Ted wakes me at 6:30 for a quick pack, tiny poor breakfast and off at 7:45am with our English speaking Hmong guide - beautiful young lady about 20, mother of a 5 year old and 2 month old, whom she has had to leave at home while she travels with us! Also a young Hmong driver that she does not know that well so they enjoy visiting on our day out together too.
We are all wrapped up in ski jackets to start, going down the mountain about 2000 ft and finding, oh joy, sun at the bottom in the dull city of Lau Cai. the sky clears but we still can't see Vietnam's highest mountain, Fanxipan.
I stop the driver when I want to take photos which is great, but the roads are dangerous for stopping so I try to take shots through the car window. We have a 4 wheel drive vehicle which is great for some of the mountain roads. After over 2 hours we insist on a stop for Ted to walk about. they buy a watermelon and it's good as it's now getting hot and we are peeling off layers. Eventually it gets to 82 and we are positively sweating! What a total change in 2 days.
After Lau Cai, on the Chinese border with Yunnan, we are off up into the gorgeous scenic mountains again, though small villages weddings going on today, Sunday is popular for that. Everyone dressed in their best.
Finally into BacHa market, the most famous and colourful in Vietnam now I think. It's huge with interesting sounds, smells and huge variety of Flower Hmong ethnic minority outfits. The buffalo market is interesting. We are told if the buffalo is put up for sale and does not sell, it is bad luck for the buffalo!! Some have their babies along. they are quite cute really and all very healthy and well fed.
There are also piggies of every side, squealing away if they are taken from their pens or bags. Baby chickens, ducks, many puppies and - thrill for Ah our guide - rabbits. She decides to buy a baby rabbit for her young 11-year-old sister so we buy him, put him in a box with cabbage to eat and off we go. She also buys child, fresh peaches, just coming into season. She normally works with bigger groups and is delighted to be just with us.
Ah is married but her husband i. s not working, but men do not help with the children either. When she treks she brings the baby with her! There are 1300 in her village, which has no power.
On the nearly 3 hour journey we learn all about life in the ethnic area. We are full of questions and she is forthright in answering them. Marriage is an absolute must in this society, and girls are married at 14 or 15, although for other groups it is 17. Girls marry and go to their husband's family and can never inherit land or houses! Its a feudal society all right! There are still a few arranged marriages here.
Driving arrow,d it looks like Switzerland with rice fields!
The eis o village leader as such, the government runs everything from afar.
At the market I am disappointed at the large commercial establishments selling the nice touristy articles but few of the women actually selling their own goods. I buy some small bags all the same. Many of the ethic minority women are selling produce and there is lively buying and selling. I only spot a few women with their babies on their backs or fronts, but still in their native dress.
We stop at a nice restaurant for lunch. Oh joy they have very clean western toilets i.e. not squats, and although we are not very hungry in the heat, our driver and guide tuck earnestly into lunch. they are supposed to eat with the guides but are delighted to join us and order whatever they want from the menu.
From there we go up to a village nearby and walk through. It is a poor looking place but they have animals and raise crops so are quite well off for the area. I have bought little books and pens also some toothbrushes and combs, which Ah loves to give out to people and kids we meet.
It's a beautiful scenic trip for the day and makes up for the two lost days here!
We are all wrapped up in ski jackets to start, going down the mountain about 2000 ft and finding, oh joy, sun at the bottom in the dull city of Lau Cai. the sky clears but we still can't see Vietnam's highest mountain, Fanxipan.
I stop the driver when I want to take photos which is great, but the roads are dangerous for stopping so I try to take shots through the car window. We have a 4 wheel drive vehicle which is great for some of the mountain roads. After over 2 hours we insist on a stop for Ted to walk about. they buy a watermelon and it's good as it's now getting hot and we are peeling off layers. Eventually it gets to 82 and we are positively sweating! What a total change in 2 days.
After Lau Cai, on the Chinese border with Yunnan, we are off up into the gorgeous scenic mountains again, though small villages weddings going on today, Sunday is popular for that. Everyone dressed in their best.
Finally into BacHa market, the most famous and colourful in Vietnam now I think. It's huge with interesting sounds, smells and huge variety of Flower Hmong ethnic minority outfits. The buffalo market is interesting. We are told if the buffalo is put up for sale and does not sell, it is bad luck for the buffalo!! Some have their babies along. they are quite cute really and all very healthy and well fed.
There are also piggies of every side, squealing away if they are taken from their pens or bags. Baby chickens, ducks, many puppies and - thrill for Ah our guide - rabbits. She decides to buy a baby rabbit for her young 11-year-old sister so we buy him, put him in a box with cabbage to eat and off we go. She also buys child, fresh peaches, just coming into season. She normally works with bigger groups and is delighted to be just with us.
Ah is married but her husband i. s not working, but men do not help with the children either. When she treks she brings the baby with her! There are 1300 in her village, which has no power.
On the nearly 3 hour journey we learn all about life in the ethnic area. We are full of questions and she is forthright in answering them. Marriage is an absolute must in this society, and girls are married at 14 or 15, although for other groups it is 17. Girls marry and go to their husband's family and can never inherit land or houses! Its a feudal society all right! There are still a few arranged marriages here.
Driving arrow,d it looks like Switzerland with rice fields!
The eis o village leader as such, the government runs everything from afar.
At the market I am disappointed at the large commercial establishments selling the nice touristy articles but few of the women actually selling their own goods. I buy some small bags all the same. Many of the ethic minority women are selling produce and there is lively buying and selling. I only spot a few women with their babies on their backs or fronts, but still in their native dress.
We stop at a nice restaurant for lunch. Oh joy they have very clean western toilets i.e. not squats, and although we are not very hungry in the heat, our driver and guide tuck earnestly into lunch. they are supposed to eat with the guides but are delighted to join us and order whatever they want from the menu.
From there we go up to a village nearby and walk through. It is a poor looking place but they have animals and raise crops so are quite well off for the area. I have bought little books and pens also some toothbrushes and combs, which Ah loves to give out to people and kids we meet.
It's a beautiful scenic trip for the day and makes up for the two lost days here!
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