Asher feeling Ok - he had a little breakfast which he kept down. We decided we'd stick to our plans for at the start of the trip or after 10k's we might have access to a motorbike to take him somewhere if he got tired or sick. Our trek began at 8am as we met our guide, San, at the tourist office. From here we were transported to the start of our trek just outside of Sapa on the main road adjacent to farm land - mainly rice paddies here. Within a few minutes we were crossing our first bridge embracing rotting timber planks with many cautious steps - luckily it wasn't too high off the ground as we saw through the gaps! And after this we spotted our trail for the next few hours - climbing to the saddle of the soaring mountain ahead of us. We had picked a trek with the first day involving 17 k's of walking and were told it wasn't easy but not hard either. Well, it was straight up hill for 2-3hours non-stop. Muscles all over my legs were straining at their overuse however the scenery of farmlands and the Black H'mong people at work easily took our minds of it. We were worried about Asher, having been sick last night, but he managed tremendously as did Ni'mah. There were no complaints, but there were a couple of stops to get our breaths back. This was the most amazing day for me out of our whole trip so far - it's the Vietnam I wanted to see- the traditional people in their colourful and creative dress with weather-beaten faces and eyes gleaming with laughter lines. Some people, especially children, were wary of us to the point where you may read them as being rude while others were interested in us too. It was awkward as we passed groups working on the land or with their children squatting in rough timber doorways as we didn't know whether to acknowledge them or not - they never made the first move. I always nodded and when it felt right said "hello" - the one word everyone understands even here in the mountains where they don't have Vietnamese as a first language but there own traditional tongue with over 100 languages in the area. Quite often I would have no reply as they stared back but we got used to it and kept trying. Younger Mothers with children were the friendliest trying to get their shy children to say, "hello,' back. We passed many animals also, getting up close and personal with buffaloes of all sizes and colours as well as pigs, chickens, ducks and geese. We kept our distance from the dogs as they seemed territorial and we did have a few growls as we passed in close proximity to the hut homes of the locals. San was always looking out for us and would hold the kids hands when necessary in rough terrain as well as when passing grumbling canines. The women seemed to be working the hardest in the fields, like the rest of Vietnam, we've seen many women assigned to the tough labour especially with building being the ones who are behind the wheelbarrows of concrete etc. In the rice paddies and gardens the Mum's left their young to play by their sides to amuse themselves. For lunch we stopped at San's favourite rock (close to reaching the saddle) and he pulled out a picnic lunch of baguettes, salad and omelette followed by a variety of fruits. It was immensely welcome. While resting we saw our first group of travellers who had stayed at a nearby village overnight and were now walking to a different trail to us to get a moto back to town. A young girl nearby, probably younger than Nim, was wandering around with a crying baby strapped to her back, responsible for her while the Mum was out working. She seemed to be in the middle of nowhere but not lost. TO BE CONTINUED....
After lunch we continued at a much more relaxing pace and on much more even ground which was a relief as getting hot and tired despite the cooler weather. Unfortunately the views were only occassional and we couldn't see far as the clouds would roll in quickly which were mystical and refreshing. I can imagin ethe views on a clear day of all the mountains and rice paddies would be breathtaking. San, our guide, being from area new some people and stopped to talk to a gorgeous (Nepalese-looking) man who was fossicking for gold in the river - see the photo of him with his pot of 3 days work - probably not worth much - as there was little and it was just dust. As we descended our last path we saw a couple of schools and one road of stall/shops. We stoped in the kindy school and San ran around polaying with a ring and stick with the children. Our kids had a go - one of those things that looks easier than it is. Then we reached the road which, to our surprise, had a string of tourist minibuses - after all that hard work others had reached the same place in probably less than an hour. We were a bit disappointed but were told they all left by 3pm and they did. All of a sudden we were alone in "Ga Giang" (???)-with a few other trekkers in nearby homestays- with our wobbly suspension bridge over a clear inviting stream filled with washer women and a few Dads and sons trying to catch some crabs from under rocks. The kids had fun running around as the local youngsters were returning down a steep goat track with heavy cane backpacks filled with lengthy pieces of timber. Men were follwoing with timber beams on their shoulders - and they all looked content and happy! Our homestay was not really a homestay as our guide took off after dinner (it was his son's birthday???) and there was no family! The house was owned by a family but they lived in their own house so this was really just a tousit set-up. The owner stayed and made us a delicious feast with a choko dish, chicken stir fry, pork stir fry, rice which followed an entree of french fries! The owner was replaced by his son who also spoke no English so feeling a little awkward we retire early in the loft on our floor matresses safely cocooned in mosquito nets.
