From Hanoi a 9 hour night train delivered us to Lào Cai. A winding taxi ride took us up the mountains to Sa Pa. There are a number of local ethnic groups that congregate and sell traditional crafts in Sa Pa. Their villages are scattered throughout the surrounding terraced hills and valleys. The country side and villages are beautiful and the people are relaxed and friendly. 
Sa Pa

Red Dzao Markets

Food Markets – Sa Pa

Muong Hoa Valley

Hmong Women

Muong Hoa Valley

Hmong women make yarn from hemp and weave it into cloth. They dye the cloth with an indigo, plant based dye and burnish it between a block of polished wood and heavy stone.

Wax resist batik is used to decorate some of the cloth.

Pigs to market

Sa Pa

Red Dzao Women

Village kids hunting mice in the rice fields.

Marble champion

Tả Phìn village

Cat Cat Falls