Mong tribes of Sapa

After a 12 hour overnight sleeper bus (there are actual beds on the bus) comes to a halt in the town of Sapa, Vietnam, I stretch my arms lazily and look out the foggy window in my drowsy state. I have to squint, but I can see a group of women dressed in traditional Mong clothes, all with genuinely warm smiles. As I step off the bus, they enthusiastically greet me. I'm surprised to hear them speak with such good English. I will soon discover their livelihood depends on it.

These women are abundant, walking through town selling purses, earrings, headbands and pillow cases that they've made by hand. Their sweet, welcoming faces glowing. There's a lot of intricate stitching that goes into some of these crafts. I was shocked to find they sold them for only $1-4 each. To show my support, I bought 2 pairs of earrings and 2 headbands. All of which I didn't need.
Each tribe dresses differently. What I liked best about the whole ensemble was the comb stuck securely on the side of their head, just in case they need to brush their hair for any reason.  I really empathize with for these women for the life they live. They walk many hilly miles from their little village in order to hustle tourists. Most of them carry a well-behaved infant strapped to their back.

Their questions are always the same:
"Hello, where you from?"
"What is your name?"
"How old are you?", they inquire. They must use these same questions 200 times a day with the tourists. Ironically, their smiles and interest still come off as being genuine.
Sapa is a misty mountain market town in northwestern Vietnam, close to the Chinese border. It's mystically beautiful. It's surrounded by small Mong villages and serves as the main market meeting point for the different tribes.
There are more day hikes from Sapa than you can shake a stick at. This is my kind of town! It reminded me of Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. I kept myself busy in this quaint, jaw-dropping beautiful Swiss town with the adundance of day hikes available. (note to self: go back there) Exploring with my own 2 feet through lush green nature. Does it get much better?

During these scenic hikes, I was gently harassed by many friendly Mong women, hoping to make a sale off of me. They would also want to give me a tour of their village. I truly enjoyed their company. They had a calming, positive energy to them. They trekked next to me on both sides. I towered over them. If I showed any hint of interest in their handicrafts, I was ambushed by an entire clan of Mong women, clad in traditional dress, surrounding me from every angle, displaying their crafts they had worked so hard on. I wish I had a picture of it. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. What an amazing experience.
In a lot of ways, they reminded me of the Tibetans. One day, after more than 12 km of hiking, I arrived in a small village, exhausted. I encountered one extremely persistent Mong lady. She followed me for at least 2 km. I honestly didn't want any of her hand made items, but she wouldn't take "no" for an answer. I really admired her persistence.

She told me she was 39, but she looked 69 with all the wrinkles. She trailed next to me like a lost puppy, begging me to buy something. I felt bad for declining, but I can't buy from every single lady that bombards me. Out of options, I made a spontaneous decision to give her a crisp American dollar bill in order to get her off my back. It totally worked! She smiled at me in disbelief and ran back to her village with it. The look on her face was priceless. It warmed my heart. For a second, I thought she might hug me. What a sweetheart.
As I walked through the tiny villages, I saw the locals going about their daily lives. Plowing the field using their water buffalo, tending to the rice fields, hauling large piles of green plants or sticks on their backs, cutting down bamboo.... you know, just normal Mong things.

It was apparent that they were immune to tourists at this point in time. It almost made me feel guilty about being a tourist. I'm happy to contribute to the local economy, and a lot of times, tourism is highly enriching to the local's quality of life. But sometimes, locals despise tourists. I saw this at it's worst in Morocco. In Cambodia, I saw the negative impact tourists had on the 13 year old girls that would prey on tourists along the beach selling bracelets, fruit, headbands, etc.... The language they sometimes used was vulgar enough to make me blush. I was horrified! I told them it wasn't ladylike to talk like that. It was sad. Ruined because of tourism. But it seems like the Mong women really enjoy the tourists. I never witnessed them being short with anyone and they were always very down to earth. I hope this never changes. They are definitely a sweet, special group of ladies.