From Bac Ha to Sapa

The drive from Bac Ha to Sapa takes us back through Lao Cai but our guide had arranged for a side trip to see more of the countryside. We are up at elevation 1,600 meters or about 4,800 feet - that's higher than Mt. Mansfield in Vermont. Here's a link to some maps and more photos of the area. http://www.google.com/search?q=sapa+vietnam+map&hl=en&client=safari&tbo=u&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ei=K3soT-7mFdChiQeT44ziAg&ved=0CEAQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=672 A water buffalo drawn cart ride through a small village to the river. Most houses up in the mountains have very few windows and most have either metal or thatched roofs. This is where this family washes their dishes. A 20 minute boat ride to meet up with our driver waiting for us at a local restaurant. The government provides the schools for the villages. This is the best building in the area. Kids were still off because of the lunar new year vacation. The Black H'Mong tribe in Sapa are totally different from the Flower H'Mong of Bac Ha The view from the car on the road to Sapa This was at the top of the trail and the beginning of our two hour walk through a couple of villages after Sapa and before we drove to the Topas Ecolodge. Little girls on a small side street in Sapa. This is the village tribal leader, our guide knows him and arranged for us to stop in and see his home and sit down with him for awhile. And of course we bought something from his wife - my new hat! It will be all the rage in Old Mystic. I think Danny Devito would feel tall here. This is the kitchen - and I think of some of our clients... I won't go there. There are two harvests during the year for rice. The mountains have terraces all over the slopes for growing rice. They can get about 2.5 lbs of rice per 10 sq. feet. We continue to love our guide Quang (Tiger). We would never have found our way around this corner of the world without him. There are relatively few westerners and very few locals speak any English. And we are beginning to realize that we suck at charades.