A major shocker when ex-Marine and I ventured into the lobby of the Royal View Hotel this morning. The lobby was filled with tour groups who had just arrived on the early morning train from Hanoi and other tourists already in Sapa with hordes of Black Hmong eagerly standing outside the front doors…View image, just waiting for their chance to sell. Comparable to calves being led to the slaughter (we tourists being the “calves”). Not only was the lobby a mob scene but it appeared that the majority of all tourists in Sapa were heading out on trek. And, almost all day treks follow the same route...View image… This…I did not expect to see.

John appeared and asked us to wait while he went to get the permits for hiking in the Sapa Valley area…View image. (Please explain why he didn’t get them before? Quibble, quibble…) A good half hour later, we headed out the front door with each person followed by their own Black Hmong in the misty morning. The Hmong are so smart! Each seller (or two) latches on to a tourist and the long day began.

Black Hmong lying in wait for tourists in Sapa, Vietnam 

Sheila photographing while Hmong seller sticks like glue in Sapa, Vietnam
The Hmong were never idle. While patiently waiting for tourists to start trekking, they stood there making threads from the bark of a jungle tree, (“Cham” according to John) pulling and lengthening each one to use in their fabrics. …View image…

making threads for weaving in Sapa, Vietnam
The walk/trek was going to be 16 kms/9 miles long down dirt roads through Black Hmong and Red Hmong villages. All tourists pay, through their guides and agencies, to visit some of the homes. I only hope some of the money filters down to the minorities. The majority of “trekkers” were shuttled by their tour agency from downtown Sapa to the trailhead (a house) a few kilometers down the road but we began directly from the hotel.

Black Hmong firmly attached to every tourist, we started out of Sapa and down the busy road with motorcycles, cars, jeeps and trucks whizzing by. Not the most auspicious beginning to a trek…

The Hmong are some of these most unrelenting, pleasant sellers I’ve ever met, and have the best sales warm-up…“…Where you from?…You have any babies?…What’s your name?…You buy from me?…” and when Jenny responded she wasn’t married and didn’t have any babies, her Hmong looked at her with an an incomprehensible look of horror! “...No babies? Not married? Impossible…”.

a tourist for every Hmong outside of Sapa, Vietnam
We walked fast. They walked faster, matching step for step. Myriam, in desperation, paid off her lady carrying a baby with $2.00 U.S. just to get rid of her. Not a good move. Word will spread quickly and the Hmong will probably conclude they should just forget selling and pester the tourists until they get rid of them with money. “Give me money and I’ll bug off…” A bad move…