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: Traditional Notions

Day Four - Motorbiking across NW Vietnam Mountains: Into the Heart of Darkness

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Day Four brought brought some of the most colorful and nicest minorities we met on the trip. It also brought us to the highest altitude on the trip, as we crossed over Fansipan, Vietnam's (as well as Indochina's) tallest peak. Not only was crossing Tram Ton Pass a physical crossing, but a metaphorical one as well, for the other side of the mountain gave us a glimpse of what might be in store for this mountainous region as development and tourism increases.

We woke up in the morning and had our typical meager breakfast of an option between bread and egg or bread and butter and jam (and, of course, Vietnamese options... but while I like pho and congee, I really can't have them for breakfast). The ride through the morning was "same-same but different" as the locals here like to say: more spectacular vistas, more incredible montagnards. But I think the montagnards through this area were more friendly and ok with pictures, especially some of the kids.

And we finally found the actual, real Lai Chau. This was another Apocalypse Now moment... as you wander through the middle of nowhere, you suddenly come to a vast settlement that you wonder how and why it ever got there. In Lai Chau, there is a huge brand-spanking new development with huge Party buildings and broad avenues adorned with hammer and sickles. And some sort of giant Yamaha promotional rally. Strange.

But after that it was back to the middle of nowhere. Along the way I got flagged over by four betel nut chewing ladies, who were very curious about me, my belly, and my bike. They all had black teeth, which is the result of chewing betel nut. And they laughingly tried to convince me that I needed a "madame" and that I should choose one of them to take with me on my bike back to Hanoi. Black teeth not being the least of it, I declined.

Shortly thereafter was Fansipan. At 10,215 feet, Fansipan is Vietnam's highest peak. As we approached it loomed ominously in the distance under heavy rain clouds. We rode up up up in drizzling rain for what seemed like a lot more than 10,000 feet (even though we only climbed maybe two or three thousand), until we reached the peak.

Here's a video taken while riding up to Fansipan peak.

Besides the Irish Ladies and European Couple, this was our first contact with foreigners. On the other side of the mountain is Sa Pa, which was kind of our destination and the temporary residence of hordes of tourists. Many of them rent motobikes for a few hours or take a xe om (motobike taxi with a driver) over the mountain. This was our first bit of culture shock: while we were coming from places where there are no tourists, we were amazed to run into them. But they were from a place where tourists are congregated, and generally probably just thought we were very dirty tourists. We had to adjust our mindset from being on some epic journey and accept the reality that around here we were just another pair of backpackers to both the locals and the foreigners.

We started our descent towards Sa Pa, only to be cut short by some road repairs that stopped us from crossing for an hour or so. Then we were on our way again, and reached Sa Pa in the early afternoon, checked into the Green Bamboo Hotel (3 stars!), and got some grub, as we had not had lunch yet. The food was magnificent: five flavor pork. Mmmmm.

Sa Pa is definitely beautiful. It is one of the most scenic places we have been: Fansipan is amazing, the valley is amazing, and the position of the town on the mountain across the valley from Fansipan and the European architecture makes for scenic spot. There is a reason it is a big tourist draw.

But still, we were a bit overwhelmed by the commercialism and number of tourists. It was kinda like wandering through the Altiplano for days on end and then suddenly ariving in Cuzco. We really felt like walking wallets. Around Son La, a bia hoi refused to charge us the six and a half cents we owed for two beers; here, there were some mildly violent reactions when we refuse to buy things from some of the sellers. Everything was directed by the locals towards extracting money from foreigners: kids demanding a dollar for taking their picture, crazy touts on motorcycles that follow you around and try to get you to go to their hotel and won't take no for an answer, sixty year old Hmong ladies that ask in perfectly pronounced English "Marijuana for smoking? Opium? Pretty girl for full massage?"

Of course, none of this is different from any other place where tourists congregate. But after seeing the friendly, proud and hard-working (if often poor) Montagnards in the countryside be transformed into money grubbing vendors in Sa Pa, it was difficult to appreciate the place. Hence my title: If there were to be a Heart of Darkness in our trip, it was here in Sa Pa, where the modern world meets the traditional one.

But, we bucked up and did our best to enjoy it nonetheless. We checked out the market, where we saw both food (such as the poor little puppy and his intestines) and traditional handicrafts (like the Dao ladies below). We only browsed, telling everyone that maybe we would buy tomorrow.

After dinner and checking out the town at night, we went back to the hotel and watched documentaries about tribal warfare in Papua New Guinea and another about the Pitcairn Island ritual child abuse and the subsequent British trial on the Australia Network (cable rocks!). Both were very good. Then we went to bed and gathered strength for our final full day.

Full photoset available here. Try to check out the slideshow.

Full post as published by Traditional Notions on July 23, 2007 (boomark / email).