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April 16, 2007
Mountain biking through Hmong village and rice paddies in Sapa
This afternoon, we gave mountain biking in the countryside a try and although I'm not very good at it, I had a lot of fun. Afterall it was my first time mountain biking so I shouldn't be too hard on myself (that's what Josh told me, probably just to make me feel better!).
The lady at the tour company had explained that most of the path was downhill which I thought was good but it turned out to be a pretty scary ride among motorbikes, mini buses and hikers overlooking the valley and my hands were hurting more than my legs because they were constantly on the brakes! I was afraid by the time we were done, the bike would need new brakes but our guide didn't say anything.
Once we were on the dirt road, we biked through H'mong villages, an ethnic minority that is native to this area, and rice paddies. I can't even begin to tell you how beautiful it was. This is the Vietnam you see in postcards and movies, and I'm thrilled to have seen it.
What made the ride even better was the people we met along the way. The black H'mong wear black linen costumes and embroidered belts and purses that would put any hippie store in San Francisco to shame. Two women ran up to me at one point and started checking out my bycicle. They tested the tires and the seat, probably wondering why I would choose to use this instead of my much more stable two feet. I have to say, a lot of times, I had to get off the bike and walk in fear of falling again (one fall in the first part of the trip made me a lot more cautious the rest of the afternoon). They followed me to the nearest village, running after me when I cycled and walking by me when I was off the bike. I knew they would eventually try to sell me something, most people in these villages sell their handicrafts to tourists, but they were so nice I couldn't help but like them.
Once we got to the village (read two huts and a place to buy drinks), an entire group came and talked to us. An old lady tried on my helmets, pulled on elastic bands on my backpack and laughed when my fingers came out when I put on my mittens. It was a great afternoon and even if I'm sore, I'm ready to go back out tomorrow, but maybe this time I'll walk.
Helene
Posted by insideoutmag at April 16, 2007 07:09 AM
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