The French Outpost Trekking through sapa, vietnam
At 1500 metres above sea level, Sapa was a popular outpost for the French colonials. Situated right at the northern tip of Vietnam within the northwestern province of Lao Cai, it is 350 kilometres away from Vietnam's northern capital - Hanoi.
In early November it is a time in Sapa where the weather was kind - light rains in the morning, summer afternoons with a tender breeze blowing through the valley, and as the sun sets, the weather turns to autumn. The only downside of having beautiful weather though - was missing out on Sapa's famously beautiful terraced fields. The colours of the fields change according to the seasons. June, July the fields grow into a lush green, while September the fields start to turn into a bright yellow.
My favourite view of Sapa is it's drifting clouds. When you're more than 1500 metres closer to the sky, the clouds seem to be within touch. A strong wind blows through the valley and it pushes clouds and fog through it. As the cloud part, sunlight filters through. Another gust, the light disappears and the land is filled with fog.
Engaging in a local tour brings the experience to a different level. My guide, Bau, is a 21 year old girl from the village. She speaks conversational English that she learnt from school. Despite her young age, she already has two children. Her mother-in-law would bring her newborn to where we would be stopping to rest on both days of our trek so she could breast feed her baby.
I'm 21. I'm an old lady. No one would want to marry me now, even if I were single.
I learned from Bau that she girls typically got married at 17 in most Vietnamese villages. In the past, girls have no say in whom she is to marry; marriages were arranged between parents of the bride and groom. Now, Bau says, girls are at least able to say 'yes' or 'no' to the man that was chosen for her.
On Sundays, we visit the market and hang out. If a guy sees a girl he likes, he would ask her whether she has a family. He would ask her whether she would like to go home with him. If the girl doesn't like him, she could lie that she has already been spoken for.
Typically, girls who marry the first-born son would have to stay with her in-laws. It is the duty of the eldest son to take care of his parents in their old age. If a family only has daughters, the husband of the youngest daughter has to move into his wife's home, as it is the duty of the youngest daughter to take care of her parents.
Bau welcomed us into her home. Inside, a single light bulb lit up the living area. It was extremely dark. A rice cooker, a radio and a small TV sat on the earthen floor in the corner of the living room. I guess I could call it a loft apartment, as it is has a smaller second floor area for storage of food stuff such as rice and corn. In the kitchen, a few pots of left over food were left on the floor. "For pig food," she explained.
Outside, everything was serene - resting buffaloes, dogs giving satisfied smiles, and pigs constantly tossing the ground looking for food (or truffles!).
Every where you looked, people were living harmoniously with nature. Most visitors to Vietnam would be surprised to find that they have very clean streets, public toilets and train cars.
Back in Sapa town, at the square facing its administrative buildings, I chanced upon this damed up lake. Flanked on the left are huge, beautifully built French influenced government buildings with the huge sickle and hammer on top, while paddle swan cars sit on the right dried bank, painting a charming picture.
