Fantastic routes Bac Ha – Hoang Su Phi – Ha Giang – Dong Van – Lan Ha (continuation of episode 1)

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Trip of couple Anne-Marie and Christian AUDE with the local agency Vietnam Evasion

From September 20, 2019 to October 2, 2019

Tour : Hanoi – Bac Ha – Hoang Su Phi – Ha Giang – Dong Van – Meo Vac – Lung Phin – Lan Ha Bay

Continuation of Episode 1: Meeting the ethnic groups of the northern mountains

After the market of Can Cau, a new hike of 3 hours awaits us in the afternoon, on the heights of Bac Ha through Hmong villages and rice fields.

We meet several nice people, especially children

We also meet 2 sponges (there are some in all the countries) well soaked with alcohol of rice which absolutely want to make us taste their beverage… we will refuse politely.

The houses of these lost villages show the poverty, which is not yet too obvious towards Bac Ha, it will be much poorer further north (we will often see young children naked, the older ones with ragged clothes).

By the way, we had brought some clothes that we were happy to give (through Vinh discreetly, this situation being embarrassing for us) in a really poor village towards Yen Minh. Maybe a tip for future travelers in this region.

The next day, our hotel being 100m from the Bac Ha market, we can be there from 7:30 am before the arrival of buses from Sapa around 9-9:30 am

At the beginning we are only a few tourists to go through it, then it is the affluence, which completely changes the atmosphere.

Even if I am the first one to take out my camera (do not forget that I am a tourist), we take time to exchange with the saleswomen, we buy some fruits to some, we taste a product of the other one, etc, while many tourists coming to the day have only the time to cross the market in the pace by machine-gunning.

These small mauve balls made us envy… and it is indeed excellent

They are made with taro flour, which is a tuber

We have not tasted, root ? vegetable ?

Although very interesting, this market is much less “typical” than the one of Can Cau the day before because of its situation in the mountain, of the quasi totality of the inhabitants in traditional clothes and of the absence of tourist (like all the tourists we like to be the only tourists).

What happiness to admire all these women. In how long will they all wear jeans and Nike T-shirts like everyone else?

Fascinated by all these ethnic groups, I systematically noted their names (thanks Vinh) to be able to match them to my photos. Unfortunately I lost this precious paper.

Yesterday evening, I sent my photos to Vinh, and this morning I had his answer with the name of each of them (the guide was good, the service is excellent)

Here are some nice encounters at the Bac Ha market:

Colorful Hmong

Giay ethnic group:

Flower Hmong

As always in these regions, meat and fish are waiting for the customer in the heat: fortunately, at each meal in a gargote, one does not think about the origin of the ingredients !