SAPA: THE CITY IN THE CLOUDS
Sapa is a small town in the Province of Lao Cai, a mountainous area located about 350 km northwest of Hanoi, near the Chinese border. This quiet Vietnamese town is home to different ethnic tribal groups (e.g. Hmong, Dao, Tay, Giay and Xa Pho). It is said that Sapa was first occupied by the first four groups since the Vietnamese from the lowlands (better known as the Kinh) did not colonize the highest valleys. Nowadays, Sapa became increasingly touristy and welcomes a diverse range of visitors, attracted by the highland tribes, iconic rice paddies and forest treks - the awe-inspiring natural beauty this area is blessed with.
EARLY DEPARTURE TO SAPA
There are different options to get to Sapa. Among the most popular ones is to take a night bus equipped with beds. However, with a departure at 11:00 pm, we would have reached our destination at 5:00 am in freezing cold weather without any restaurants open or even the possibility to check into a hotel. Because of this, we agreed to leave in the early morning instead. We woke up at 5:00 am to have enough time to catch the 7:00 am departure. This option is not the most efficient, as time is being wasted on daytime transportation. Although, since I was told that two (2) days were plenty to discover Sapa, I agreed to the latter option. This early in the morning, everything was still closed except for a bánh mì stand. When My came back with our breakfast, the driver mentioned that food and drinks were forbidden aboard the bus. I guess we will just have to suck it up and wait until the first stop. And so, we departed on a hazy morning for six (6) hours on a candy-pink -Disney-princess-themed bus toward Sapa - the city in the clouds. I was told that the scenery was breathtaking along the way, but no luck this time since the sleeping bus we booked didn’t have windows to look out from. Oh, well... I guess I’ll use this time to make up for last night’s two (2) hours of sleep. About halfway through, we stopped at a rest area for a half-hour break which we surely intended to utilize for breakfast.. finally! Let’s order a phở bò and a mì gà. Of course, when the order came, the waiter brought a phở gà and a mì bò, combining the two (2) types of noodles and two (2) types of meat in the exact opposite way that the order was placed. You’d think that getting an order of two (2) items right would be just too simple to handle, but not in Vietnam! When it comes to placing an order, everything that could possibly go wrong will absolutely go wrong. Just before getting back on the bus, I went to the bathroom only to find our lovely Disney-themed bus advertised in one of the cabins. You won’t believe that the poster featured a girl in lingerie photoshopped over the Sapa rice paddies... FOR A DISNEY-THEMED BUS! Pardon the outburst...
We reached Sapa - also known as the Tonkinese Alps - around 1:30 pm and directly went for lunch at a local restaurant adjacent to the bus station. The region is known for its abundance of salmon, so that’s what we ordered. A platter of gỏi cá hồi served with egg fried rice and steamed vegetables, please! The way to eat it is to take the sashimi-like slice of raw fish, dip it in lemon juice for a few seconds, then place it on a rice paper along with lettuce and a few julienne vegetables. Roll it up, dip it into wasabi and ginger-seasoned soy sauce and eat. Watch out for the wasabi, as it is not I’m your usual diluted green paste. That is some powerful stuff that can potentially blow your sinuses out!
A quick check-in at the Sapa Jade Hill hotel and back we went in town to enjoy the nocturnal ambiance. But first... coffee! We stumbled upon the Sapa Skyview Restaurant & Bar, which offered a tremendous view over the hills. We stayed there and enjoyed hot beverages (i.e. hot egg coffee, hot tea with ginger and honey) until the sunset. We then walked around town in the attempt of snapping a few interesting shots despite the hazy weather. We kept hopping from one coffee shop to the other until dinner time, witnessing those poor Hmong children hustling hard in cold weather, trying to sell souvenirs to passers-by. I won’t lie, it was adorable at first, until I noticed the parents purposely placing their children on the sidewalk in the attempt of using cuteness to boost the family income. A government truck with a mounted speakerphone then confirmed my fear with a clear request to tourists not to encourage child labour by buying souvenirs from the Hmong People. I later learned that this type of solicitation is fairly new to Sapa ever since the emancipation of their tourism industry over the past few years.
It was getting late and we’d better make it back to the hotel to get some sleep. We walked in front of a bar called The Hmongsisters which happened to feature a live music band that night. The warm and festive rhythm invited us in only to find out where all Westerners were hiding this whole time. But, this was not your typical expat scene either. It was more of the elephant shalwars, ponchos, dreadlocks, shaved side hairstyle, and nostril piercings kind of scene. A bit far on the spectrum, even with my man-bun. We enjoyed the music for a moment from the main door, as if we didn’t want to commit, and then stepped right out. I stood a moment on the other side of the street to enjoy the music from a distance, in a less crowded spot. Just when I was about to leave, a man across the street turn to me, immediately stood up and came over to talk to me. “What gear you’ve got?”, he said. The man was holding a camera himself - a Sony a7R with a mounted Canon 50mm f1.2 on an adapter and a Rode microphone on top. “Are you here with the band?”, I asked while wondering who the hell mounts a Canon lens on a Sony body. As I am writing this, I’m noticing how deep I have gotten into this mirrorless cult in such a short amount of time. Turns out he was following the band over a four-day tour around the region. He claimed to have collected 200 GB up till now, which he will have to go through and edit before uploading onto the band’s YouTube channel. We went full-on geek mode for about half an hour while exchanging a few tips and tricks about photography. Not that I wanted this conversation to last that long, but the guy couldn’t let me go. You know these kinds of conversations where you try to find a little moment of silence to place an “Alright, then...”! The guy couldn’t shut up. I counted at least seven (7) occasions where I placed one step toward the hotel only for him to segue to yet another interesting fact. Just when I thought I was out, he pulled me back in. I somehow tasted my own medicine whenever I am “Jamesplaining” a random trivial fact about an obscure topic that no one but me pays attention to. I then saw an opening when he said: “Why don’t we mount your lens onto my camera so I can show you how I use it?” Mhmm... what’s your name again? No, stranger I have just met a few minutes ago! I will not trust you will my 2,500 USD piece of equipment on your camera! - I thought to myself. Besides, the guy’s backstory seemed highly incoherent. He claimed to be Chinese but lived in Boston. Though he sounded British and said his name was Pablo. He also had a strong smell which I am not sure came from his dreadlocks or his mouth. Either way, I’d better start walking in the opposite direction as quickly as possible, as none of this corroborates. We then waved to a cab and got back to the hotel.
Fansipan is indeed for Fancy Pants
My had sworn herself never to climb up the Fansipan peak using the abominable cable car built by Sun Group - one of the largest real estate developers in Vietnam. Its main activities are the development of holiday resorts, attraction parks and luxury real estate, a.k.a exploiting some of the most beautiful natural gems this country has to offer and turning them into a money-making extravaganza. Sun Group was founded by four Vietnamese who lived in the former Soviet Union, so one could only imagine the level of tackiness these resorts are offering to the masses. From the group that brought to life Sun World Ba Na Hills, Sun World Hon Thom Nature Park, and Sun World Halong Complex, we now present to you Sun World Fansipan Legend! A couple of years ago, the Fansipan Peak - the highest mountain of the Indochinese Peninsula - was reserved to the brave, the strong, the conquerer who was not afraid to hike into the steep and strenuous jungle for about 5–6 days from Sapa and return. Nowadays, it usually takes about 3 days, even 2 days. Now that the cable car is built, the access to the peak was opened to pretty much anyone who shows up to the station with their short skirts in freezing cold weather, high heels ready to climb up 600 steps, and front cameras on their phones to ensure their makeup is on point. Looking around us and to remind ourselves of the cheap wordplay I amuse myself making with the name of the mighty mountain, Fansipan is indeed for Fancy Pants! The peak now features a handful of temples and Buddha statues, but none of this is legit. It’s all a bunch of fake constructions built to add to the “legend” Sun Group is attempting to create with this amusement park. For lack of time and for my sake, My accepted to bend her rule for me. It is therefore backwards that she entered this place of perdition and blasphemy with timely complaints every other minute. “I can’t believe I broke my rule!”, I heard her mumble too many times. Unfortunately, the Roof of Indochina was hidden in the clouds for the better part of the morning, so we couldn’t see anything further than 50 meters ahead amidst the fake monuments. That left us with a deplorable view of too many bimbos and swagfags complaining about the cold weather despite their brilliant choice of wearing short skirts and shorts with ankle socks. It’s not an excursion... it’s a fashion show!
Topas Ecolodge
At last, I made it to Topas Ecolodge. Let’s be honest, this resort has been overly hyped through social media advertising over the past few months and everyone I know who has stayed there highly recommended it. So, the expectations were quite high for the Topas Travel project situated atop a beautiful hillside deep in the mountains of Hoang Lien National Park, just 45 minutes outside Sapa.
Before even getting to the accommodation, I was not impressed at all with their customer service which seemed to be handled by someone taking calls from the comfort of their home, away from the rest of the on-site operations. That person had no clue that we had pre-arranged with the sales department to be picked up nearby Jade Hills - where we stayed the previous night - located on the way to Topas Ecolodge. That made more sense than booking a taxi to the city center to catch the transfer shuttle service and pass in front of Jade Hills again. The customer service lady wouldn’t hear it, as she strongly reacted to what she judged to be an unreasonable request which she couldn’t accommodate. Another call to the reception ensured our request was granted within a matter of seconds. We even obtained the driver’s phone number to ensure he’d stop for us. Having worked in Industrial Engineering for the past three (3) years, I have witnessed way too many examples where decentralization is not always more efficient. Luckily, the reception was there to catch the customer service fumble.
I won’t lie, the place is absolutely incredible. It didn’t matter how much people commented on my IG stories about how the place is even more beautiful in the season when the sky is clear, I was enchanted nonetheless. Quick check-in and off we went to the heated infinity pool. An order of overpriced cocktails - a Cucumber Margarita for My, and an Apérol Spritz for myself - will perfectly complement the breathtaking scenery. I somehow found myself reminiscing my travel to Ljubljana and Bled Lake amidst the high mountains and the steaming pool. At 260,000 VND per drink, we couldn’t possibly get to the point of feeling “steamy” ourselves. After the swim, we headed to the main lodge’s lounge around 4:00 pm for a complimentary mulled wine and cookies - the perfect setup to enjoy a book by the fireplace. We had dinner at the resort restaurant - just one floor above the lounge - where I found myself impressed with the quality of the gastronomy.
Appetizers
Pumpkin soup to warm up our souls
Fresh coleslaw chicken salad
Main Courses
Beef Loc Lac
Kung Pao Chicken
Dessert
Fresh fruits
It was just perfect. Not that there were any other options around, provided the remoteness of the resort. We were pretty much obligated to either eat at the restaurant or starve. Lucky for us, the kitchen received my stamp of approval. Hats off to the chef!
The next day, an early wake-up at 6:30 am in order to enjoy the pool right at its 7:00 am opening. Nothing better than a hot cappuccino to start the day. Even better when enjoyed from a heated pool with a dramatic view of green mountains and rice paddies. Had this been Colombia, I’d believe myself in a Folgers commercial. Moments after we left the pool for breakfast, a large group of kids joined. We could hear them yell all the way from the main cabin where we had breakfast. The early bird catches the worm. We caught up with two of my colleagues and counterparts from the factory-side who also happened to stay on the resort. I guess we are all fall in the same category, according to the Facebook advertising algorithm.
About two (2) hours left before the shuttle bus drives us back to town. We decided to go on a small walk just outside the resort. Right out of the gate (literally!), a group of Hmong women awaited us with large smiles. While the conversation started in a very casual way, we all knew the main purpose of them approaching us. They were hoping to sell us souvenirs in the attempt to earn money for their household. We got it out of the way right from the start and promised to buy from them a few handicrafts. This early announcement shifted the conversation and made it more enjoyable. As we followed the path bordering the valley, our newly acquired security detail escorting us around taught us a great deal about them and their lifestyles. While the Hmong women saw in us an opportunity to practice their rudimentary English, we learned at what age they all got married, how many kids they have, and who is related to whom. As you can imagine, they all got married in their early twenties and now have at least two (2) grown kids each, sometimes four (4), even five (5). Life tends to progress much faster in remote areas, and there is often nothing much to do after dark. One thing’s for sure, I was absolutely charmed by the beauty of their traditional outfits and couldn’t help but take pictures. Most played along by showcasing their prettiest smiles. Time was running out and we’d better increase the pace to catch the shuttle bus. I felt a little bad, as it seemed like we were trying to lose them behind. Though, we did explain that we were going to be late and still left them with the few sales we had promised them. Hopefully, they understood. This interaction with the native people of the Vietnamese mountainous areas was probably the most interesting part of the journey. It was much better to see them in their natural environment, rather than running into them in the city center, where their toddlers spend the whole day running behind tourists to sell them souvenirs. Another six-hour (6) bus ride awaits us to reach Hanoi. We will reach the capital city quite late, around 10:00 pm without a chance to have dinner. Let’s see what we can find to comfort us from this long ride.