Sapa Market and Ta Phin Village

In the morning I walked around the town of Sapa, saw a local school, did some shopping, and explored the Sapa Market, which was by far the most graphic one I had seen yet. After lunch we visited Ta Phin Village, famous for the beautiful brocade weaving done by the Red Dzao hill tribe women. The local hill tribe women “bombarded” us as we stepped off the bus. They walked with us to their village. All along the way they tried to sell us their handicrafts. We visited a local family’s home. The houses are built of wood and bamboo with a dirt floor. We also visited a local school and hospital. There is much poverty in this village. We don’t know how lucky we are!! On the way back to the Lao Cai train station we stopped to photograph beautiful terraced fields at dusk. Then we had dinner at a local restaurant near the station before boarding our overnight Victoria Express train back to Hanoi. I slept better this time on the train.