Most countries, most places, can boast some beautiful landscapes, at least one or two. And for this reason most landscapes are hardly reason enough to pack a bag and book passage to some foreign land, a little more of the human touch is needed. And this is exactly why I fell I love with northern Vietnam, and in particular, Sapa.
Having grown up in some very beautiful mountains myself, I was not completely floored with the views from ‘the top of Indochina’ as it is called, views that most call breathtaking. Nor was I too exhilarated by the crisp morning air and rolling sea of mist that lapped its way across the valleys and ridgelines like tongues of cool fire as the sun broke. No, what amazed me were the people and the things they did; and the way they did them.
Sapa is a small mountain town in Lao Cai province in the northernmost point of Vietnam. Home to a number of different hill tribes and Vietnamese both it is a quiet place that gets by mostly on farming and, of course, tourism.
The people speak softly and smile often. Warm and hospitable, they are likely to invite you to join in whatever they are up to, take advantage of this.
The ‘vietbong’, as I came to call it, is a ubiquitous feature of the area, with people taking big rips from their bamboo water pipes all over the place. When someone offers you a hit, don’t worry, it’s usually tobacco in there, and a worthwhile experience if you’re feeling brave. Buy your own bong to carry around with you and share and you’re sure to make lots of friends.
Another interesting ingestible you’ll see are the drinkable laboratory jars (i.e. liquor with snakes, scorpions, birds, or whatever suspended in it). These additions to the beverages are said to imbue it with various healthful powers. I was told the snake liquor would strengthen my manhood and keep it from failing me should I try to make use of it later that evening. I have come across many liquors that make this claim, you’ll have to test them for yourself.
And of course this is a region steeped in mountain lore and ghost stories. The burial fields are like Tolkien’s Dead Marshes, with dark spots in the marshy ground revealing sunken corpses waiting for the bones to be picked clean. Once the bones are clean, they are removed from the marsh and put inside little stone shrines that also sit in the marsh. A great thing to look over at dusk while a local regales you with tales of the paranormal.
All in all, a very cool place.
