Trekking in Sapa: Day 1

The sleeper bus to Sapa wasn't like the last sleeper bus we took. Instead of beds, this bus had 2 levels of reclining chairs so there wasn't as much room to move around but this bus did give better snacks. The bus arrived in Sapa at 3am but allowed us to stay asleep until 6am.

 A taxi took us from the bus station in town to our home stay in a village on the mountains. After settling our stuff in our room, we had the provided breakfast. There were 2 couples from Barcelona who also joined us and were part of our tour group, so it was a pretty small group of us which was really nice. While we were eating we noticed the staff of the homestay had brought a duck inside and were blow drying its feathers with a hair dryer. The poor thing was cold, wet, and sick. I ended up helping take care of the little duck.

Once we all finished breakfast, our tour guide, Sa showed us on a map where we'd be trekking that day and suggested that we rent their rubber boots because some paths are very muddy and slippery. So we all tried on boots till we found the right size and were on our way when everyone was ready. We walked a little ways up the path from the homestay where we waited for the local villagers who were also coming on the trek with us. Some of the women carried baskets on their back and others had their babies strapped to their back. I found out later from a very sweet woman with an adorable 4 month old that they didn't normally go trekking with the tours but they didn't have any work to do that day so they got to join us and lucky they did! 

At the beginning of the trek the paths were very steep. I became very sweaty very quickly but I could climb the rocky or concrete paths on my own no problem. The paths that were steep and a soft clay like mud were more challenging. The locals were very experienced and could manage climbing on even the most slippery areas. They all wore the same rubber boots that we had on, and some even wore slip on sandals. We basically each had one on one help from one of the locals on how to walk and where to walk.  I was the slowest (the height and steepness made me so nervous and I don't have great balance) but the woman with the 4 month old baby was so sweet and so patient with me. Her baby made me think of my niece Naomi and how much I want to see her and hold her again! I had such a good time chatting about life and family with her as we made our way through the mountains. Everywhere we looked was a beautiful view. Lots of rice fields and small villages covering the mountain slopes. I was surprised by how many buffalo we saw along the way, roaming the shrubby, grassy areas. Apparently some of the buffalo don't like tourists so sometimes we'd have to pass quickly upon the suggestion of the owner. Also whenever we'd walk along a road, there were always a couple waterfalls crossing the road that we'd have to walk through. Makes an easy motorbike wash I guess.

 It was hard to get good pictures because it was was so cloudy but it was actually great weather for trekking. There was no rain and the clouds protected us from the sun, although that didn't change how drenched in sweat I got. Going up and down those slippery mountain paths was kinda hard. My legs are still sore from that day. We did stop to admire a waterfall and it was nice, but honestly at that moment I was just happy to be able to sit and rest, enjoy the view, and feel the wind on my sweaty face. The local women trekking with us made one of these for each of us.

Before lunch, we parted ways with the villagers. It was just our group and the tour guide left. Luckily that was the end of the more difficult trekking so we could manage ourselves. I wasn't planning on buying anything but that woman took such good care of me and was so kind, I wanted to return the kindness so I bought a scarf and a small zippered pouch from her. While I wish I could remember her name, I will forever keep that memory. On our way to the lunch place, we stopped and rested at a local primary school for the children. We all peaked inside to see small empty desks and chalkboard at the front of the room with the abc's written on it. It was the children's day off that day so there were no kids there but it was neat to see what the schools there are like.

We stopped for lunch at a place on our way back to the homestay. As soon as we sat down, we were ambushed by woman and children trying to sell bracelets. It's kind of hard but you can't just say sorry not today, you also have to ignore the looks of hope on the faces of those woman and children. They are so persistent, they won't leave if there's even some eye contact. As much I'd like to, I just can't buy something from everyone. When we finished lunch it was about an hour trek back to the homestay where we all rested till dinner. We met 2 woman from the U.K. who were both teachers taking a vacation together before starting the school year again. We had fun chatting with them over dinner. As for the rest of the evening, we didn't do too much. We all went to bed very early like 8:30pm after a very full active day and another to follow.