Their sales tactics have become a mastered art; all of the little girls remembered our foreign sounding names when we reemerged later in the afternoon and they each slowly manipulated and assessed our personalities before moving in and pouncing on their newly made friends with bags of glorious hand crafted souvenirs.

If at first their attempts were rebuffed, they did not become discouraged at all.  They knew that we were delicate prey and that we would be moving into their territory soon enough.  We had a week of trekking ahead of us, and they had nothing but time.

The conditions clearly favored the girls. Although their feet were poorly protected if covered at all, they were able to move with agility over the familiar paths that felt and moved more ike mudslides than hiking trails to the mere traveler. Quickly, they had surrounded us with vibrant pillow cases, bracelets, hats and bags.

We arose the next morning and were eating outside of the house where we had spent the night when suddenly we saw some familiar faces peering in at us. The villages are not big and white faces are still a bit of an anomaly. We were easy to locate. Finally, we struck a deal, but I had to go through the mother. I purchased two pillow cases and managed to somehow find some smaller bills to increase my buying price in small increments.Because the mother of the girls only had minimal change as well, I had to purchase a necklace along with two pillow cases in order to get a fair exchange for my money.

Finally, the girls had gone from hungry saleswomen to jovial local tour guides. In appreciation for my purchase, they gave me a friendship bracelet and hiked with me along the path to the next village. They were happy to practice their English, and I was grateful for the company. I will always remember them as the craftiest of entrepreneurs.

Where, When, Why and How to go

The best and really the only way to hike around the villages in SaPa is with a local guide, but chose wisely!  I recommend starting from Hanoi and booking a tour.  Make sure you get full details about the number of people on your trip and the lodging along the way.  It is best to go in groups of four or less to avoid being too disruptive to village life.  Good companies located in the Old Quarter of Hanoi are: Handspun and Fansipan, but always ask other travelers for their recommendations as they are the best informed on up-to-the-minute information. 

Unless you enjoy rain and mud, I suggest avoiding late summer and fall when the rainy season transforms the trekking paths into low budget slip-and-slides.  Of course, that is precisely when I went, and the conditions made for some very funny stories.  Never before had I seen white laundry so quickly compromised.

The best months to venture into the northern highlands are late October to mid December and between March and May. Check the forecast before you venture into the mountains as hiking in mud is infinitely more difficult and less efficient than stepping on dry land.  Regardless of when you go, bring a poncho big enough to cover both you and your pack.  It gets cold at night and wet clothes can make even the most hardened trekker a bit cranky.

If you head up to SaPa on your own, take the train to Lao Cai and then a bus to SaPa.  Most guesthouses can arrange guided tours beginning in SaPa.  Tours can last anywhere from one day to one week or perhaps longer if you make your own arrangements and are willing to pay a little extra money.  Once in the villages, you will stay with families in houses that they have equipped to one degree or another to accommodate guests.  Generally I found the blankets to be warm, the families to be friendly and the food to be fantastic. 

Once you arrive you will find yourself surrounded by glorious mountains, lush rice paddies and some of the friendliest faces you will ever see.  Remember to bring a lot of small change and prepare yourselves for some intense but buoyant business transactions...

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