From Lao Cai, we need to travel for about 1 hour to reach Sapa, the former French hill resort. The weather was cold, about 5oC. It was very cold for us, who were caught unaware of the cold weather without bringing along any suitable clothes.
After buffet breakfast at the hotel, we explored the Sapa Market. Ethnic minority people converge from the surrounding countryside to sell their embroidery, silverware and handicrafts and to buy provisions at the market.
Majority Vietnamese are Buddhists. About 20% are Christians. More and more people are having my religion - shui4 jiao4. Standing at the compound of the Catholic Church just next to the Sapa Market, our tour guide, Mr Tan talked about some historical culture of the Sapa people. In those days, young boys and young girls came out and mingled around in the market on Sunday. The boys would play some musical instruments to impress the girls. If the girl liked the boy, she would open her umbrella.
There was a story of "rob-a-wife". If a boy liked a girl, he could take her to his house. The girl would have to stay there for some days before the boy proposed to her parents about the marriage. Phew! Sounds like "kidnap" to me.
After lunch at the hotel, we visited a nearby hill tribe village named the Cat Cat (pronounded as Kat Kat) Village.
It was drizzling in the morning. The temperature plummeted. Without a proper wind breaker, a rain coat could trap heat and keep the body warm. After a tiring journey out in the wild, I love the fireplace at the hotel.
Again, we had dinner at a fancy restaurant. Beer in Vietnam is cheap, compared to Malaysia. 1 US dollar for 1 bottle of beer.
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