Vietnam: Sapa Town & Ba Ha Market

I didn’t know what to expect about Sapa but I was pleasantly surprised upon arrival.

Getting to Sapa is easy: 1 overnight train to Lo Cai and an hour and a half trip up the winding mountain.  The trip up the mountain is gorgeous and perfectly picturesque - lush mountains are covered in bright green rice terraces.

CREEP ALERT:  1st overnight train: I swore they were trying to make a popsicle out of me and an old Chinese women kept staring at me from across the other bunk in the dark.  How do I know? I did the pretend one eye sleep bit.  I was a little too creeped out to relax all the way.

2nd overnight train: we met two brothers traveling together through Vietnam. Homeboy go comfy and stripped down to his boxers, I was just happy he covered up despite how hot it was.

We were lucky enough to arrive on Sunday, the only day that the Ba Ha market is open. This is a festive occasion where a number of communities come together, some people traveling for over 4 days to get to the market: Flower H’mong, Black H’mong, Zai, & Red H’mong.  All day long the market is packed – starting at 5 am until 4 pm.

What can you buy at the market: anything from standard items like clothes, food, and houseware items to water buffalo, puppies, chickens, pigs, birds, snakes – you name it, they have it.

Oh to be a Hmong man...

Apparently the Hmong men gather and drink and drink until they pass out. If a man doesn’t drink it means he isn’t a good man because he has no friends. Once drunk and passed out the women will sometimes hold an umbrella over him until he wakes up and is ready to leave.

Although it was 9 am in the morning we were invited twice to partake in the festivities and drink up.  If you thought whiskey was strong think again – their corn alcohol is called the the dragon that breathes fire into your throat.  Ouch!

Our first taste of the corn based alcohol was with an elderly Flower Hmong who giggled as she held up the bottle cap for us to taste.  Our faces must have said everything because she & her cronies laughed hysterically at our reaction.

On our second tasting, we were invited into the tailor shop owned by a friend of our guide.   First she offered us tea.  After the first cup she brought out a bottle of mooshine that she  had aged for over two years! 1 shot, 2 shots later and then another with her husband had us a bit tipsy!