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..."