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.

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