What We Saw

Although it wasn't the most beautiful time of year because the rice paddies won't be planted for a month or so, the scenery was still spectacular when we trekked with our Hmong friends in Sappa. Since there were only four of us and three of them we learned alot during our walk. We walked up and down the sides of mountains on narrow paths with valleys below us terraced with gardens waiting to be planted.
The scale of it all was overwhelming and the ladies were so generous and loving toward us. Although only one of them could speak english very well the other two could speak enough to point out flora and fauna and to teach us a few words in their language.
We saw kids playing on a huge bamboo swing and little girls in traditional dress competing with each other in long jump. We saw amazing fenced in veggie gardens, one with a big black pig eating everything in sight and no owner handy to stop him. I wondered how they tell their animals apart, I thought maybe they marked them or something but she said no, no we can tell, maybe my pig has a spot on him or my chicken is fatter......
It was really hard to get good pictures because of the mist that kept lifting and settling but I think you can get the idea.
At the end of the trek the ladies asked us to walk back by road so they wouldn't have to come. We started off and my feet were killing me because I had a cheap pair of ill fitting sneakers on. It was hard for us to find footwear large enough for us in Vietnam. Out of nowhere came one of the ladies with the others husband and they put me between them on the motorbike and drove me back to town! Although they had been bugging us to buy stuff fronm them at the end of the trek they absolutely refused to take any money for the ride! I was a little scared but also really relieved I didn't have to make the walk with sore feet and in the fog that was making me cold again.