Hey everyone,
After a much-needed night of sleep, we were up early this morning to begin our drive from Hanoi to the Sa Pa region. The drive out of the city was incredibly scenic, with the streets of Hanoi slowly turning into beautiful mountains and small villages along the way. It was a long drive, but the views made it well worth it.
When we arrived in Sa Pa, we met Ngan, our trip coordinator for the region, along with our local guide, Toa, who will be helping us explore the area over the next few days. They welcomed us and gave us some helpful context about the communities and cultures we would be visiting.
Our first stop was Lao Chai village, home to members of the Black Hmong community. Here we learned about the art of batik. Using wax and dye techniques, we each got to paint our own designs on fabric.
Next, we visited Ta Van village, where we spent time with members of the Giay community for a cooking class. We learned how to make a few traditional foods, including sticky rice cooked inside bamboo and fresh spring rolls. An interesting fact we learned was how a local magenta plant is used to give the sticky rice its purple colour.
It was really cool to learn directly from local communities and experience their traditions firsthand. After a full day of travelling and activities, everyone was definitely ready to relax for the evening.
Looking forward to tomorrow!
