Right after I finished writing about eating dog, we hopped on the night train to Sapa, one of the mountain provinces in the far north. The town has made its way onto the tourist map for its colorful minority groups and local markets. After sleeping for the 9-hour ride, they squeezed 6 of us into a little truck to drive up the mountains to the hotel. Rain + dirt/rocks + narrow, winding road = bad. At one point, we all got out of the car to give the driver a better chance of making it across a mudslide and not getting stuck like the 2 vehicles before us. Thank you 4-wheel drive.
Our darling hotel (called "The Darling Hotel") is right on the mountain side, every room with a panoramic view of clouds suspended above hills that have terraces weaving their way horizontally and waterfalls snaking down vertically. Just shades of green and pure white in every direction.
After a much needed nap, Jamie and I went for a 6-mile walk/jog through the hilltribe villages. Over suspension bridges (that I wouldn't cross twice), up and down stone steps, in between herds of goats - a nice loop through the mountains.
We befriended a group of hilltribe girls, wearing (and of course selling) their traditional outfits: navy cloth wrapped around like a robe, multiple pouches and straps crossing their bodies, cylindrical head garments for their long hair to coil into, leg warmers (80's style), half-moon metal earrings dangling low and pulling their ears down with them, baskets or babies on their backs, and then more metal jewelry and intricate embroidery all over the place. Vibrant colors, yet subtle and worn in. Girls age 7, women age 70 - all wearing variations of the same clothing.
They told us that all of the English they knew they had picked up from foreigners (a positive of tourism, I suppose). We had a lot of fun joking around with them as they repeated softly, "You buy me, okay?" (an implied "from" before the "me"). After chatting for a while, we did buy a few things, including these flimsy little metal instruments that we dubbed mouth harps. Very odd. And when Jamie refused to buy any more, one girl told him: "It's gonna rain and you die for sure." What?
Tomorrow night we take the train back, so we're waking up early and exploring some more until we have to go. Hopefully it won't rain...
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, August 31st, 2005 at 8:40 am in II. Vietnam.
You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
Every day a new adventure. Hope it don’t rain, indeed. We’re inundated these days with images of the terrible devastation in New Orleans and along gulf coast of Alabama and Mississippi. Hurricane Katrina left deadly tidal surges in her wake. And your mother’s world was rocked yesterday when Andy Roddick went out in first round against Gilles Muller in U.S. Open (he was the impressive young man we saw in finals with Andre in July at UCLA). Dasher is still keeping his distance (I think Mary Leah read him your post, so we’re both in the dog house, as it were). Re leg, I’m coping as well as can be expected (well-wishers have sent good Scotch and wine; better than Vicodin). I have located Nirangala’s phone number, so let me know if you want me to get in touch with her (and what to say). Assuming otherwise you’ve been in contact and are good to go to Sri Lanka. I’m a little concerned you haven’t had a massage lately, but I’m sure you’ll take care of it. Love, yer housebound popsy
August 31st, 2005 at 10:53 amCharlie, you have a vivid imagination and you’re taking us along the ride. Just amazing!
August 31st, 2005 at 11:39 amFantastico, fabuloso. Bendiciones…No more Needles, please!
Dear Charlie,
I can’t wait to see photos of the women of Sapa–and I’m hoping I am not getting leg warmers for a souvenir The Flashdance look is no longer me. Your adventure getting to the hotel sounds like a ride I had with Pauline and Reid in Costa Rica in 1984. To this day, I think Reid purposely took us on the worst road he could find so we would know we were not in Kansas anymore.
August 31st, 2005 at 1:55 pmdid you buy her???? and how’d that rain thing work out???
August 31st, 2005 at 4:32 pmCharlito!!!
Just running off to lunch but haven’t posted in a few days (things have been hectic, will explain later) and wanted to say I miss ya! I promise you’ll get an essay of a post when I get back this afternoon, but just in case you check your site before then I wanted you to know that I still read your site like 20 times a day. Also, posting is part of my new daily plan: I decided every day I’m going to exercise and post on your site - so just know that you’re on par with keeping my body in tip top shape. (I also need to outpost Teddy and Zach
. Ok, just running off, talk to you soon!
-LB
September 1st, 2005 at 12:40 pmSo I just heard that I missed your call
.
Firstly, I went bike riding today! Yay me for exercising! I can’t say that it was that intense (Gabi and I went around brentwood, then to the country mart, then to melissa’s, then home) but it was definitely a start to my exercising plan. And I’m going to yoga tomorrow with meliss!
I glanced over the Chronicle article on you, looks good. I told them that they should put a little more about your website, so hopefully they will. They loved the pics too, as did the rest of us. Looks amazing. Love the HW Volleyball one - both the scenery and the shirt. Zach and Teddy were like, “He always wears that shirt.” As do I now, lol - I can’t tell you how many people now think I’m a star volleyball player. It never hurts to exaggerate a little, lol.
Saw the 40 year old virgin last night. Definitely funny, but not as good as people said it was, and definitely not as good as Wedding Crashers. Still yet to see March of the Penguins, 4 Brothers, and this movie Grizzly Man about a bear specialist who gets eaten by the bears he’s protecting. Looks interesting.
Harmony was amazing. It was nice having more of a leadership role (and not having to wake up in a room with 11 crazy kids, haha). Made a lot of great friends, as always with Harmony. A lot of younger counselors - which is nice because as I go back to camp as a unit head they’ll be back as counselors, but also weird considering that now I have all these good friends who aren’t even at the upper campus yet. They’re the perfect age for you
. So, I’m pretty sure I’m flying back for Winter Camp! I’m almost certain that I’ll be a unit head, and I convinced Mom and Dad to come up as support staff! It’s also Dad’s birthday that weekend so it’ll be fun to be with him. You’ll be in Laos at the time, so not as fun 
.
Zach left this morning. I had dinner with him and Teddy and Teddy’s dad the other night, twas fun, you were missed. Then we had a fun Camp Harmony reunion party at Raychel Israel’s, you were missed there as well.
Sorry for the random assortment of news from LA, just trying to remember what’s been going on. It’s late, and I have my last day of work tomorrow at the Mac store, so I’m going to say goodbye for now, but worry not as I will be posting daily now that I’m back into a routine of sorts
. Miss ya lots and hope to hear from you soon!!! Love ya!!
-LB
September 2nd, 2005 at 12:36 ammary lee -
“In the Dog House”
I knew you would be quite upset
To hear I ate what should be pet,
But do not fret…
When traveling I’m never shy
To give the new cuisine a try,
When in England - shepherd’s pie!
You must try to understand
That food is different in this land,
What we call gross is in demand.
I hated it, keep that in mind.
I had to swallow the bite blind,
Knowing it was Dasher’s kind.
If we come back here, me and you,
Then we can see what we can do
To “Alias” style try and rescue.
But that is just the way they live,
So maybe now you will forgive…
Nick! Thanks for the update, sounds like a lot of fun in la. Can’t wait to return to harmony and meet all your pals. You better keep you word and post every day!
ps. what do you want?? im leaving soon
pps. i miss you weird noises
ppps. congrats on exercising, its about time flabby mcflabster
pppps. zack: z - a - c - k (hed want me to correct you)
Ted - pictures comin in 3 days and counting. but you saw the 4 i emailed nick, right? oh, and great story: so today i was on a mission to get you a shot glass. seriously dude, ive looked everywhere so far, in every city and havent seen anything even resembling a shot glass. im walking around, going in and out of shops (trying and failing to explain what a shot glass is) until i come to this one store. i ask the lady if they have them and then this american man in the back of the store who overheard me says, “sorry, what was that you’re looking for?” im like, a freakin shot glass, i cant find one in this country. and he says, “come here, say that again so she can hear you” (pointing to this other vietnamese lady behind the counter). so i say, ive been trying to find a shot glass! and then he says, “you wont find one anywhere. not in hanoi and probably not in the entire country. ive looked too, no luck. but ive told my wife (the vietnamese lady behind the counter who owned the store) and she ordered some a little while ago, they should arrive soon. give me your email and ill ship them to you. how many you want?” so basically, i found the only place in vietnam to get a shot glass. we chatted for a while after that (his name is rad and he moved here at 50 to marry a woman 20 years younger), and he seemed very eager to get me my shot glasses. so well see. what a coincidence, eh?
September 2nd, 2005 at 2:38 am