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marylcony · 7 years

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Story of how I almost died and returned in time

After spending few wonderful days cruising in Halong Bay and resting at the beautiful coast of Cat Ba Island, completely different experience was ahead us. Mountains of breathtaking north region famous as "Sapa".

Sapa is actually a city lying among of hills and terraced rice fields. Views there are supposed to be breathtaking, although the city is quite often hidden in the fog. Nevertheless, this part of the Vietnam is truly a special experience.

I was looking forward going north probably too much. Too much excitement is never good and I ended up with travel sickness. My stomach was floating, I spent quite a lot of time at the toilet, plus I was really weak after not eating at all. And 8 hours bus ride to the mountains ahead! Moreover the bus company we took was the disaster itself.

The deadly bus ride

Not only they sold more tickets than seats, so some tourists ended up lying at the floor between the seats, the bus driver decided to stop for each-one passing by. So, once the driver spotted someone standing near the road, he stopped and asked if he/she needs a ride. Can you imagine how annoying it was? Luckily for me, the bus has a toilet so I was rescued.

The sickness wasn't unfortunately getting any better so once we arrived to the Sapa, I was exhausted and my stomach still dangerously floating. And the idea of trekking whole day made it all just worst. Fortunately, our local guide was just sweetheart. Unfortunately I don't remember her name, but she was sister-in-law of Mao, who is probably one of the most famous guides in Sapa. She comes from Sapa minority called Black Hmong. We were to soon find out, that these people are the most sincere, generous and friendly people we have ever met.

Lets call our young guide Susie, I slightly remember, that could be her English name (cause the Vietnamese one was impossible to pronounce for us). First of all, Susie took us for a breakfast. You cannot start the whole day trekking with an empty stomach...Ha, what an experience the breakfast was! If you weren't at the market in Sapa, you didn't see anything in your life!

Trekking in Sapa- dying in the mountains

Let's get it straight. You can choose almost every meal there! And I mean it. The smell there is not any better and you can imagine what it was doing with my stomach. So I just went with the plain rice together with my mother. My resilient father had some strange looking meat and soup, which he told us tasted awesome. I was looking tired at my rice and couldn't imagine how I would make it that day...

Soon after we started our trekking. Me, my mum, dad, our local guide Susie and one American girl. She was nice, maybe too much talkative and all cheer up style, but I put all my energy focusing on my survival. Days before when I was organizing our trip in Sapa with local travel agency from Hanoi, I chose the harder trek for us. The easier one was supposed to be full of tourists. Now, feeling like a complete shit, I was cursing myself for that choice.

The beginning of the trek was the hardest. To reach the mountains and the small villages there, we had to climb up first. And it was really just climbing steeply up. Fortunately Susie soon understood my condition and made a lot of breaks but we had to continue to make it till the dark.

Honestly, I really thought I am going to die, especially at the beginning when climbing up. I didn't take any photos just focused on my steps and try to restore my last energy. Finally, after about 2 and 1/2 hours we made it up, reaching some hill on the top, so we can enjoy beautiful scenery. The temperature wasn't so hot and there was a little breeze so I managed to breath steadily again. I wasn't able to make photos still, but at least I was able to enjoy the scenery and view.

The best Pho Chay of my life

After the short break we continued walking towards our lunch. Vision of lunch made me little bit more optimistic and maybe I started smiling a little. But only till we met some local children. They were barefoot, wearing some dirty old clothes, selling some colourful bracelets. They knew some few sentences in English like "Buy from me”, or “Three for two". Heartbreaking. I must confess, I felt sorry for them although I knew that it is not right. Our guide Susie didn't seem to be anyhow distracted by them, as it was a common part of her reality.

After some time we reached our lunch stop. Building in the middle of the mountains with sheet roof and colourful plastic chairs. Locals together with tourists enjoying their lunch. Honestly, I was little bit suspicious at the beginning, but the hunger was stronger.

I chose a vegetarian Pho and we shared it with my mum. It was a huge bowl with a tons of veggies and rice noodles, so it was more than enough for both of us. And, it was so delicious! Seriously, it was the best Pho Chay I have ever had! Hot, fresh, delicious taste and smell. Wau.

Susie, strongest girl I have ever met

We spent about an hour there, eating and resting a while, our young guide Susie chatting cheerfully with other locals, mainly tour guides as well. As I became later understand, Susie was somewhere about my age, 25 or something, married to the brother of Mao, so far no children, working as a travel guide in Sapa and learned her English only from the foreigners! Wau. I was amazed. Her English wasn't the best neither fluent...but still we were able to communicate, have a decent chat and she understood almost everything! It was unbelievable.

Susie was dressed in the national costume of the Black Hmongs, consisting of rock, blouse, everything in dark colours with beautiful embroidery. Everything of course made by hand. They dye the fabrics themselves with some local herbs, which is why they have constantly little bit blue fingers. Every time we made a break for a while, Susie took out some fabric and did embroidery.

She was making her a new scarf, never resting a while. I cannot forgot how beautiful she was, the combination of friendly playful eyes full of kindness and warm, welcoming smile. She was supposed to be around my age, but I could feel from her eyes, she's much more mature than me. I felt little bit ashamed- how I am pitting myself while my life is so much easier than hers!

Returning in time...back to my grandma stories

The lunch and great meal gave me little bit energy, so I was able to start chatting with our company and look around me more. We reached the top of some mountains, going more straight than up. We were crossing some rice fields, local villages or rather say some colonies. I had a feeling, that I returned in time. I felt like in stories of my grandma, when she was telling us, how it was in the first half of 20st century right before 2 WW, when she was young child.

“We were 9 children, but only 3 of us made it till adulthood. We didn't have too much, but luckily we had a huge garden, grew many vegetables and fruits and bred poultry and pigs. As children we didn't have any shoes, we went everywhere barefoot, there was no washing machine at that time, so we made laundry in the nearby river or stream,” her tales resonated in my head. It was like I was living my grandma stories. People in the north Sapa were living the life from her stories...

The simple house of love and joy

We reached the house of Mao, where we were supposed to sleep in the night. I must say, I was so happy, tired and nostalgic at the same time. Looking at my mum, I knew she was having the same thoughts about my grandma stories as me. She has passed away just 2 years before and it was still a heartbreaking and sad memory for both of us. But being there, in the Black Hmongs village, somehow didn't make it sad, but on the contrary. We became quite cheerful, greeting with Mao and her old parents.

Mao and her parents immediately started taking care of us. They brought us warm fresh herbal tea and water and showed us their amazing ad beautiful handmade products. Scarfs, jackets, rocks, blouses, all sewed, dyed and embroidered my themselves! They also showed us handmade jewellery, which was done by the old man. They didn't know too much of English, but we understood each other.

I was amazed in what humble but still beautiful place they live. Their house was completely wooden just the roof was from the asbestos wavy sheets. With the no thermal insulation between the roof and the walls, we were shocked, how they can make it during the winter, when the weather drop down normally to minus 5 degrees Celsius or maybe more. Their house may looked simple, but it was nice, tidy, with traditional style, western toilet and shower with even hot water.

Later that evening we had a wonderful dinner prepared my Mao´s niece. She was just 15, but prepared the whole dinner by herself! And I must confess, even after the stomach sickness, I couldn't resist the delicious food. Mao and her family didn't want to have a meal with us but we encouraged them to join, so we can eat, talk and enjoy the time together.

Unfortunately we had to say goodbye to Susie, cause she had to return home and still had about 10 km walking ahead! And there I was, complaining about my feet to hurt. After the meal, we shared our home-made schnaps we brought from Slovakia and laughed a lot. It had crossed my mind at that time, that no origins, country, language, nationality, culture or religion is important. When it comes to basics, we are all the same. Just humans, earthlings from one planet.

The darkest darkness and sky with too many stars

Tired from the whole day adventure and sickness I went to bed quite early together with my mum. I felt better but weak, so I better got myself a good rest. We slept right under the roof on they comfortable mattresses with mosquito nests. I fell asleep easily and fast, waking up in the middle of the night with strange feeling in my stomach. And it was a total dark there! Normally, your eyes get used to the dark after some time but...here was just more dark! I made some light with my phone and went to find out bathroom with my mum.

It was a funny experience, cause first, my mum almost fell from the ladder which led from our bedroom downstairs and made a huge noise. Than, I wasn't able to find the exit, cause the main entrance was locked. Luckily we made it to the bathroom just in time. And there I saw it! Actually not at the toilet but outside on the sky! The most beautiful night sky in my life. So many stars! I have never saw so many stars in my whole life. It was then I realized in what kind of light smog we live everyday.

Wondering around rice fields in the rain

In the morning another surprised was waiting for us. Delicious pancakes with local honey and delicious sweet bananas. And of course local herbal tea and coffee. The ideal way to start another trekking! Because it was our last day in Sapa and we still felt little bit tired from the last day, we decided to take it slow. Just some wondering around nearby villages, we visited some rice fields, local church and got completely wet from the sudden rain.

We stopped for a lunch in one restaurant on our way back down to the Sapa town. The restaurant had a small terrace but due to the rain, we were sitting indoors. Right in middle of the living room and bedroom of the owners. There was a big wooden bed without mattress, small wooden chairs, wooden table, big TV and of course WiFi. You get use to this very fast in Vietnam. They may have small and simple houses, but you bet they all have big TV.

After refreshing vegetable Pho, we headed down to the town. We were sad our Sapa journeys had to end, but we were more sad, that we had to travel another 7 hours with that horrible bus company again! Fortunately my stomach sickness seemed to be much better and we found a nice cafe in Sapa town to have a rest in.

While waiting for the bus and resting, we were tired and so full of new experience, that I had a feeling that it would take me at least a week to process everything. But you know, we were traveling and many other exciting places were waiting for us. And honestly, I am not sure, if I have processed it already, even 6 months after our journey. But one thing I am sure: I have to return to Sapa again! If you are ever going to Vietnam, you cannot skip this place either! Because, you know, in Sapa time has stopped and magic happens...

#/.#./;'#Vietnam #vietnameseculture #sapa #Vietnamsapa #sapamountains #blackhmong #ASIA #vietnamesejourney #marylcony #travelcony #travelling #traveller

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