Sapa is a gorgeous little town, filled to the brim with members of various ethnic minority tribes that live in these mountains. We spent some time talking to the Black Hmong and then traveled to a small village of the Red Zhao. Of particular fascination to us were the stonecutters who take slabs of rock and turn them into fabulous creations with a hammer and a chisel. Surprisingly, most of the villagers speak very good English--learned from tourists, they say, over the years. No doubt as more and more people come to this area, the hill tribes will be impacted in ways both good and bad--but it is one of the beautiful corners of Vietnam for sure. As we departed we also visited the Chinese border and dreamed of being able to cross. Alas, no Americans allowed to cross over there...
