On Diep’s recommendation we visited the Bac Ha markets today.
We departed Sapa at 7:30 in thick fog for the winding 1 hour drive down the mountain to Loa Cai. It’s a good job that the drivers do the trip a couple of times a day, as in many parts our driver couldn’t see more than a few metres in front of us – thankfully that also meant we couldn’t see the sheer drop beside us…
We drove a further 1.5 hours into the countryside, through plantations of pineapple, bananas and green tea. Small villages line the roadside and little children play, oblivious to the traffic. The total 2.5 hour trip from Sapa to Bac Ha is only 110 km, which gives some indication how slowly they drive here.
The Bac Ha markets are the biggest in the area – a massive site. They only occur on Sundays, when people from all over the local area bring their animals, crafts, incense, fruit and vegetables to sell. Professional stall holders also punctuate the markets, selling the same souvenir items we’ve seen through Hanoi and Sapa.
The men come to set up at about 4:30, then go off and socialise and drink ‘Happy Water’ – rice wine with about 40% alcohol content. I suspect it’s happy today, but I think I’d be very unhappy in the morning!
The women are left to sell – and sell they do! “You buy from meeee?” is their opening line, often called out as you wander past. Even the slightest interest in an item brings the stallholder running, quick to place the bag on your shoulder, and start negotiating the price. If the item isn’t what you’re after, that’s easily fixed by dropping the price further.
Vietnamese people come to socialise, and crowd around tables in the middle of the markets to eat freshly prepared meals. Again, a great example of the strong sense of community and family here.
The main tribe of the area is the ‘Flower H’Mong’. Their dress is similar to the H’Mong tribes we saw on our homestay, but this group embrace colour – woven and plain, adorned with beads.
One of the greatest features of this market is the live animal trade. On top of the hill overlooking the market, hundreds of water buffalo are brought for trade – only outnumbered by the tourists taking photos! These are used for farm animals, breeding or meat. Further down, small horses, chickens and nightingales are traded.
Nightingales are valued for their song, and as the males fight to the death when placed in a cage together they provide an opportunity to gamble. According to Diep, there was a Nightingale sold for 300 million VND ($15000) in Hanoi. He sang all night and was the best fighter around… He’d want to be 🙂
On the way back to Lao Cai we stopped in at a Flower H’Mong village. The people in this village happily let hundreds of tourists wander through their homes and take photos for no payment. Outside one of the homes there were chickens tied to the poles of the verandah, one of which looked like some kind of unique breed with few feathers and extra long legs. When we quizzed Diep he could only respond with ‘just special I think!!!!’. Yep, it was certainly a “special” kind of chicken that only a parent could love!!!
Back at Lao Cai, we stopped at the Chinese border. Many of the people from Lao Cai province cross the border to work, but it’s clearly only an opportunity for those that have mastered Chinese – not an English character in sight.
So after dinner in Lao Cai, our Sapa adventure with Diep “Mr iPhone” (the only guide in town that owns one as it lets him stay connected to email and facebook!) came to an end. With his great enterprising and professional approach to his job, I think he’ll be running the tour company within a couple of years.
Back on the train to Hanoi now, with a quick turnaround to head to Halong Bay after breakfast tomorrow.
Chao!
Love M & theBunch xx
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