Trekking through the rice fields in Sapa has been one of the most memorable experiences of our trip so far. Sapa is a small area in North Vietnam, very close to the boarder of China. All booked through our wonderful Serendipity hotel in Hanoi we travelled by an extremely comfortable night train to the lush, green fields of Sapa. Huge amounts of rice are produced here and we were about to embark on a 2 day trek through the paddy fields.
The trek in the humidity was so difficult! I thought Hanoi was sweaty but Sapa took me to a whole new level of sweatiness! Within minutes I was drenched, but when we reached the top of our first peak I realised it was all worthwhile. The views were stunning! Below me and could see the rice terraces carefully cut out in strips like a never ending flight of stairs. The rice itself is planted by hand, neatly in rows. The organisation of it all created this serene kind of vibe. As I regained my breath and my face went from bright scarlet to slightly less scarlet I noticed the people working in the fields. This is a process that has changed little over time as much of the work is done by hand. Later that evening as I feasted on rice, the most predominant food staple here, I felt a deeper sense of understanding of Vietnam and its people. There's a feeling of timelessness about the place. Yes Vietnam is a developing society but it is firmly rooted in the culture and tradition of its heritage.
Our 2 day trek took us through the rich rice fields, through newly grown bamboo forests and past rolling rivers with the occasional water buffalo casually cooling himself in the sun! This beautiful land was a far cry from the frantic chaos of Hanoi!
An occasional stop at a make shift shop for water or lunch led us to see the kids of the mountains. These raggedy little kids looked so different to the Milanese kids I'm used to working with but yet they still had that same childlike spirit. We passed boys brandishing sling shots, a little girl playing with her kitty and countless kids who would shout 'hello, hello' before falling around in helpless giggles! Kids are the same everywhere!
The day before our trek the monsoon season made another appearance, raining heavily on the fields in Sapa. The result was that the trails we followed wereTREACHEROUS!!! We had to make our way precariously down a steep incline on a muddy, slippy narrow strip of land. It was so narrow that you couldn't even fit two feet beside each other on it, instead we had to go tight rope style down the mountain. Naturally within about a minute I was the first to fall on my arse! I wasn't the first, nor the last though! Nor was it my last time to fall! I must have fallen at least 4 times! To make our way without possible death we had to scrutinise the ground before us, choosing where to step, trying to ascertain whether that rock was grippy or slippy!! Orna really summed it up when she wailed to me "the rice fields are so beautiful but all I can see are my feet!!!" Without doubt for the first few hours, I barely saw the beautiful views!
Luckily, we had some help along the way! Sapa is home to many tiny villages belonging to many minority groups. A group of women from the Hmong tribe got chatting to us in the main town before our hike began. Luckily Orna and I are pretty friendly. We chatted away with them, not realising what was in store for us next. When we joined them in the trek and remembered their names they were delighted!! Luckily for us Mee latched onto me and Sue latched on to Orna. They helped our hands in a vice like grip the whole way down that trecherous mountain!
The knowledge they had of the land was an instinctive, primal one. They knew exactly which step was dangerous, which was safe. They would occasionally leave our trail and rummage through the leaves returning with berries they would share with us. They knew the names of plants and their uses, which ones were medicine and which was poison. It made me think about education and how that term is so much broader than people often suggest. These women had deep knowledge of which I was completely ignorant!
That night we spent the night in a family homestay. There had been about 12 of us trekking together and we all stayed on mattresses in the upstairs of a family home. The connection between the trekking group was something magical, which I never expected to experience. We were a complete mixed bag!
Ages ranged from twenties to seventies! We came from all over the world. The more mature members of our group had such deep world knowledge, name a country and they had been there. But the best part was that there was no ageism, no divides. Falling in mud and then helping each other up is certainly a good ice breaker!
After a massive feast of delicious home cooked Vietnamese food, and a few too many shots of rice wine, we had a sing song. One Spanish girl sang a childhood favourite game of mine, a clapping game/song called hanky panky. Next thing I'm suddenly teaching the group how to play and we all play the game, squealing with laughter like kids when someone was out. Totally bizarre but soooo much fun!
I was sad to leave Sapa, it was such an amazing experience but I'm excited to continue my Asian Adventure!
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