John Harvey Photo

Sapa And Bac Ha

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Topas EcoLodge


Lantern Next To Road
The Ecolodge was our first nights stay.  The EcoLodge is close to Sapa but in a world all it's own.  Given it's name, it tries to minimize it's footprint, both ecologically and socially.  It was actually quite a nice place to stay.

Main Building Of ResortPlace In Sapa


On our day there, we decided to walk down the town village at the bottom of the hill.  We walked through fields and houses on the way down and saw life and agriculture as it is. 

Mountains Around ResortFiber DryingTerraced Fields
 
Small Vegetable PatchVietnamese PigWalking To Local Warm Spring
 
Can Cau Market

Market In AValleyFlower Hmong Girl
I really like markets.  We picked tour that had two markets in two day.  Our first visit was the market in Can Cau.   Can Cau is a small town in a valley that has a market on Saturday morning.  The drive from Sapa was long and we didn't arrive until after most of the market was over.

One Corner Of The Market

The market has three large areas - the good market, a hot food market and a livestock market.  The goods market was dominated by the flower Hmong women known for their extraordinarily colourful costumes.  Further down the hill, the hot food market was dominated by smoke from all the small fires that are used to keep the food hot.

Sampling TobaccoSmoky Food AreaMeats For Soups

Cooking Rice PancakeRice Pancake
We sampled a pounded rice pancake.  Hot, sticky and for about twelve cents, it really hit the spot.


Bac Ha Village

After the Can Cau Market we drove back to Bac Ha, had lunch and then went for a walk in one of the local villages.  This village was a short drive from town but it seemed like a world all on it's own.  We stopped by a local school and found quite a nice classroom, but no kids - at this age, the kids are only in school for half a day.  We found kids playing (and sometimes working) in fields around the village.

Kids In A FieldLetting Down Her HairKids With ABasket Of Feed

Me And My Water Buffalo
My personal favorite was boys with their water buffalos.  These animals are huge and they do have minds of their own, yet these boys will lead their buffalos across fields, sometimes using them as rides, sometimes using them as playthings.

Walking By With My Buffalo


My Guide Making Jokes
After we visited the fields, we walked into the village.  Unlike the markets, the people here are less shy and more open to having their photos taken. 

Loading Up On The Back
 
Market in Bac Ha

Five Eggs In Reeds
The market in Bac Ha is really part of town.  The streets are lined with sellers and there is a section of town that becomes market stalls for one day a week.

Insects For SaleRed Peppers

  Frying Rice

These markets are busy and tourists can be missed in the crowds making it easier to take photos.   We went earlier in the day and I think people were still more optimistic about their sales or aren't tired from a day of selling.  The markets are quite busy and you have to keep aware of the area around you because a cow or motorcycle may be coming up the path behind you.
 


Talking In The MarketYoung Woman With Pink ScarfSmiling Flower Hmong

Being much larger than Can Cau (maybe 4 times larger) you see much of the same thing and several new things.  I saw fish for sale (considering how far we are from the ocean, that surprised me).  There were lots of Chinese manufactured goods - clothes, shoes and some housewares.

Fish Monger  Shaking Hands In StallTrading Colorful Fabric

Always keen to try food, this time we tried a "donut" - a rice ball with sweet beans inside.  They are deep fried and I think they would do very well at the Richmond night market.

Frying Rice DonutsSweet Beans In Fried Rice

Some other Village

Hay Stack With A Pipe
On the way back to Lao Cai we stopped at a river and took a boat up to a show village.  It was rice harvesting season and this village hard large fields that were in the process of being harvested.  The kids were out having fun, but work was getting done.


Harvesting RiceRelaxing With Cut ChaffToll Bridge

Next: Ho Chi Minh City




Sampling Tobacco
Tags: market, smoke, Vietnam
Talking In The Market
Tags: market, portrait, Vietnam
Frying Rice Donuts
Tags: street food, Vietnam
Frying Rice
Altitude: 938m (3077 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: street food, Vietnam
One Corner Of The Market
Altitude: 855m (2805 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: market, textiles, Vietnam
Small Vegetable Patch
Altitude: 445m (1459 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: garden, Vietnam
Trading Colorful Fabric
Tags: market, textiles, Vietnam
Rice Pancake
Tags: street food, Vietnam
Shaking Hands In Stall
Tags: knife, market, street photography, Vietnam
Place In Sapa
Tags: place to stay, Vietnam
Sweet Beans In Fried Rice
Tags: street food, Vietnam
Terraced Fields
Altitude: 410m (1345 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: field, terrace, Vietnam
Smoky Food Area
Tags: market, smoke, Vietnam
Walking To Local Warm Spring
Altitude: 413m (1354 feet)
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Tags: bridge, hot spring, river, Vietnam
Harvesting Rice
Altitude: 156m (511 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: farm, Vietnam
Young Woman With Pink Scarf
Altitude: 913m (2995 feet)
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Tags: Vietnam
My Guide Making Jokes
Tags: baby, Vietnam
Fiber Drying
Altitude: 434m (1423 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: farm, field, terrace, Vietnam
Red Peppers
Altitude: 930m (3051 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: market, peppers, produce, Vietnam
Letting Down Her Hair
Altitude: 954m (3129 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: fire, portrait, Vietnam
Vietnamese Pig
Altitude: 432m (1417 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: farm animal, Vietnam
Toll Bridge
Altitude: 118m (387 feet)
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Tags: bridge, sign, Vietnam
Me And My Water Buffalo
Altitude: 909m (2982 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: farm animal, portrait, Vietnam
Hay Stack With A Pipe
Altitude: 118m (387 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: farm, Vietnam
Walking By With My Buffalo
Tags: farm animal, portrait, Vietnam
Main Building Of Resort
Altitude: 951m (3120 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: place to stay, resort, Vietnam
Lantern Next To Road
Altitude: 659m (2162 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: lantern, place to stay, road, Vietnam
Market In AValley
Tags: market, Vietnam
Kids In A Field
Tags: portrait, Vietnam
Fish Monger
Tags: fish, market, seafood, Vietnam
Flower Hmong Girl
Tags: portrait, Vietnam
Kids With ABasket Of Feed
Tags: portrait, Vietnam
Loading Up On The Back
Tags: Vietnam
Meats For Soups
Tags: market, Vietnam
Insects For Sale
Tags: insect, market, Vietnam
Relaxing With Cut Chaff
Tags: farm, Vietnam
Smiling Flower Hmong
Altitude: 905m (2969 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: portrait, Vietnam
Five Eggs In Reeds
Tags: eggs, market, Vietnam
Cooking Rice Pancake
Tags: cooking, Vietnam
Mountains Around Resort
Altitude: 673m (2208 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: atmospheric perspective, field, mountain, terrace, Vietnam
Tags: Vietnam(40), market(12), portrait(8), street food(4), farm(4), field(3)
From: John Harvey Photo > Trips out of the Country > Vietnam > Sapa And Bac Ha

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Last Modified Saturday, January 21st, 2023 at 23:45:53 Edit
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