After an amazing day in Ninh Binh, we went back to Hanoi and freshened up in a hotel, then took an overnight train to the far north, just shy of the Chinese border, to the town of Sapa. The region is famous for both the spectacular views, and the cultures of the ethnic minorities (Check this link) in Vietnam. In this set of pix are a couple from the train (including our guide Trong), big picture views of the valley just below the town of Sapa, a Hmong woman watching a more modern one with her son looking like a soldier, some ducks, and a lot of bamboo…

A pano of the valley below Sapa and a pic of our trekking group…

More of our hike through many terraced hillsides. A group of Hmong women who accompanied us, some kids, etc…

Kids playing in a swimming hole, pigs, bridges, water powered mill, sport court at the hydroelectric plant, restaurants above a fish farm, more landscape…

A school and some classrooms, carving: stone & bamboo, wifi cafe, sleepy meatmonger, hammocks, and some corn…

Buffalo, billiards, cinnamon sticks, ducks, various kids, a new girlfriend, inside the home of some successful cardamom farmers, roof art, papaya, etc…

H’mong woman, cultural carving…

Study Questions:

1. Research Sapa. Where is it, why it is a tourist destination?
2. Research the Hmong. Describe their culture.
3. Research the China-Vietnam border. Discuss the war, tensions, issues, etc.
4. What might you have learned from these pix?