Trekking Sapa via the mud trail

Day #8:
Falling asleep last night, to the sound of nature’s bugs and crickets felt relaxing.  Nature noisy, but completely devoid of urban sounds.  My rest was good, my mosquito net bedding was comfy and I was out the moment my head hit the pillow.  Next morning we all gathered for breakfast– it came as a generous mound of pancakes, bananas and fruit!

By 10:30AM,  a new wave of Hmong women and girls were perched, sewing, waiting, guarding their usual stake out… our guesthouse entrance. This was the case the day before as well, making us all a bit awkwardly reluctant to leave the house, knowing once we crossed, we’d enter tout territory. Those Hmong sure are doggedly persistent.

When breakfast ended, it was time to part ways and rejoin our original groups. It was sad knowing this was my last day trekking and in Sapa. Today I would trek to the next village-departure point to take a bus back to Sapa where I’d leave on the night train to Hanoi. Total bummer. I wished I had done a longer trek and had more time here. This was a retreat  paradise;  the perfect balance of solitude and social for a solo wandering gal!

Tourists, tourists everywhere
The tourist  scene is unavoidable in Vietnam; Sapa is no exception.  As a result, the minority hill tribes have gotten bold with stalking tourists in the effort to sell their crafts. You don’t have to go out of your way to look for them; they’ll find you!

Sapa can also feel like a trekkers’ Disneyland. Whether you’re in town or in the valleys, all feels strangely like a circuit tour, as you run into the familiar faces of travelers you  met in your trekking groups, on the train, in town or on the bus ride over! While everyone has different guides and itineraries, overlapping paths seems to be a consistent norm.  I must have run into an easy 10 people at least 2-3 times. Interesting odds, even for a small town.

Did this take away from the natural beauty of Sapa or the village experience? Not in the least. Despite the throngs of backpackers which file in daily and the disappointing effects of tourism as hill tribe people flock around you for your USD , the idyllic beauty and peace of the land is still pretty remarkable. Furthermore, as a solo traveler it was refreshing to meet mates out and about, jail-broken from the walls of a hostel setting; in a way, Sapa town was a giant backpackers hostel, all of its own!

Mud mud everywhere
Now being monsoon season, I knew trekking in Sapa had the potential to be difficult, slippery and *muddy*. The previous night, it had rained and rocky slopes were slick with sludge pockets. Yikes! The hike’s narrow ledges were caked and mashed over by fellow trekkers and water buffalo (damn, those water buffalo get around!), making each step extremely careful. One of the older tribeswomen, a grandmother wearing rain boots, accompanied our trek, pulling us up and through unreliable  slopes and mud-soaked footing. At some points, she even held my hand and firmly walked me through… these Hmong women are strong!

To make the journey ever more so grueling, it was a crazy hot day! With the heat beating down on us– we hit incline after incline, checkpoint after checkpoint– today’s hiking was the equivalent to taking a sweat shower! Kuh and her fellow tribe entourage however, hiked unfazed.

(above) The first checkpoint station we trekked to;(below) another rest station was at the top of this waterfall.

(above) local trekking guides hang out while their groups eat lunch; (below) me and Kuh

After a challenging and soaked workout, we descended the mountain for lunch at a local cafe. It was time to say Goodbye to my group, my wonderful 3-day trek and to Kuh. So sad…

When I got back to Sapa, I showered in one of the employees’ rooms in the Emotion Hotel. A bit ghetto, but I didn’t care. Between mud and sweat, I needed a bath! Finally clean, I ran into town for some quick shopping and to squeeze in a 30 min foot massage ( sheer heaven!), before catching a group van back to Lao Cai train station and boarding the overnight train to Hanoi. It would be a long train ride, but the familiar social circuit of backpackers who were making their way back to Hanoi with me, would keep me well-conversed along the way!

The corner massage shop I got my foot massages at

Entering Lao Cai Train Station at night