2 Spaniards, 2 Dutchmen, a German, 2 Jews, and 4 Hmongs walk into a bar...
....
....
We're still working on the punch line. Suggestions are welcome. The point is - this sort of happened.
Our last stop in Vietnam was the Sa Pa district in the north. It's mountainous, green, and cool; inhabited by numerous tribes that cultivate the land in large part for rice. We can't explain just how beautiful this place is - something straight out of a fairy tale.
We saw Sapa and its surroundings with a 3-day trek through the region. Tour guides from the local Hmong tribe (Vivi, and her colleague Bee), took us from village to village on foot. The trek was breathtaking but challenging at times because it's rainy season and some of the paths were nearly erased. We waded through streams, walked along rice paddies, climbed through a banboo forest and skipped in fields - so it felt just like New York, except there were fewer tourists.
Each night, we ate dinner with local families and slept in local homestays. On the first night at the homestay, we drank rice wine (aka happy water) with a bunch of people from the group. So, no, it wasn't a bar. But the ethnic composition described above is completely accurate.
Check out these views!
Alina and Jeremy,
Brushing Our Teeth, Even in the Wilderness
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| Arrival after night train from Hanoi was quite sudden. No time to change out of PJs. |
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| Do you see Jeremy? |
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| Jeremy and our pocket-sized guide, Vivi |
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| Some scarecrows protecting the rice paddies |
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| Tiny but persistent salespeople |
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| Mulling corn |
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| Another touch mudder situation |
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| Cute kids hugging |
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| Bamboo forest |
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| We <3 rickety bridges |
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| Tapachki (slippers) at the homestay made us feel very much at home |
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| Making spring rolls |
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| The theme of this picture is: vicious cat attack |
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| Morning stretch. We keep telling you we're athletes. |
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| Hygiene is a thing even in the deep countryside. |
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| The group |
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| First, we identify problems. |
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| And then we eat them for breakfast |
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| Kids who we met on the path and who demanded to be tickled |
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| We obliged |
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| More kiddies! |
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| We have so many friends in Sapa |
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| Reflection, seated |
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| Reflection, standing |
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| Bada$$ hikers |
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| Reflection, seated with umbrella |
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| View from our $13/night hotel |
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| Yep, $13 |
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