We just spent the last 3 days in Sapa. We took an overnight train and a one hour car ride to this great little mountain town, it was worth every bump and motion sickness pills to get there!
From Sapa, we booked 2 nights to sleep in minority villages. We got to stay with the local people in their homes. It was quite an experience. The first day we hiked 12 KM. Through gorgeous rice terraces, mountains and the freshest air I have had in a long time! The local Black Muong tribe followed us the whole way. All the women follow the tourists each day, being very nice to us, making us beautiful flower wreaths for our hair, little animals crafted from rice stalks and bouquets carefully crafted into heart shapes for us. They carry handbags, bracelets, blankets in woven baskets on their backs hoping that us, rich white people, will buy their goods. Each day, the walk the mountains in hopes of making such little money on their intricate embroidery. There embordiery is so detailed, beautiful, it blows Gramma Sahm's away! So, you know me, I definitly purchased my fair share!
We had this fantastic tour guide named Zung. He really made our trip the best! Super enthusiastic and always making sure we were happy! We went swimming in beautiful waterfalls, crystal clear waters and beautiful mountains! It was very interesting to go from village to village. It was obvious which villages had more money than others and how important it is for the local people to have the toursit industry come to them. They are so very poor, indoor plumbing is definitly a luxury item, only for the richest people in the village. And those people are the ones who host the tourists in their homes! Amazing how everything in our lives is just an "extra" compared to these people. It's a good eye opener for Derrick, I believe.
We hiked a total of 28 KM in three days! I loved getting out and being in nature and it feels so good to exercise. Along the way, I met a very nice Vietnamese man named Kien. He was very passionate about learning English, so I spent many hours helping him with pronunciation, phonics, etc. He was also very good looking :) But, what I loved about Kien is that he opened up my eyes to how important learning English is for them. It is a survival tool they need in order to make money. He opened my eyes to how much I have learned how to be an English teacher and how I am looking forward to doing this more, just in a different environment. I have many tools to give and want to give them to the people who need them most. So now, I am on a journey to figure out how to do this. I guess Sister Mary Lee is calling my name again!
I miss you all and hope you are well. Looking forward to returning to the States in June!
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