Silent Voices from the Valley

During our walk through the countryside Lan and I had the opportunity to talk about a few things - the dinner, the guests, the children. I took the opportunity to inquire about the mute Hmong woman and her child. In spite of the language barrier Lan was able to share their heart-breaking story. 

The woman is nonverbal, she communicates through grunts, outbursts and crude sign language. She was raped by a man. The child is the product of that encounter. She is 21/2 years old, not 1yo as I had thought. According to Lan the child can utter a few words. The woman is not self-sufficient, but totally dependent on the villagers for food and shelter. Lan shared that she has a brother but refuses to live with him and his family.

The woman often comes to the home stay for food; however she comes at odd times when there is no food. She sometimes comes to the house as early as 5am, standing outside yelling waking the hosts and their guests.

A week has passed since I met this woman and child and heard their story. The sadness of their situation resonates deep in my heart. Unlike this country there are no agencies/services available to assist them with their basic needs. They are totally dependent on the generosity of others. It's overwhelming to think about. 


I'm asking for you to intentionally pray for this mother and child.  

Trekkin' with the SAPA SISTAH pt 2 

Everyone was very welcoming at our "home away from home". I'm not sure who lived in the home and how the individuals were related to one another. But the home was busy with activity--women with infants, preadolescent and teenage girls. One of the women was the sister-in-law of our guide, Lan.

We were joined by two other trekkers, a woman from Canada and another from Holland. After initial introductions, we settled in. Leaving our shoes outside, we took our backpacks upstairs to the sleeping loft, an area which could house 10 individuals.

After a long day of trudging through the mud and pounding the pavement in my rubber boots, I was looking forward to taking a hot shower. The bath facilities were located in a little building outside the main house. In one small room a toilet, in the other a sink and a shower nozzle. I discovered quickly the water pressure for the hot water was practically nonexistent,...dribble, dribble, drip, drip. So, my shower was a little disappointing. 

After rinsing off the mud residue we were served the traditional tea. Then the kitchen became busy with preparations for what Lan called a "fried chips" snack. I went into the kitchen to investigate. The kitchen was a small long space, lit only by a small fluorescent fixture. The kitchen 

consisted of a crude wooden table, a fire pit in one corner and a water source with a drain on the other end. A young girl sat by the fire where french fries cooked in oil. Lan was washing cabbage at the water source.  The women moved about like a well oiled machine. It was fascinating and intriguing to watch. 

Lan served the hungry trekkers a bowl of "chips" -- which meant fresh cut french fries with garlic and salt. The 5 of us devoured those things in a matter of minutes.

 

As the sun begin to move towards the horizon, the house buzzed with activity. Babies needed to be fed and dinner was being prepared.

Around 6:00 other people began to arrive. No introductions were made, but we soon realized they were husbands, extended family and friends of our hosts. Evidently they had come for dinner. Dinner was served around 6:30.

Out from the kitchen came bowls and plates of food...Green beans, chicken, pork, tofu, pumpkin, spring rolls, rice...How in the world those women prepared all of that food in that little kitchen and served all of it hot, is a mystery to me. No oven,..no stove,..just a fire. I was fascinated.

While eating dinner the children were quite entertaining.  As the meal progressed a couple of the guys began drinking rice wine and became a little loud and verbose. I was worn out, so Graham and I headed upstairs to our sleeping quarters. 

the Sleeping Loft from my perspective

Unfortunately sleep did not come easily or quickly to either of us. The dinner party on the back porch was loud and there was no way to mask the sound. Finally we both drifted off to sleep.

We all slept late the next morning. Breakfast was "pancakes" (which appeared to be crepes), bananas and honey--they were delicious. Again I was amazed how the crepes were cooked so perfectly in a pan over the fire. They were perfect, as if a chef had prepared them in a fine hotel restaurant. 

After we finished our breakfast a Hmong woman and her child showed up. There was little interaction between the woman and our hosts, I sensed she was a frequent visitor. It became evident this woman was mute; she communicated through grunts and outbursts. She appeared very disheveled, the little girl was very dirty. Initially the little girl was very shy and withdrawn, but became animated and engaging as we interacted. This little girl captured my heart.

She placed her mom's blanket and
carrying pouch on my back

Around 10:00 we donned our packs and rain gear, said good bye to the other trekkers and headed down the road.

Hmong girls waiting for tourist trekkers

Hmong people are known for their hand-made dark indigo clothing. The material is made from hemp, the stalks of marijuana. "We not smoke leaves, you understand?"

Women use the stalks to spin into fibers.

The fibers will be dyed a dark indigo, dried, then woven into cloth.

Hmong women adorn their clothing with colorful designs, like this crosstitch which was affixed to Lan's jacket.

This was the largest group of people we had seen working together in the fields.
Lan commented it was probably family and neighbors helping one another.

Lan shopping for a snack,..Oreos and caramel chews.

Lan pointed out her parents' home in the village.

Jordan and Graham at the waterfall

As we came to the end of our trek I wanted a visual idea of the area we had covered. I asked Lan to mark my map. It was then that I realized how much of the area we did not see. I shared my thoughts with Lan, she responded, "You come back, I take you everywhere. We see everything." I wish, Lan,..I wish.

the valley

A car and driver met us in the village and transported all of us back into Sapa. As we walked through town back to our hotel, we heard a drum and saw what appeared to be a parade. Lan explained that it was a funeral procession.

The grieving family members were covered in a thin fabric or gauze .

Graham and I thoroughly enjoyed our time in Sapa. Michelle had highly recommended the Sapa Sisters. We were not disappointed. 

I hated to see our time with Lan come to an end. Lan was a delightful young woman, very engaging and sincere. I admired her desire to create a different life for herself and other Hmong women. 

About the Sapa Sisters:

Sapa Sisters was started in 2009. Prior to this time  four Hmong women were working as guides for various Vietnamese run hotels and tour companies, getting paid a pathetically small percentage of the profits. In 2009 they met Radek Stypczynski, a painter and visual artist from Poland/Sweden. Radek, having seen and heard first hand the difficulties of young Hmong women, in particular, finding decent jobs and wages in Sapa began collaborating with the Girls on a venture that could be self-sustaining and operated almost entirely independent of outsider assistance. The idea was simple: a Trekking company operated by the girls with no middle-man i.e. tourist operators or hotels; Radek would set up a website that could connect travelers with their guides as well as help communication between travelers and guides as the the girls cannot read or write English (although their spoken English is excellent)... Thus the beginning of SAPA SISTERS.

What initially started with 4 women has grown to 15+ guides.

An article recently published in a Hanoi magazine:

About Lan:  

Lan Do is an independent 27 year old woman who is one of the original Sapa Sisters. She was raised in Lao Chai not far from Sapa. Lan is a single woman, which is very rare in the Hmong culture, most girls in her village are married by 18 or 19. "My parents would like for me to marry but I like my job. I like taking care of myself." Two weeks prior to our trek together a man (that she knew) kidnapped her. "He was strong. His parents and brother-in-law helped him. I told him I did not want to be with him."

Lan hopes to come to visit the United States. "I already have my passport. Maybe I come see you..." 

  

Trekking with a Sister in Sapa

We were to meet our guide, Lan at 9am the next morning in the hotel lobby. I decided to get up early, 6ish so that I would be packed and ready before breakfast. I went to set my alarm and realized I had left my phone (my pseudo alarm clock) in Hanoi. So, I made a call to the front desk which went something like this..
Me: "Could I have a wake-up call at 6:00?"
Front Desk: unintelligible Vietnamese
Me: "Could someone call me on the phone at 6:00 to wake me up?"
Front Desk: "hmm...." unintelligible Vietnamese
Me: "Someone at the desk call me, at 6:00?"
Front Desk: 6:00?
Me: "Yes"
Front Desk: quiet Vietnamese words
Me: "Alarm clock, I don't have one. I need to wake-up at 6."
Front Desk: "Yes"
Me: "Someone call me?"
Front Desk: "No..." unintelligible Vietnamese
CLICK. End of conversation.

*A mental note - Always bring your phone whether it works in a foreign country or not.

Since we had no means of an alarm, I opened my eyes every hour to look at my watch,...Not ideal for one who needs a good nights sleep before trekking off in to the Vietnamese backcountry... 

Graham, Jordan and I were in the lobby by 8:45. At 9:05 a 4'10" (if that) woman dressed in traditional Hmong attire wearing rain boots, toting a pink backpack and carrying an umbrella walked in the door. She greeted us warmly. We made our initial introductions. Lan had a sweet smile and a child-like infectious laugh. She spoke fairly good English and seemed glad to see us.

Before we departed she told us we would need rain boots,..all of us. "We get rubber boots for you." I replied that we didn't mind getting our shoes wet. "Everything is muddy,..lots of water, very slippery. You get your shoes very muddy." I didn't like the thought of getting my walking shoes muddy but I really didn't like the idea of walking 18km in rubber boots. Jordan, our Eagle Scout was wearing hiking shoes, so he declined. Lan stressed "We go by guest house, we get your boots." I told her I would think about it.

It was raining so we donned our rain gear and back packs and off we went into the street...The Sapa Sister and her three sojourners.

Lan, Our Sapa Sister
I'll tell you more about Lan and the Sapa Sister organization later.

As we began walking Lan inquired about our likes. "You like cheese, pork, bread, tomatoes, fruit? You eat? We go to market." The market was a busy place. Lan moved quickly among the food vendors always saying to us, "You wait, I buy food." Then she would hand off her umbrella and begin her transactions; she was shopping for our lunch. 


Once the items were purchased and packed in her small backpack, she turned to me and said, "We go by Guest House for rubber boots." (I was not convinced this was a good idea.) When we arrived, there were other trekkers renting rubber boots. Graham took one look at the boots and declined. I began to ask more questions,...'Can I wear them over my sneakers?', 'How muddy is muddy?', 'Can I take my sneakers adjust in case?'... Lan convinced me that the boots were the right option. I tied my shoes to my backpack and off we went...

As we moved out of the city, it didn't take us long to realize, we were not alone. There were many trekkers heading out of the city,...and many Hmong women and young girls walking along side or following. "Helloooo", "What your name?", "Where you from?" Lan did not engage in conversation with them, she just kept walking and so did we...

The rain was pelting down, the clouds were low obscuring the vistas,...my hair was out-of-control, not a stitch of make-up on my face, I was wearing teal rubber boots...but we were walking in this beautiful place on the other side of the world with these precious people. Priceless.

  As we walked out of  town...

Beneath a canopy of bamboo

Hmong women carry their young children on their backs

Young boys tending to their family's water buffalo

This was something we encountered alot on our journey around Sapa. Hmong children selling small ribbon-like bracelets. If you bought a bracelet from one child, the others would swarm around saying "buy from me?" If I had had the money and the time, my arm would have been draped in bracelets. It was heart breaking. (Note: Two of the children in the background are carrying their siblings on their back.)

About 30 minutes into our journey we came to a crossroads (of sorts). Lan informed us we could stay on the road or take the path. I looked at my young, robust, young male companions, they looked back at me replying, "It's up to you..." Oh great,..What a decision. Here we were in Northern Vietnam, almost China,..we have signed up for this trek,..I've got 2 physically fit young men with me...Am I going to "wimp out" or go for the adventure? Lan knew the path option would be tough for this ole gal. She kept asking me "Are you ok with muddy path?", "We go easy", "Once we go muddy trail, too far to turn around"..."Are you sure?"

Let's do this,...here we go! 

At this point we have two Hmong women accompanying us, both are dressed in traditional Hmong attire. One says she is my age, she knows alittle English and is wearing rubber boots. 

The other is much older with few teeth, she doesn't appear to know much English, she smiles alot and is wearing plastic flipflops and socks. Little did I know how invaluable these women would become.

The first part of the path was downhill and rocky,... very rocky. I felt every sharp edge underneath my little rubber soles. (I'm seriously questioning my rubber boot decision.) In spite of the discomfort I was dodging the mud and feeling confident about my ability to tackle this off-road adventure.

Our FEARLESS Leader, LAN

But soon the rocks became almost nonexistent, the trail turned to mud, not just any mud,..deep and thick ooey, gooey mud.  As we navigated the muddy slopes, the Hmong women didn't leave my side. They were within arm's length.

As we walked, the rain ceased and the clouds began to dissipate providing us with our first glimpse of the beautiful countryside. It was a nice reprieve from the mud.

Rice terraces

For the next 6km we navigated steep, sometimes narrow paths with lots of mud. My Hmong sidekicks were right beside me every step of the way. If I slipped they caught me, if the climb was steep, they supported me. These ladies were amazing. Their grasps were firm, their feet somehow firmly planted and their holds were strong as steel. 

At one point the trail was on the edge of a steep drop-off, one misstep on the muddy edge and you would've gone down,..way down. Before I could begin to problem-solve this treacherous climb.The women simultaneously turned my body towards the slope, each grabbed a hand and walked me step-by-step up the precarious path, even guiding me through some untrodden vegetation. At one point when making an elevated step, the ground gave way and gravity was taking control. Before I could react, my #1 Sidekick (the older woman with few teeth wearing flip flops) had my arm, she pulled with such force and intensity, I thought she was going to throw me on her back. I said to Lan, "I thought she was going to try and carry me." Lan replied, "She can do that..."


After the treacherous climb I was relieved to hear we were approaching a clearing, a place to rest. As I came over the ridge I noticed Graham being bombarded by the children. (Poor guy.) 

While drinking my water, Lan sat down beside me and asked "How you like boots?" I replied, "I love these boots. You're a smart woman." She laughed. "How is Graham?" I replied, "Graham is wishing he had some boots." 

After a brief rest it was time to hit the trail again. The views were spectacular.

My lens wasn't wide enough...

The areas surrounding Sapa are well known for their rice terraces. Can you imagine the time and effort it took to create these planting areas, not to mention to maintain them year after year? In addition the farmers have designed ingenious ways to irrigate these terraces.

As were walked through the countryside we observed many villagers working in the field. Lan informed us that it was rice planting time. "Everyone is very busy." The farmers will harvest the rice in August/September (which was very different from the other areas we had visited in Vietnam).

A farmer and his family preparing the terraces and planting the rice seedlings.

Planting

Adolescent girl transporting the seedlings prior to being planted

As we came off the muddy trail, we noticed a gathering on the road up ahead. Trekkers, Hmong guides and others had found a water source. All were taking turns rinsing the mud off of their shoes, legs, arms, hands... Some people had fallen in the mud and were a mess. 

I, for one, was glad to leave the worst of the mud behind. I sensed I was not alone. Lan told us we were approximately 20 min from the village, which meant LUNCH. Thus, we began the descent into the village. 

I'm not sure why these Hmong women had congregated in this area but they were enjoying their social time.

This young woman was tending her water buffalo
on the side of the road.

This little boy was the happiest little rascal,
smiling at everyone.

As we approached the village Lan directed us to the cafe. The cafe was bustling with trekkers and their Hmong guides, as well as villagers selling their wares. Lan advised us to go downstairs where it's "quiet and not crazy". As soon as we unloaded our backpacks, she disappeared. She returned shortly with an appetizing spread of food--warm baguettes, ham, cheese, egg, tomatoes, cucumbers and a variety of fresh fruit. We enjoyed the food, relaxation and great conversation. After an enjoyable lunch Lan told us we had about 2 hours until we reached our "home stay". So, we grabbed our water and hit the trail.

It was not unusual to see dogs in the village. Most of them did not seek human interaction, but this little buddy was different. He was a cutie and really took to Graham.

As we moved from one village to another we caught a glimpse of Hmong life...

Teenage girls doing what teenage girls do...

Children playing..

Young children missing their mommies, who were working in the field. 

As we walked I asked Lan many questions about the life of the Hmong people. As we approached a terrace, she said in a hushed voice, "this family waited too late." (I wasn't sure what she was referring to). I looked at her. She pointed to a group of flooded, but empty terraces. She explained, "you can plant early, you can plant on time. But if you are late because you are lazy, you will have no rice." I asked how they will survive without rice. She said she didn't know, possibly depending on the generosity of other family or neighbors. "Not good to be lazy. They will be sorry".

As we came down a hill we noticed a young boy struggling to get up the hill on his bicycle. Jordan quickly reacted and pulled him up the hill,…the little boy seemed thrilled and rode on down the road.  

We arrived to our home stay around 3:30. The three of us were joined by 2 other trekkers -- a girl from Canada and one from Holland. None of us had ever experienced a "home stay" before,…but as I have experienced in Vietnam, "be prepared for the unexpected".

Stay tuned. The adventure continues...