this Heaven?" asks Ray

Although it was mainly the prospect of the wonderful scenery and trekking that had attracted Ray and Nikki to Sa Pa, they had also come with another purpose in mind. "In the last issue of The Daily Lama, Me So Fit wrote about two fantastic people we met at the Moca Cafe in Hanoi" said Ray.

"Darren and Rachel had both visited Sa Pa a couple of times and had befriended a small group of Hmong children (an ethnic minority)" Ray explained. "As they told us about their experiences, it was clear that they had established a very special relationship with these kids, almost as if they were family" added Ray. "Darren gave us a photograph of them, emailed them(!) to announce our visit and told us to look for them in the town, using the photograph with the locals for guidance. Over breakfast, we hatched a plan to track them down" he said.

Above: Ray organises breakfast, before he and Nikki set off to find Darren and Rachels 'friends in the north'

Armed with a local map, Darren's picture and plenty of energy, Ray and Nikki began their search for the girls from the Hmong village. "It was quite exciting for us, as we felt we knew the girls - we had their picture and had heard very colourful stories from Darren and Rachel about them" said Nikki.

Sa Pa town is quite small and before long, Ray and Nikki came across a small group of Hmong girls who responded to the photograph. "I know her, and her" said one of the Hmong girls questioned by Nikki as she examined the picture. "I was thrilled that we had found someone that knew them so quickly" said Nikki. "They offerred to take us to a local market, to meet the mother of one of the girls, which we gratefully accepted" she added.

Above: Nikki shows the photograph to the mother of one of the girls (centre), hoping she might be able to tell her more

Quite stunned by their command of English, our two searchers followed the girls, aged somewhere around 12-13 (most of them do not know their birthdays) to meet the woman they had suggested. "We soon got the information we were looking for" said Ray. "The mother of one of them provided us with confirmation that a girl in the photograph was indeed her daughter" added a very pleased Nikki. "From that moment on, we were accompanied by two of the girls who had helped us, and they did not want to leave our side" she added.

Above: Shu (left) and So (centre) took Ray and Nikki for a walking tour around Sa Pa town

Below: The lake in the centre of Sa Pa is stunning

Having taken our two sleuths around Sa Pa, Shu and So suggested lunch at another of the local markets. "This was one of the cheapest and best eating experiences we had in Vietnam" said Ray. "The market is a fascinating place to hang out and watch local life in full swing" he added. "It reminded me a little of that scene in one of the Star Wars movies, when Luke Skywalker goes into an inter-galactic bar and sees a multitude of different creatures and species from all the planets, happily drinking in the bar together" he told me.

Above: Ray and Nikki's 'tour guides' for the day took them to the market for some lunch - a fascinating place to hang out

Below: The market is visited by many types of people, all from different tribes and villages, providing a colourful and interesting scene

Above: Nikki tucks in to some delicious noodle soup, Sa Pa style

Ray and Nikki arranged to meet the two girls the following day and trek with them to Lao Chai, their village some 12 kilometres away, to meet the other children in the photograph. This left the remaining part of the day to catch the sunset over the mountains and reflect on the serendipity that had led them to find the girls so quickly and easily. "It is always amazing how, when you have a purpose, the Universe helps you in mysterious ways" reflected Ray. "I have experienced this many times in my life, but the power of it still amazes me" he added.

Above: Ray and Nikki keep an eye on the weather and their fingers crossed, for their trek to Lao Chai the next day, as they watch the sunset over the mountains

Waking up early the next morning, Shu and So were already outside their guesthouse, eagerly waiting to take Ray and Nikki to their village. "They were such good company and we were very lucky that they spoke such good English" said Ray. "Although they are quite young, their ability to speak English made them seem quite a bit older as we conversed about a multitude of subjects on the way to their home" added Nikki. "They explained that they had never been taught English in school, and instead have picked up everything they have learnt from talking to travellers" explained Nikki.

The trek to Lao Chai took about three hours, through some breathtaking scenery en route. "Although we took many pictures, it was very hard to capture the visual spectacle of the area, although we hope the selection we have made for The Daily Lama will give readers a sense of it" said Ray.

Above: Nikki, with Shu and So on the way to Lao Chai

Below: The hills are covered with terraced rice fields, and provide a stunning visual spectacle

Above: "In scenery like this, I could happily trek all day" says Nikki

Below: The three hour journey to Lao Chai took Ray and Nikki through some beautiful, remote countryside

About two hours into their journey, an unfortunate slip on a rock put a premature end to Nikki's plans to trek around the area with Ray. "I was directed by the gilrs to step on a couple of rocks, to cross a stream, and lost my footing on one of them" said Nikki. "As I fell, one of the rocks jammed into a muscle in my lower back, and from that moment, I was in pain and it got steadily worse as the day went on" said a very bruised and disappointed Nikki. "I soon realised that I was not going to be able to do any more trekking over the next few days and reluctantly agreed to rest, once we returned to our guesthouse" she added.

Above: Many of the streams have to be crossed by stepping over rocks. Unfortunately, Nikki slipped on one of them, bringing a premature end to her trekking plans

Below: After the fall - a bruised Nikki is helped by So and Shu and their friends from the village 

The rest of the journey to Lao Chai was made more difficult for Nikki as a result of her injury, but she bravely soldiered on. "The girls were fantastic, and helped me, seeing that I was having trouble walking" said Nikki. "At times, I forgot about it as we took in the sights along the way" she continued. "At one point, we passed some people on their way to the village carrying some huge, heavy baskets full of wood - the girls told me that they think nothing of making the 12 kilometre journey to and from town, often with loads of up to 25 kilos on their backs, and they are only 13!" said a humble Nikki. "So, putting my own condition in perspective, I could not really complain and considered myself quite fortunate that this is something I don't have to do" she added.

Above: Nikki gets a helping hand from Shu and So

Below: Fortunately for Ray and Nikki, they do not have to endure their long treks carrying anything other than a small bag with water and a camera

Taking in the atmosphere along the route through the hills, Ray and Nikki made their way with Shu and So to their village. "This experience was exactly what we had hoped for" said Nikki. "These days, it is becoming increasingly harder to come to places like Vietnam and experience it without any invasion of modern living in the environment" she explained. "Trekking through the hills, it is easy to think that you have gone through a strange time warp and stepped into a different era" said Ray. "The peace and serenity were a welcome change from the busy, hectic and polluted life in Hanoi and Saigon" he added.

Above: Buffalo are a highly prized possession in these parts, and they are used extensively by farmers in the villages to haul their quite basic farming equipment

Below: Ray arrives outside So and Shu's houses in Lao Chai

On arrival at Lao Chai, our two trekkers were taken to the girls houses and introduced to their families. "I was struck immediately by the total lack of sophistication and basic facilities and had only seen this once before during our trip to the hill tribe villages in Laos" said Ray. "They may not have a great deal, but they shared some rice with us that they grow and pick in their village, and showed us how to make the indigo dye that is a feature in the traditional clothing they wear" he added. "They showed me how they soak the materials in a huge barrel of rank smelling blue liquid, made from local plants and although my hands were only immersed for a moment, the stain of the dye and the foul smell remained on my skin after several days, despite many hand washes with soap" added Nikki.

Above: Shu and So are delighted to invite Ray and Nikki into their homes 

Village society is made up of many large families and one of the girls had several younger brothers and sisters. "Ray quickly made friends with the young children and entertained them by pretending he was some sort of strange monster - if they only knew him, they would realise he does not have to try too hard (only kidding!)" said a jovial Nikki, still in pain from her fall. "I really felt for these kids" said Ray. "Even though they do not know any different, life for them by our standards must be very hard" he continued. "But nonetheless, kids will be kids and they really enjoyed the games I played with them, displaying much of the exuberance and energy that children of any race would" he added.

Above: Grrr! Ray plays 'monster' to the delight of the onlooking children

Below: The children who played with Ray loved posing for the digital camera and then looking at their own images on the screen

Above: Ray holds back the tears as he waves goodbye to the wonderful children

Eventually, it was time to leave and return to the guesthouse. The girls guided Ray and Nikki to the nearby village of Ta Van, where they were able to take a motorcycle back to Sa Pa, some 17 kilometres away. "I was in no fit state to walk back and was glad I did not have to" said a relieved Nikki. "When we returned to Sa Pa, I said to Ray that it would be great to find somewhere near our guesthouse serving good healthy food, so off he went to look" she told me. "Five minutes later, he re-appeared with a big smile on his face, obviously with a suitable location in mind" she added.

Above: Wish you were Here! Yes - it's exactly what you would expect to find in a remote, north Vietnamese town in the mountains - the Pink Floyd restaurant! Guests are offered soup (Any Colour you Like), a hard bench to sit on making you (Comfortably Numb) and after dinner you are invited to (Have a Cigar). The staff do not fraternise with the guests; it is strictly (Us and Them). If you can think of any more, well done!

With trekking now off the agenda, Ray and Nikki rented a motorcycle to explore other parts of the region. "Some readers may know that I used to ride a motor bike in England" said Ray. "Although it was for rather unfortunate reasons, I was quite pleased to get a nice long trip on a bike again, although the one we rented was not quite as good as what I had been used to" he told me.

Above: "It may not be a Triumph Thunderbird, but it will do nicely thanks" says Ray

Below: Approaching the waterfall at Tram Ton Pass, about 15 kilometres from Sa Pa. The highest mountain pass in Vietnam (at 1900 metres), it is the dividing line between two great weather fronts. The Sa Pa side is the coldest place in Vietnam, but if you drop a few hundred metres to the town on the other side, it is the warmest place in the country!

The weather was being kind to our two riders and they were able to visit some of the most beautiful parts of the country in glorious sunshine. "The highest mountain in Vietnam (Fansipan) at 3143 metres is in this region and we were keen to survey it, with a future climb in mind" Nikki told me.

Above: Nikki admires Fansipan (the highest peak to the left) and wonders if and when Ray and her might come back to conquer it

Below: From the biggest to the smallest, well not quite the smallest... even the insects are huge in these parts.....

Above: Ray stops for a short break by this amazing, fresh mountain stream

Some of the places Ray and Nikki wanted to visit were just a bit too far away by motor bike. "I am sure Nikki will tell you that, although they are fun, these bikes are not made for touring any kind of long distances, as they are slow and get quite uncomfortable for the passenger after a while" said Ray. So we had a chat with the people at our guesthouse and decided to charter an old army Jeep, complete with driver for two days, and make a trip to Bac Ha, with an overnight stay some 50 kilometres away" he added.

Above: Nikki inside the old army Jeep that her and Ray chartered for their two day trip

Ray and Nikki chose to visit Bac Ha in order to see and experience the colourful, quirky and unique market, which attracts many travellers who visit the area. "It was an amazing journey in the somewhat slow and noisy Jeep, which seemed completely devoid of any suspension" said Ray. "The road twisted and turned through hairpin bends as we climbed through the mountains and we were blown away by the views" he recalled.

Above: View from the Jeep, as Ray and Nikki make their way to Bac Ha through the winding mountain roads

The driver, who could hardly speak a word of English, explained that they were going to make a stop at a smaller market called Can Cau en route, where they would be able to see and taste a variety of different meats and vegetables. "As we approached Can Cau, we caught our first glimpse of the market and it looked like a scene from a previous century" said Ray.

Above: The market at Can Cau, looking like a scene from a previous century

Their research had informed Ray and Nikki to expect a colourful scene. "I could not quite believe it" said Nikki. "The sun was beating down, yet all of the tribal women wear these very thick, velvet and cotton traditional clothes, which make them sweat profusely" she observed. "Despite this, they look absolutely amazing and some of the faces of the older women read like an incredible life story" she added.

Above and below: The faces of these older women are mesmerising

Inside the market, our two explorers got a first hand experience of some of the local eating customs. "Apparently, the men in these parts really like to eat dog meat, and love in particular, the blood from the animal, as they believe it increases their virility" said Nikki. "Ray and I decided to pass up the opportunity to dine on this occasion, preferring just to watch the men instead!" added a slightly queasy Nikki.

Above: Who needs Viagra? Dog's blood is supposed to help men increase their virility

Below: "Can I have some of yours too? - my girlfriends coming round tonight"

Above: The 'car park' at Can Cau market

Below: Time to go home - some Flower Hmong women leave the market for the long walk back to their village

After a couple of hours, it was time to get back aboard the Jeep and head for Bac Ha. Arriving early evening, Ray and Nikki enjoyed a simple meal (no dog!), before retiring early to bed, in preparation for their 5am start the next morning.

Above: Day breaks over Bac Ha, triggering the start of the busy Sunday market 

Ray and Nikki awoke to the sounds of the market traders gathering. "We were quite fortunate, because the folks at our guesthouse in Sa Pa had arranged our accommodation ahead of our visit, and had chosen a guesthouse right beside the market, so we did not have to walk very far" said Ray. "There was a buzz going on, even at this early hour, with the terrifying sound of squealing pigs, brought to market for sale, piercing our eardrums" he added.

Above: The early morning scene at Bac Ha Market, viewed from Ray and Nikki's guesthouse

The Bac Ha Sunday market is a riot of colour and noise, a place not only for trade but also for socialising. All paths leading into town are filled with people going there, some riding horses or water buffalo, and the square is a mix of different minorities, buying and selling, or gathered in groups around a central pot of food.

Ray and Nikki spent a couple of hours walking around. "There are so many things on offer, the selection is bewildering" said Nikki. "This is perhaps only surpassed by the variety of people from all of the different tribes who attend" she added.

Above: Rice Wine is very cheap and extremely popular, with people trading it in vast quantities

Below: Bac Ha's answer to 'Holland & Barrett' - one of the many stalls selling dried herbs and spices

Above: Would you buy your meat from these men? These steaks fight for space with the flies on this make shift counter

Below: Although Ray and Nikki were shocked at the site of this dog carcass, here it is considered completely normal, and is part of their way of life

Eager to try some of the local breakfast fare, Ray and Nikki headed for one of the many stalls that sell food to traders and shoppers alike. "The eating experience we had was about as far removed from what I am used to as anything could be" recalled Ray. "Mostly, we had to communicate with hand gestures as no one understood English, so we left a lot to trust in terms of what ended up on our plates" he added. "As we sat chopsticks in hand, eating our noodle soup, we watched in awe as women from a nearby village fed themselves and their young children" added Nikki.

Above: A Flower Hmong woman feeds a young child

Re-energised after breakfast, our explorers still had a couple of hours left before heading back to Sa Pa, to check out the rest of the incredible market scene. "We selected some pictures for The Daily Lama, from the many that we took, hoping they would give readers a sense of what we experienced" said Ray.

Above: At this stall, men can buy tobacco and rent a bamboo pipe, so they can have a smoke at their leisure

Below: A group of Flower Hmong women, wearing their handmade, traditional clothing, enjoy socialising together. The different colour headscarves denote the villages they belong to

Above: Ray and Nikki were stunned by this girls beautiful face

Below: George Formby is alive and well in Bac Ha!

Of course, there was no way Ray or Nikki could miss the opportunity to spend a little of their hard working travel budget on a couple of small items at the market. "As much as I try not to, inevitably I find something I want or need" said Nikki. "In this case, I was hunting for a much needed replacement shoulder bag, as mine was on it's last legs" added a shop-a-holic Nikki.

Above: "Do you think I should go for the pink, black or blue?" asks Nikki

As they hooked up with their driver and prepared to start the long journey back to Sa Pa, they observed a commotion going on nearby. "A small crowd had gathered around a man with a trolley, which was blaring out strange, loud music from a megaphone" said a curious Ray. "On closer inspection, we discovered that the onslaught of technology has been slow to reach these parts, as we saw what had been fuelling the interest of the crowd - a laminating machine!" said a very amused Ray. "We take things like this for granted, but out here, this sort of thing is cutting edge technology" he told me, giving me a sense of how far behind civilisation this community is.

Above: The crowd gathers to gaze at the latest invention - a laminating machine!

The return journey to Sa Pa routes very close to the Chinese border, and there was time for a short stop there. "This excited me a great deal, because it has been in the back of my mind for a while to visit China, and this was the closest I could get without actually crossing the border into the country" said Ray. "Co-incidentally, as we stood at the border checkpoint on the Vietnam side, my mum phoned me on my mobile, so I was able to give her the "You'll never guess where I am standing routine" recalled Ray.

Above: Nikki stands within a few metres of the Chinese border, while Ray talks to his mum on the phone - "Mum - is it OK for me and Nikki to go to China? Only if you are back home within a week" says Ray's mum

Safely back in Sa Pa, Ray and Nikki collected the rest of their things, ready for their departure out of the region. "Nikki's injury aside, we had a great experience in Sa Pa and we are now looking forward to visiting to the coastal region of Ha Long bay, which is next on our agenda" said Ray.

Above: Sherpa Ray, outside the Cat Cat, bids farewell to everyone there and heads off to the next travel adventure with Nikki

Editors Note: You can see for yourself from Eco Xavier's fantastic coverage, that Ray and Nikki had quite an experience in Sa Pa. Thanks Eco, for providing us with such interesting words and pictures.

As we prepare our next issue, in which we track our duo's adventures along the coast of the South China Sea, we warmly invite readers to enter our prize winning "T Shirt of the Year" Competition. To enter, all you have to do is look at the T shirts Ray is modelling in the six pictures below, and vote for your favourite:

Send us a message, telling us which one you want to vote for, and why in not more than 20 words. When all of your votes have been received, we will know which is the most popular choice amongst our readers. We will then draw one name and send a super, mystery prize to the winner! You can send your message via email, or The Daily Lama blog site.

The closing date for entries is 24th November 2006.

MOZZIE BYTE & AMBER SOLAIRE

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