Sa Pa Trip

Last weekend I went to Sa Pa with a group of UC students. Originally, I hadn’t intended on going because the pictures I had seen on google images weren’t that impressive and because I had heard that it was a tourist trap. Though my second assumption was true, the natural beauty of Sa Pa surpassed all my highest hopes. The town, built by the French colonialists, was reminiscent of a European mountain château town. The older buildings, stone walls, and cobblestone paths were covered in ivy. The small lake in the center of town and the heavy fog set a romantic atmosphere. In all directions, the outlines of spiring mountains wrapped in clouds could be traced. While many Hanu students may feel Sa Pa is too cold, I think during Autumn it is the perfect temperature for me (though during this particular trip I was wearing sandals, shorts, and a t-shirt and was sick the whole time, so the cold wasn’t very pleasant). The café sua da in Sa Pa had a distinctly different taste than in Hanoi. I’m not sure which I prefer, but it was nice to experience the variety. The tourist industry has totally corrupted and commodified the local culture. I had no illusions when dealing with that reality. I was sad to see peddlers masquerading around in ethnic minority clothes selling their “authentic” bags to tourists. But while I was sad to see yet another tragic effect of global capitalism-imperialism, I was not surprised. Like what I wrote earlier, I wouldn’t have expected anything else. The major reason why I could never live in this seemingly perfect town was the people- both the locals and the tourists. Nothing is genuine or honest in a tourist town.

The trip to Heaven’s Gate was spectacular. The view of the town and the surrounding areas was majestic. Besides the leeches that left bleeding holes in my and a few other UC students’ feet, the climb to Heaven’s Gate was very fun and we took a lot of pictures. The next day we trekked for 5-7 hours to Ban Ho village. This village was not the Hmong ethnicity that Sa Pa town is riddled with. I’m not sure what we were supposed to learn from our overnight stay in Ban Ho, but it was nevertheless a great hike for me. Unfortunately, other students didn’t have as great a time as I did. From Carol’s accident to Kristine’s betrayal, the trek was clearly laced with deceptions at every turn.

Before we got on the train in Lao Cai to head back to Hanoi, Anh Thai took us to the border between Vietnam and the People’s Republic of China. Despite the dismantlement of socialism in China, I was still mesmerized to see the mightiest nation on the planet today.

I don’t know why I changed my mind and decided to go on the trip at the last minute, but it was a great choice. While I would love to go back to Sa Pa again before the end of the EAP program, I think if I have the chance to travel that far North again I will try to find a less-touristy region or town.