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Ta Phin Village, Vietnam

April 30, 2009 by

Not far from SaPa there is a very beautiful village called Ta Phin. A visit there is sure to be memorable. As we arrived at the village, the word had already gotten out that a group of tourists was on its way. As the bus parked, the local women seemed to decide which of them was going to be accompanying which one of us on our walk through the village. When we got off the bus, it was easy to see they were delighted to meet us, and most delighted that we might, at the end of the tour, buy some of their wares.

Happy to see us

Happy to see us

Greeters in TaPhin

Greeters in TaPhin

The village is one in which the Dao people live.  They are one of the 54 ethnic minority groups that live in Vietnam.  Many of these minority groups also live in China, particularly in Yunnan Province which is north of Vietnam.

In this village, many of the women speak rudimentary English and chat with visitors as we make our way past the homes and fields.  Although the head coverings the women wear vary, this is a matter of choice rather than custom.  Some women simply find the close to the heard carves more comfortable and others like those that sit

high on the head.  So often, we Westerners imagine there is significance in others’ customs, but just like us, they too have their own preferences and choice.

Our group walks into the village

Our group walks into the village

We walk past the rice terraces and fields.

Walking past the fields

Walking past the fields


The second woman from the left has a baby on her back. You can see his little head with a hat peeking out over the top of the blue carrier.
View from village

View from village


Sitting on a rock

Sitting on a rock

These people live amidst such beauty, and although from a Western standard, their living arrangements are far from elegant, one has the feeling that these people are happy and content. The Vietnamese government has put virtually every village on the electric grid and there is free education provided for children in the elementary grades. The people see improvement from year to year in their standard of living.
Life in TaPhin

Life in TaPhin


Beautiful

Beautiful

This picture has been reposted to Work of the Poet

A tour of TaPhin will leave you speechless too.

Filed Under: Kosher Tours, Vietnam Tagged With: , , ,

TaVan, Vietnam

April 24, 2009 by

TaVan is a village outside of SaPa.  My first visit there was on a cloudy, misty day.  Somehow, the mist fit the entire atmosphere of the village as people in their traditional dress walked with us across the hanging bridge and over the muddy paths.

Bridge in TaVan

Bridge in TaVan

Village of TaVan

Village of TaVan

This village is a home to two different ethnic minorities, the Black Hmong and the Red Dzai. In addition, located in the village is a school at which children from the surrounding areas board Monday through Friday, and then return home to their parents on weekends. There is now free compulsory education for children throughout Vietnam from ages 6-10. We were lucky enough to arrive just as the children were getting out of school. We were able to meet them and were shocked at their linguistic prowess!

Young girl, TaVan

Young girl, TaVan

This little girl greeted me and asked me, in English, where I was from. I responded, “Israel.” I was surprised that she spoke English. After all, here we were in a rural village outside of SaPa which was outside of Lao Cai which was nestled in the mountains of north Vietnam, along the Chinese border. But more surprising was when she said to me, “Shalom, Chamuda!” [Hello, Cutie!] in Hebrew, using the feminine form… I almost fell over! On our walk, I spoke with her about what she was studying and I asked her how she would have responded if I said that I was from France or Italy or Germany or Spain– and each time, she had a prepared response. Amazing!

The adults and the children accompanied us on our walk, steadying us when we were walking over muddy terrain, and at the end, of course, they strongly urged us to buy things they were selling. The tote bags were attractive, ethnic, and very inexpensive. Who could say no?

Walking through the village

Walking through the village

The people were warm and friendly and the experience in TaVan was memorable. There is a guest house in TaVan for trekkers who say they have also enjoyed the friendliness of this very picturesque village.

Filed Under: Kosher Tours, Vietnam Tagged With: , ,

Just outside of SaPa

April 23, 2009 by

When we travel to Vietnam, one of the highlights of the trip is our visit to SaPa. We leave from Hanoi in the evening and take a sleeper train north to Lao Cai. Lao Cai is not far from the border with China and as we make our way from Lao Cai to SaPa, the landscape is magnificent. There are majestic mountains and many of them are terraced to grow rice.

Rice is produced in several areas of Vietnam. There are two main river deltas: the Red River Delta and the Mekong Delta. Both of these have fertile soil in which rice is grown. In fact, one way of conceptualizing Vietnam is as one of those poles with buckets on both sides. In the northeast, the rice bucket is the Red River Delta and in the south, it is the Mekong Delta. However, in addition to those two regions, rice is also grown in the mountainous areas of the north. As in China, the terraces are carved into the mountains as if by artists. These terraces are planted by hand and then flooded with water until the rice is sufficiently mature to be picked. In Vietnam, as in China, rice production is not yet mechanized.

Here is one picture:

Rice Terraces near SaPa

Rice Terraces near SaPa

This picture was taken in the morning as the valley was filled with sun. On this tour, we had two groups traveling together, mine, an English speaking group and Rita’s, a French speaking group. In this picture you see me and Rita– what she lacks in height, she more than makes up for in personality and warmth!

Rita and Rona near SaPa

Rita and Rona near SaPa

Coming up: Some pictures from villages of minority groups in the SaPa area.

Filed Under: Vietnam Tagged With: , , ,
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