Apr 292017
 

On our first day in Sa Pa, it was so foggy you couldn’t see five feet in front of you. As a result, we decided that it wouldn’t be the best weather for hiking in the surrounding area… so we found a small bar full of people who had reached a similar conclusion and we spent the day enjoying the local beers.

The next day we woke up to find pretty much the same thing. But, it was our last day in the area so we decided that we should find a guide and check out the terraces that make Sa Pa famous. Luckily, as we descended into the valley we dropped under the clouds and could take in our surroundings. I still don’t have many photos from the day as there was still plenty of fog about. Here you can see some of the local water buffalo grazing on the terraces.

sa pa rice terraces with water buffalo

 

Jan 312017
 

My Vietnam trip was capped off by two nights in Sa Pa. We took an overnight bus to get here, which provided me with a “bed” about 1 foot too short for me to be comfortable. The first day we spent there it was so foggy you couldn’t see more than five feet in front of you. As a result we found a small bar that was occupied by other travelers in a similar predicament. We spent the whole day there.

The next day we decided to go for a hike regardless and, thankfully, the fog lifted a bit. We were accompanied on our walk by two Red Dao women and one Black Hmong lady. They were members of the ethnic tribal minorities that live in the area.

At the end of our walk we bought a few trinkets from the ladies and I asked to take a picture. One of the red Tsao ladies was happy to pose. Here she is below:

red dao lady with head scarf in sa pa vietnam