Homestay in Sapa: An authentic experience

During the homestay in Sapa, after eating a full dinner with the rest of the abroaders, I ventured to the next room where our tour guide and host family was enjoying more traditional versions of the foods they had prepared for us. Instead of fried chicken and vegetables, they had boiled chicken (bone still intact) and boiled vegetables without the salty and spicy seasonings I had just eaten next door. The family was incredibly welcoming, liberally sharing their rice wine and authentic style foods.

Immediately after a huge bight of bland, boiled chicken I noticed the bloodied beak, head and claws of the bird in a bowl in the center of their dining table. I turned my attention back to our hosts, pretending to be unphased by the dead bird's open beak and eyes. In that moment I confirmed what our tour guide, Quynh told me--I was partaking in a truly authentic dinner experience with the country people of Sapa.

The Lead Study Abroaders Survive Sapa Valley

This was an adventure of a lifetime. We began our journey with an overnight train to Sapa. I was bedridden with food poisoning for 26 hours prior, so the abrupt stopping and the toddler-sized bed were unwelcome aspects of the voyage. Sapa Valley being the last stop, we arrived at 5:45am to an unfriendly train station in the pitch dark morning. We were all grumpy—nobody felt like they had for more than 60 seconds. Claustrophobic Courtney shared about her 10 minute panic attack when her door slid shut and she was forced to use her sneaker to keep it open.

The train cabins were EXTRA COZY

When the exhausted travelers found their bus, they packed their bags into the rear and settled down for what they expected to be a decently long voyage to the mountains. The bus pulls out of the lot and drives no more than 100 yards down the street before we arrive at our hotel for a shower and breakfast. Our tour guide, Quynh, instructs us to shower at the most questionable of hotels--that was willing to arrange an hourly rate...let's think about that one for a minute…an hourly hotel within walking distance of the train station (with a naked woman not-too-tastefully painted on the bathroom tiles). Finally we cross the street to eat breakfast, but all I could stomach was jam and toast (still recovering from Vietnamese stomach bugs).

We piled back onto the bus and head up the steepest, foggiest, one lane road that I swore only existed in horror films. To make matters more hilarious, the bus driver is all too comfortable with the mountain and his hugging every turn, whipping around his precious cargo and flying through the fog. When we arrive at the starting point for our hike, we drop our luggage at the Cat Cat Hotel, and walk around the village of Sapa for 30 minutes, during which we enjoyed being heckled by the tribal women who followed us, made small talk with you until they were comfortable enough to ask you to “buy something from me”. Fortunately, we avoided the sales pitches long enough to find tea and boot-sized croissants that were warm and delicious.

The most adventuresome of mornings was over. Now the fun could really begin. We hopped back on the bus for a minute before we encountered what Sapa is truly known for. In Sapa, they grow crops on massive hills in layers—rice and indigo. We walk through the valley--up and down, sideways, through mud and poop. We spot chickens, pigs, water buffalo and dogs. We trekked through muck for three hours, during which Quynh told us five times that we were only 10 minutes away from our lunch destination. Couldn’t help but laugh and keep walking. Honestly there was no other option. Hunger and fatigue set in, but we finally arrived at a tiny village area. We climbed an even tinier ladder to an outdoor seating area. The frigid air blew wildly throughout lunch, but the noodle soup was fresh and fantastic.

After our legs stiffened we hit the road again. Another hour and a half of trekking through sludge meant several of us slipped, some of us fell, and we all were gloriously caked in a unique stew known to us as Sapa’s scent.

I was at the back of the group with Dr. Helfman (god bless her heart) she was still very sick when we were trekking. We opted to take the advice of two tribal women in favor of the “easier route”, which of course was shorter in distance, but about twice as steep. I couldn’t find any traction in my shoes because my sneakers were covered with sludge.

When we finally arrived at the homestay in the mountains, we toured the four room house which was built by the husband of the home--it was constructed of wood, tin and bamboo. We sat around a fire and talked amongst ourselves before the woman of the house, her son and his friend began cooking over an open fire. The abroaders slowly migrated to watch them cook us a feast. The food was fresh, filling and so very satisfying. Shortly after dinner we all bundled into our sections of the house and slept on beds made of straw, and blankets that were so thick that we buried ourselves and weren’t seen till morning. We woke up at dawn to the sounds of pounding rain, roosters howling and the hot fire crackling. We were fed another feast--crepes with some fresh fruit that we watched caramelize over the open flame. The family dog and cat wandered through the house and just a little entertainment (although we were sad we couldn’t touch them for fear of diseases) while the hosts prepared our meals. After breakfast, we made our beds, packed our bags, and with Quynh’s help--we found our bus back to the town area of Sapa.

Written by Jon Morfe, edited by Noah Stern
Photo credits: Noah Stern

Days 7&8: Overnight Excursion to HaLong Bay

Today we returned from a beautiful 2 day junk boat trip on HaLong Bay. Upon arrival we all took a big sigh of relief and took a deep breath of fresh air. We took a small motor boat to our junk boat, where we would be spending the next two days. Our junk boat resembled a modern-day pirate ship. The ship had a very nice dining room, and a top deck where we could lounge and relax--the best part was that we had the boat all to ourselves!

We were welcomed with a delicious 5 course lunch of all kinds of seafood, Vietnamese food and even some dishes that resembled those from home. The views from the boat were breathtaking. HaLong Bay has large rock formations--each truly unique and incredible to view from a distance. As the junk wove through the the rocks, and around the bay we were awestruck by the natural beauty. The turquoise blue water and relaxing atmosphere of the boat were a much needed change of pace from the bustling city of Hanoi. 

Shortly after lunch the boat took us into a cave that was formed in one of the rock formations. Our tour guide told us legends about how many of the rocks within the cave came to look like animals and important people in Vietnamese culture. After visiting the cave a number of abroaders went kayaking in the bay--and could see fishing villages, which was very interesting.After kayaking we returned to the boat for dinner and a night of karaoke. The karaoke was a blast--we sang all of our favorites pop songs from the 90's.

 

 

 

 Lynn and DH rifling through the countless cameras in order to capture the group photo above

The next day we woke up and for the first time since we've been in Vietnam, we saw the sun! The day quickly turned beautiful, and the crew brought us to a little island where we hiked up one of the rocks. The view from the top was gorgeous, and after we descended, we sat on the beach.

After our wonderful afternoon on HaLong Bay, we relunctantly packed our bags and returned to shore for a bumpy bus ride back to Hanoi. It was a relaxing and beautfiul couple of days!

Written By Laura Massey

Day 6: The Amazing Race--Hanoi

Today we participated in a scavenger hunt with the Hanoi Kids. The 6am wake up wasn't awesome, but the day ahead of us had a lot to offer. We met up with the Hanoi Kids participants around 7:30am and headed to a public park where we would be split into teams and given our first hint.

The hunt gave us an opportunity to meet and talk with some of the other members of the student group. Speaking with new members of the group gave us additional perspectives and further insight for our research. The scavenger hunt included A LOT of walking (and sore legs ensued), but it was worth getting to see new areas of Hanoi that we wouldn't have otherwise. The clues took us to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, a pagoda, a school and a district designated for cooking. Before solving the next clue, each group had to complete a task (a few of these are pictured below).

One group even had the opportunity to try lunch from a street vendor that served delicious barbecued pork ribs and noodle soup. The scavenger hunt finished in the early afternoon, and the exhausted abroaders returned to the hotel.

Later that afternoon we held our first forum that allowed each group to discuss the findings of their research thus far. It was interesting to learn about what other groups have been working on, and helpful to receive feedback from one another as well.

After class we packed our bags in preparation for an 8am departure to Halong Bay--we love the hustle of the city, but we're admittedly ready for a change of pace, and to see a new part of Vietnam

Written by Erica Dedufour

Day 5: Saturday in Hanoi

After team morning meetings with DH to discuss our various research projects--ensuring we are on the right track, we spent the remainder of the afternoon exploring the city in teams. One team sought the city's post office and stumbled upon a dance group filming a music video just beyond the Hoan Kiem Lake.

Weary feet and bodies meant massages for some abroaders in the late afternoon, and just before dinnertime all of the abroaders reconvened at the hotel. The whole group headed for the "Times Square" of Hanoi to a restaurant that offered both Western and Vietnamese style (a little of something for everyone). After almost two hours at the restaurant some abroaders had enough excitement for one day and headed back to the hotel. 

Those brave enough to weather the famous night market were overwhelmed. Thousands of Hanoians flock to the flea market every Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. "Mob scene" doesn't even scratch the surface. The tents line the street for over 1 km, and the market is two tents wide! Clothing, sweet foods/coffee/nuts, jewelry, and household items are just a few of the offerings. At the one hour mark all of the study abroaders who braved the crowds had exhausted all remaining energy. 

A 7:30am departure the next day meant the abroaders were tucked in early--the Hanoi Kids invited us to join them for a Sunday Morning scavenger hunt to explore new parts of the city.

Day 4: Adventuring Hanoi with the Hanoi Kids

We met a number of students from the Hanoi Kids organization during the early afternoon. We took taxi vans to the Temple of Literature: the site of Vietnam's first University which is over 1000 years old! The beautiful gardens and Buddhist temples were created with Chinese influence over a century ago. Today, students come to pray in the temples before important exams. Education is a highly regarded aspect of Vietnamese culture--outside the Temple of Literature there is a floral sign that translates to "the future lies in the talented"

 

After leaving the Temple of Literature, the Hanoi Kids let us on a walking tour of the city in search of the best street food. We stopped for mixed fruit bowls with milk, tapioca jelly and shredded ice--a Vietnamese equivalent of frozen yogurt with all the fix-ins. We then walked past the government district in search of dinner food. The Hanoi Kids that were leading us recommended "Bahn My"--a popular meat and vegetable sub sandwich. Those who steered clear of the street meat opted for "Pho Bo"--a noodle, herb and meat soup. The open nature (among many other factors) of the restaurants that served these items suggested that they would not have passed an American health inspection, but fortunately the Vietnam study abroaders have remained remarkably healthy thus far *fingers crossed*

Day 3 Researching in Hanoi

After a short lesson in the morning, DH set us loose on the streets of Hanoi for the remainder of the day instructing us to complete our research. We circled the Hoan Kiem Lake, sampled a variety of local restaurants, and spent hours people watching. As some feet became weary groups formed to partake in different activities. Some groups chose to continue adventuring through the city on foot--visiting the "Hanoi Hilton" where John McCain was held as a POW during the Vietnam War. Others returned to the old quarter where they witnessed a wedding on the steps of the St. Joseph's Cathedral, just minutes away from our hotel.

The late afternoon brought opportunity for team meetings and reflection on our research for the day. We met back at the hotel, prepared for dinner, and returned to shopping district of the old quarter in search of a restaurant. After dinner the lead abroaders split into smaller groups and enjoyed some of the local pubs for a couple of hours before returning to the hotel for another early class the next morning. 

We have heard about the excitement that comes with the weekend night market here in the old quarter. Friday-Sunday nights merchants line the streets in order to peddle their goods. The abroaders are ready to put their Vietnamese and bartering skills to the test tonight. Updates on that coming tomorrow!

Photo credits: Jon Morfe