Sa Pa love market

Sa Pa love market, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

We made our own love market yesterday. Richard had just finished having what turned out to be a very expensive haircut and we went off to have a coffee. The timing on my camera says it was about 3 pm, although it was very misty by now and getting dark.

Four and a half hours later I was stumbling back down the road, totally totally drunk and dressed in all manner of local clothing including some baggy trousers, lots of bags and some necklaces.

We had made our own love market, with the fiolks at the market including a pretty young Vietnamese girl, this shady character a Black Hmong who started us off on the deadly rice wine, and a host of mainly Red Dzao women, icluding the formidable Mother Dzao. Rgis is about as much as I can remember, I am ashamed to say.

Richard looked after me exceedingly well, and apparently, after putting me to bed, he went to the official Love Market, a Saturday evening affair where the local young lads and lasses are supposed to meet up and find a prospective husband or wife. Of course, the tourists have come and the original participants have left and Richard remarked that it was a very disappointing affair. Still talked about in all the tourist literature though.

Looking like so many Father Christmases

Looking like so many Father Christmases - Red Dzao village women, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Here are the Red Dzao people, the women dress in these red cloth scarves, bordered with white, making them look like so many Father Christmases.

We took motorbikes to the Ta Phin village, about 12 km north of Sa Pa. We could very easily have stayed in Sa Pa, but our curiosity got the better of us.

Here we were each joined by about three women eager to sell us things whilst accompanying us aorund town (following us basically). We were then morally obliged to buy their products, so it seemed, but there was no obvious bad feeling when we bought nothing or from one of the other ladies. We were shown inside their houses and also taken to a wedding party, which in its third and last day seemed to have already peaked!

Tomorrow we will walk to a Red Dzao village and ome back to Sa Pa in time for the Love Market, more on which, tomorrow, I hope.

Young Black Hmong

Young Black Hmong, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Another ever-so-cute young child.

The largest minority tribe here in Sa Pa are the Black Hmong, who wear blcack and navy clothes, made from locally grown hemp, dyed with locally produced indigo, coloured with imported cottons and wools from elsewhere.

We had seen Hmong elsewhere in the past few days, but they were not necessarily as traditional dress-wise as the Hmong here. The women sem to be very good at commerce and like iot sell you their cloths and these ones all speak surprisingly good English.

Rice terrace at Cat Cat below Sa Pa

Rice terrace at Cat Cat below Sa Pa, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

A view as seen from the walk down from our hotel in Sa Pa, framed in the most perfect light.

Over the mountins to Sa Pa

On the pass opposite Mount Fansipan, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Today we said goodbye to our driver, Mr Nang as he dropped us ioff at our Sapa Goldsea Hotel here in Sa Pa, on the slopes looking down the Cat Cat valley across to the mighty Fansipan range the other side. A more spectacular setting, you could not wish for.

We had bene advised to arrive in Sa Pa by 9.00 this morning in order to be in time to join with the Sinh Cafe tour, but as it happened we wer not to get going until 1.30 which gave us some time to look around the town, notably the market and also take some motorbikes out to visit another village which would not be covered by our tour. We could have rested but when there is so much to see and do, it seems a pity to rest.

So, this meant that we had an early start from new Lai Chau, where we spent last night on two very hard beds. Neither of us could sleep, either because the bed was so hard or because we were scared of not waking up in time. But up we were ready to go at 6.00 am, without any cofffee and while it was still reasonably dark. On our way to the next village we saw numerous tired looking people on their way to work or school, so we were not the only ones. Time to stop briefly at this place for a look at teh maket and take some photos in poor light before starting our 30 km ascent up the pass.

As they had said in our travel plan, all the other passes we had climbed were like aperitifs for the main course, and specatcular it was too, with clouds bubbling over the peaks as the sun shone through. Here is a picture of us at or near the top, to give an idea of what it was like.

The mountains we have travelled through the past few days have resembled a bit those we had seen in yemen, with respect to teh terraces and also Ethiopia with respect to the shapes and vegetation. Sometimes it seemed we were back in the Omo Valley, so similar it was, with the forested slopes coming down to meet the rushing waters of the river. Tody was more like the Simien Mountains, the smell and feel of the air (a fair bit warmere here, thank goodness), the grassy slopes and the feeling of being at the top of the world.

Coming down into Sa Pa from the pass was a long 10 kms, again passing stunning scenery and itw as a great way to end what had been four-and-a-bit excellent days.

Early morning on Pac Hoan lake

Early morning on Pac Hoan lake, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

This was the calm morning after the night before. A night of Boney M, sexy music videos, vodka and beer. We were the only guests at this lovely hotel on the wooded shore of this lake, just 20 kms or so from Dien Bien Phu, not mentioned on many maps. There were three staff and five loud dogs, a large living room with small seats, some glass tables and a massive stereo/video system. It was not long before they were blasting out Euro disco, sounding as if it had come from 1996, and mostly accompanies by sexy videos of sexily dressed ladies dancing around... well with so few women around, it was not entirely surprising.

It had been a long and very enjoyable day and it was getting dark, so it was not long before dinner was served, whereupin one of teh lads found the VCD of Boney M's 20 greatest hits and although we only got to about number 10, I can't think there were any that we had missed. What got them to sing a song about Belfast, during the times of the troubles, goodness knows, but I think that was the end of their pop carrer in the UK, at least!

How to spend an evening with four Vietnamese (including the driver) with such a language barrier. Well,we resorted not to karaoke, but to showing them my moo cards and Richard his photos on his laptop (yes, he is carrying his laptop, luckily enough as this is the only way I have been able to save my photos, the new hard drive already having given up working properly). Anyway, it was all good fun, even though all the Vietnamese found reasons NOT to drink the vodka (which we had not, in fact asked for), mostly claiming that they would not sleep if they did.

The next morning it was an early-ish rise to take a boat out onto the misty lake, just ourselves, some jumping fish and a couple of canoes of local people going past. Infinitely peaceful. Birds could be called singing from the trees and most of teh shoreline was covered in thick green jungle. We have been impressed with so many things here in Vietnam and one thing is the way they seem to be preserving their forests up here in the mountains. The village folk keep to the villages, albeit bringing back firewood, but it all seems to be done on the right scale. Richard, who has been teere, tells me that the mountains in neighbouring Laos are largely treeless, and by the sounds of it even Sumatra seems to be going that way too.

Back to teh lake, we stopped off at a Black Thai village, to see the local men building a new wooden house, one man could be seen sharpening his saw and really the very basic tools seemed to have been used. The houses are very well designed and most of them have red brick tiles on, sourced no doubt from the many brickworks one sees scattered around the countryside. The houses are on stilts and underneath, one finds pigs, chickens and dogs running around. The puppies and teh piglets are so adorable, although I must say I am more in the mood to eat dog than pat a dog since on of them had a bite at my trousers last night as I was walking back from a closed internet cafe.

Back at the hotel it was time to say our goodbyes to our new friends and soon we were on the road down to Dien Bien Phu, site of the famous battle which saw Vietnam beat the French as the first major step of getting the French out. Again, a word of admiration for the Vietnamese.... they have managed to see off Imperial China, Imperialance and Imperial USA. They can be very proud and as I mentioned before, they seem to be very good at doing teh right thing, where so many other countries fail.

Dzao baby

Dzao baby, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Too cute to be left out of the blog, this chappie was being carried on the back of his father, as we came down the mountain into new Lai Chau. Last night we were in old Lai Chau and tomorrow we cross the highest pass in Vietnam, passing Mount Fansipan, the highest peak in Vietnam at 3,140 meters, on the way to Sa Pa, where we join our other tour. This was the tour we had originally arranged up here in the mountains, and it is a trip which many tourists will make. We are very happy to have taken this particular tour which ahs been absolutely spectacular - so thanks very much to Uncle Malcolm for suggesting it, Vietnam Geographic Holiday for organising it at such short notice and also to the ever patient Mr Nang who has driven us around for the past four days. One thing about Mr Nang, apart from being an excellent driver and a war veteran (we have seen the wounds in his legs) but he likes his music. So we have been listening to the same selection fo what we think is four or five songs for teh last three-and-a-half days since we told him we preferred Vietnamese music above the American easy listening stuff with which he started off in Hanoi. He is also a keen football fan and we think that the reason he was late for breakfast this morning is because he was watching the Manchester United-Benfica match at 2.30 in the morning!

Fishing net

Fishing net, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

The mountain folk do not seem to be such great fishermen as the ethnic Vietnamese on the coast who have lots of fish farms and shrimp farms and so on. Anyway, yesterday we came across these two men bring in their net, with one tasty looking fish caught before paddling away on their bamboo raft.

Afternoons are a great time to travel through the country, as people have finished their work and often go to the river to ahve a wash (the owmen wash their very very long black hair - which they normally have tight in a bun at the top of their head, over which goes the scarf/headgear). You will also see children playing around with buffalos, young men having a game of football on a field of newly cut rice and even foot volleyball... in which incidentally, Vietnam won their first gold medal in the Asian Games in Doha!

Richard being dressed by Dzao women

Richard being dressed by Dzao women, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

It was all very fetching but the cloak was too small and the price too high. Anyway, these Dzao women had great fun dressing Richard.

Old lady with gangrene

Old lady with gangrene, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

We were invited into the house by the husband, who offered us rice vodka, which we were not allowed to sip, but had to drink down in one go. Richard chickened out, but I didn't so I promptly had a new glass filled which had to be downed. I don't think it was actually all that strong although it felt like it as it went down. At least one gets a warm hand shake from your drinking partner when one has completed the task.

This lady had a plastic bag over her right foor and although we had both noticed we thought it polite not to look at it or mention it, until the husband started pointing at it. Anyway, she seemd to be taking it in her stride and was happy top have haus as guests in her house, however briefly.

Hmong women

Hmong women, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Hopefully all the 200 or so photos will tell the story of what a wonderful trip we are having here in the mountains. As you can see the weather has improved greatly and it is beautiful to feel in the sun on one's face in the clear mountain air.

The driver took us off-road up 10kms or so for views across the valley to the mountains bordering China, which was about 10-20 kms away. All along teh way were people busy at work building the new road, including these Hmong woman at the end. At first they were a bit shy to be photographed, but eventauuly they even started getting specially dressed for teh photos. Beautiful colours, brilliantly lit.

Back again

Richard with a black Thai woman, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Here we are in Lai Chau, connected for a while to internet fater three days. So many stories to tell and so little time, Anyway, it seems as if some poor people put their photos of Vietnam on my flickr site - and strange that nobody seemd to notice. Anyway, they have been removed and a whole load of new photos are going on now. Will write some more to a different photo.

Black Thai skirts hanging up for sale

Black Thai skirts hanging up for sale, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Not all doom and gloom today.... these colourful garments are skirts as worn by the people of teh Black Thai tribe, ready for sale ot tourists. The village which we visited at lunchtime, which is a very attractive one, set in the middle of some paddy fields, surrounded by high mountains, makes a side income in tourism, welcoming tourists for lunch, dinner and homestay. If we had not had to shave a day off the planned trip to make it to Sa Pa on time for our other tour, we would have been staying here tonight.

Big leaves

Charles on mountain pass with big leaves, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Big leaves, gathered by some colourful Hmong women high up in the mountains. They are used for wrapping up pig(let)s.

By the way, yesterday lunch time we ahd a culinary first - pork kebab!

Mountain mood

Meditation, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Not too much time to write now, maybe again after dinner if this place is still open. It has been a long day, not altogether satisfactory, but we have made it to Son La, near the Lao border west of Hanoi. Spectacular scenery, obscured in part by the mist but then again all the more mysterious as a result.

We have done two days of a set itinary in one day, a cool, wet and misty one at that, with a driver whose English is not so good, better than our Vietnamese though, so I suppose there were bound to be some frustrations about where we would stop and so on. Still, it has been a good experience to get out of the city in the early morning rush hour, going against the traffic, out into the Red River Delta. First through industrial estates, then rice paddies, brick factories and bamboo and rattan furniture workshops until we were out in the country proper, going through towns and villages with small markets, selling a lot of citrus fruit, pigs and chickens. Out in the country proper, the limestone outcrops, often clad in bamboo forest made their appearance and eventually ended up as high mountains with windy paths over the passes from one valley to the next.

As mentioned above, we would have lunch at a Black Thai Village where we both bought scarves (albeit ones made in China) to keep a bit warm before losing our way a bit taking the old road to Son La. It is supposed to have spectacular views but not when there is only 10 meter visibility and this was something we could not communicate with our driver, Mr Nang, condedemning us to an hour of slow very bumpy driving through the mist with the only bright spots being the poinsettia forest we drove through. After this we were subject to a bit of a go slow and by the time we reached a minority village, the light was gone. Happy to say though that it had brightened up considerably by then and we saw the sun again for the first time in three days, boding well for tomorrow, although the lady from the hotel does not think it'll be sunny. Still, we have a normal day tomorrow, starting off at the Son Lo prison where the French incarcerated the Vietnamese resistance, going onto a cave, a minority market and finally Dieng Bieng Pho, where teh Vietnamese finaly beat the French.

Christmas bells and Christmas trees

Hanoi - street scene in Old Quarter, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Sunday was the first day of Advent, in the Christian calendar and Christmas is just three weeks away. It does not feel at all Christmas-y here, except in the street outside our Hanoi Blue Sky Hotel, where there are a number of shops selling Christmas decorations, and not justa few, but the shops are overloaded with lights and baubles and decorations.

Sinterklaas is not quite Christmas either, but gives us the origin of Father Christmas. I am not sure we can connect to internet from teh mountains, so here is a wish to the Dutch readers of this blog... een prettige en fijne Sinterklaas toegewenst.

This IS a Socialist country

Hanoi - street scene in Old Quarter, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Hard to remember that Vietnam is a Socialist Republic with a Communist Government. Despite this, people have to pay for basic (and, of course, higher) education and health-care. Also, there seems to be a lot of free-market economics around. Still, evry now and then a scene like this reminds us of the reality!

Mobile clothes shop in French Quarter

Hanoi - mobile clothes shop in French Quarter, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

My sister Fiona has just opened a shop in Notting Hill, in the posh area of London, selling children's clothes. do not know what it is called or what the name of teh website is, because she has not got ijn otuch, but Mum tells me that she has done well in her first week. We wish her well.

Here is a lady who is carrying her clothes shop on her back, through the streets of the French Quarter of Hanoi. Very resourceful the people out here and one can find street sellers like this lady next to boutiques full of well designed and well crafted clothes, handbags, bed linen, dresses, skirts, jackets. If I was a lady with a taste for beautiful colours and wonderful dresses I would be completely ecstatic here in Hanoi.

Art Gallery in French Quarter

Hanoi - Art Gallery in French Quarter, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Here are a couple of examples of the fine art which can be found in this city of Hanoi. The paintings are mostly oil paintings or lacquer and are usually very colourful. Favourite themes seem to be streets in the Old Quarter, women, village scenes, children with buffalo and flowers or flowering trees. Most of them are very large and many are very beautiful. Cheap by Western standards at about $ 500- $ 2,000 including the impressive frames. $ 300 for shipment to Europe with frame, $ 100 without.

Government Guest House in French Quarter

Hanoi - Government Guest House in French Quarter, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Here is a very posh looking guest house for government officials in theb French quarter of Hanoi, showing French architectural styles. The French quarter was empty all day yesterday as we walked around. Ironic, because unlike the Old Quarter, the streets were very wide and the buildings large and spaced out, unlike in the Old Quarter.