Day 021 : Sapa

During my second day in Sapa we woke up early to a wonderful crepe breakfast prepared by Dong. She aspires to start her own restaurant in Sapa some day and I don't blame her...she's a darn good chef! After filling our bellies we set out for a more intense day of trekking. The muddy path took us through several smaller villages, through the woods, down the valley, then eventually up the valley. We reached our destination around 13:30, just in time for lunch. The lunch spot was in the home of a local minority woman. Immediately I began checking out each nook and cranny in her home (with her permission of course!). Below are a few of the interesting things I found:

This front room serves several purposes, it is basically a living, sleeping, and dining room all in one.

Watching Dong prepare lunch was actually quite an educational experience. In the kitchen there was a large catch basin that collected natural spring water which flowed down from the hills. From this larger basin Dong would then transfer smaller amounts of water to a relief in the floor to wash produce and prepare the meals. This depressed floor space also caught any produce peelings, access water, etc. From here the slightly sloping concrete then washed the access to the exterior of the home.

A similar catch basin was found on the exterior as well.

Bamboo Gutters

Family Portrait

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