Sapa was the most picturesque region I had the pleasure of visiting in Vietnam. When I thought of Vietnam the image that came to mind was intricately dressed H'Mong tribeswomen, lush mountains and rice paddies, of course! That's exactly what Sapa delivered so generously.

For a whole day I walked along the valleys through villages. I was greeted by giggling children. Hellos could be heard from elders working hard in the fields. Along the way, there were a few stalls selling souvenirs. For the most part, it was all about taking in lush mountains, deep-gorge valleys and ubiquitous rice paddies as far as the eye could see.

Sapa is home to a diversity of tribes with the majority belonging to one of the many H'mong tribes. The H'Mong are an ethnic minority originally from China who also lives in the northern regions of Laos and Thailand. Women from the Black H’mong tribe can be seen wearing their traditional black accoutrement adorned with colorful stitching and chain link jewelry.

Many H'mong women roam the streets from dawn to dusk carrying their heavy load of handmade products to sell to tourists. They can be very, very persistent but keep in mind they're only trying to survive on the little earnings they make by selling their handmade items. Some of the items are worth a look and would make great souvenirs.

After talking for a few hours with two H'mong women, I learned that most came from the same village a few kilometers outside of Sapa. They wake up before the sun and walk about 3 hours to reach Sapa. Most speak English which they learned by dealing with tourists. Another source of income for the H'Mong is to have home stays for tourists.

Zee, the most animated of the two, told me that the H'mong don't consider themselves to be Vietnamese. In fact, they can't relate to them at all. They speak different languages (the H'mong also speak Vietnamese though). They have different traditions and beliefs. They don't even eat the same foods. Although we didn't buy anything from Zee, she was very happy that I took the time to talk to her. She even gave me a ribbon bracelet as a sign of appreciation.

Sapa can be a bit overwhelming but the lake was a perfect place to get away from the crowds. The local wet market was fun to wander around. It was lively with locals haggling over their weekly purchases of fruits, vegetables and fly-infested meat. Gotta love local markets!

After our introduction to Vietnam in the delightful capital city of Hanoi, Sapa lived up to my expectations. I was looking forward to discovering more of what this fascinating country had to offer.