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

Off the Beaten Trek in Sapa

NOVEMBER 23, 2016

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.

Comments

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 ...

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/

PROJECT GROWING UP ( Or the Little House that would )

In the Beginning In 1997, G and I went house-hunting. We decided on a not-so-big single-storey house in Serangoon Gardens and made it our home, together with D, aged one. So the small family of then three moved in, together with our domestic helper, an absolutely indispensable part of the life and times of the Sims. In 2000, A joined the brood and we became a household of five. As the years rolled on, this little house stood the test of time, armed with a resolve to remain true to itself while all around, the neighbours were mutating into towering structures, forever altering the once charming landscape of this cosy precinct. But as D and A morphed from age to age, they made encroaching demands on sanity and space. Chaos aside, the study was first to go, for each one to have their own private den and mess containment. Soon the deluge of homework and assessment sheets spilled into the living room and there was no more division of boundaries. The living room became the ...

Thebarefootfoodie

Search This Blog