by Later start breakfast bread and soup before heading off on the bus for a short ride to an old Portuguese Ta Phin Monastery destroyed during the 1979 Russian invasion which was Russia’s reaction to the Vietnam invasion of Cambodia. From the Monastery we went on a 3 1/2 hour walk down through to the hill tribe villages, rice paddies, and light jungle. Pigs, water buffalo, chooks, dogs, cats, and more pigs it was good to see the people in their own environment. The first was the Red Dao tribes.
The walk was all downhill and then consequently all uphill. Spent the afternoon in Sapa and then a stroll through the town market we walked to the top of one of the mountains overlooking Sapa. not such a good view but it was okay. we should’ve climbed the other mountain. Better view. (The grass is always greener) at one of the hill tribes we were asked by the guide for a donation or to purchase something from the family as a thank you for being shown into and around the home, so we purchased A particularly ugly baby. In the street outside the hotel, we spent an hour or so battering for a small [ embroidery and indigo] and a clove turbine thing more beautiful than the others on our phone, the girl that sold it got in trouble from the others, the others then attempted to get me to tell them how much I had paid. When an old lady with all gold teeth tried to get me to purchase another new similar one. She said I had bought it for some time then, later after the walk and the next morning she appeared wherever we were. At the market and before and after dinner we were offered tennis ball size bags of IPM, which we refused but several old tribesmen and women were smoking away. Three or four times during the day and evening we were blasted, literally, with a hot strong breeze for 10 to 15 seconds of about 40 to 50 knots followed by a rush of cool breeze, it blew chairs over. For dinner we ordered a meal each not realizing that the lau was big enough for two or three. the lau was presented as raw meat and vegetables which you cook on a gas burner in front of you. The meet had a range of parts, heart involved, which neither Nat nor I could stomach. We then played hackie sack with some Vietnamese volunteers in the middle of the street and then wandered passed the marketplace where the Hill people go for secret one night stands, married people also, with no questions asked. The next day however it appears that the actions of past tourists and especially Vietnamese tourist have destroyed this custom by making fun of it, with torches. It apparently now occurs up in the hills.
Spent 20 minutes before sleeping unpicking my silk sleep sheet so that I can actually stretch out to sleep
