Skip to main content

Off the Beaten Trek in Sapa ( first posted on thebarefootfoodie.org 23 Nov 2016 )

 

Off the Beaten Trek in Sapa

NOVEMBER 23, 2016

BAREFOOT TRAVELS, VIETNAM
Getting to Sapa is challenging. It is a Vietnamese hill station at the border with China in Lao Cai Province. From Hanoi, it is a 10-hour overnight train ride to the border, followed by a shuttle bus to civilisation. The more adventurous would choose a home-stay with the tribal community but as for me and my brood, we settled for a hotel stay with creature comforts. We were very thankful for the warmth and the necessary amenities that came with it.
Sunrise in Sapa

As our bus pulled into the town, the first break of dawn was just radiating through the mists. It was a strikingly beautiful sight. Our trek would take us into rolling hills, verdant rice terraces, encounters with hill tribes, surrounded by natural, unspoilt terrain.

A Familiar Sight En Route

Our Young Sure-footed Guide

We opted for the easiest trek of 2 consecutive half days which was suitable for our then younger uns ( now all grown up into not so young teens ) and two not so fighting fit adults. It was a pathway to an intimate glimpse into a culture we would not otherwise know of at all.
Don't Let That Slip Away
A Pecking Order
Too Young to be Mothers
Weaving For a Living
No Fear of Heights for These Kids
Cat Cat Is The Village, Not a Four-Footed Feline
Home On The Hills


Waterfalls and Ravines
Men At Work
Doting Dad - Love That Stroller
Fancy A Home-stay with the Locals?
Making Cornmeal
Carda Mon Juice? 

I saw contentment in their faces, pride in what they do, a solidarity within the community of diverse origins. They had little material comforts but what they had was more than enough. Wonder if we could say the same for ourselves.

 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New Perspectives

  So What If The Day Started Badly This morning, as I was reversing my car out of the porch for a dental appointment, I drove right into a van who just happened to park in front of the house across the road, right at the very instant. The knee jerk instinct was to feel sorry and angry with myself at the same time. I said a little prayer for comfort and that the rest of the day would turn out better, with small mercies along the way. I also texted G, telling him what happened and that I was a little shaken by the incident, trivial as it was. The text came back " No worries". It was all the comfort I needed - no judgment, no reproof, just a quiet understanding and acceptance. The Rest Of the Day Got the tooth fixed, had my comfort food for lunch, left car with dented bumper with mechanic, took a bus to Ang Mo Kio library to while away the time. Along the way, discovered my favorite Yong Tau Foo franchise had moved to the food centre here, much nearer home, and also picked up a ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Reflections on Father's Day ( First posted on FB on 20 Jun 2022 )

  Reflections on Father's Day Hi Daddy, you must be having a great time in heaven, together with Mum. Although we never had a close father-daughter relationship, I choose to remember those moments which were special to me - like the outings to Esplanade Park, Satay Club with Mum when I was little, accompanying me to take the school bus on my first day of school, how your face lit up when you attended my university graduation. Growing up, I have often envied other people's daddies and wished you were more like them. I wished I could talk to you when I had my first crush on a boy, felt ugly because my face was full of pimples during my teenage years, looked into the mirror and hated what I saw...So I decided that since I wasn't pretty, I could be clever instead, and lost myself in an alternative world of adventure, imagination and books by Enid Blyton, Alfred Hitchcock, Agatha Christie, Perry Mason, anything and everything I could get my hands on... At home, you were either...
Post a Comment
Read more

Special Residents of Istanbul and Ephesus

 My recent road trip of Turkey traversed several cities. But it was mostly in Istanbul ( and a few more in Ephesus ) that cats who roamed the streets with the familiarity of a resident, independent and free, yet well-provided with food, shelter, water and loving affection.  On our very first day, we bought a bag of cat food and fed them whenever we encountered them. Some were hungry and responded to us, but others kept their distance, or came over to sniff at the kibbles and walked away. It warmed our hearts to see these adorable creatures as part of the landscape and culture of a most memorable trip in a land so richly endowed with the legacy of the past facing a challenging future ahead. Here's a gallery of cuteness overload. This link best sums up the history and back story of these adorable felines.  https://consciouscat.net/relationship-between-istanbul-and-its-cats/
Post a Comment
Read more