Established as a hill station by the French in 1922, overlooking rice terraces and surrounded by mountains and clouds. We were lucky to visit on sunny days.
There were many H'mong in Sapa and it is clear thar tourism is a major source of income for them and they work hard to earn from the tourists and have perfected incredible sales skills. As soon as you get off the bus you are surrounded and engaged in conversation. The children learn English at school so they can talk to tourists, the first phase they seem to learn is 'you buy from me?' As children as young as four ask this question constantly whist an arm is stretched out towards you holding a hand full of bracelets. The older ones all ask your name, where you are from, your age before seamlessly asking if you want to go shopping or buy from them, and if you decline they get you to promise that you will buy from them tomorrow. And they will remember you. They come to Sapa everyday from their villages to sell to tourist, one woman told me that her village was two and a half hours away. Despite the ulterior motive they do seem to enjoy talking to tourists and laugh and joke.
There lots of hotels under construction, and people seem to be able to build what they want where they want there is even a huge amphitheatre under construction in the centre of the town, no doubt for cultural performances for tourists.
Sapa is a market town and the market is huge and sells anything and everything. The surrounding villages seem to stretch for miles and it is hard to tell where one finishes and the next starts.
Most of the minority people work on the land, rice and corn being the main crops grown on the terraces.
Central Sapa
Looking back into Sapa
The rice terraces
As you walk down to Cat Cat which is the closest village you pass lots of Hmong selling clothes and bags and jewellery, much of which has been made locally.
Cat Cat village
All the buffalo seem to be looked after by young boys
Moo on the left who managed to sell me one of thre bags she is wearing even though I really didn't want anything. Amazing sales skills.
Rice almost ready for harvest
On the second day I did a short trek to Hau Thau which is a H'mong village 12km from Sapa. Lots of women from the village come to Sapa early in the morning to do the treck with the tourist and then hope you will feel obliged to buy from them at the end. It was nice to have the local company but so hard not buying from them. The track was easy in the most part t a little tricky in places. It was funny seeing healthy men in their 20s wearing hiking boots being assisted by girls of 8 and young women with babies strapped to their backs in plastic slip on shoes.
You buy from me
Hanoi beer with a view
