Northwest Mountains

Black H'mong girls
Originally uploaded by toy ghost.

The northwest mountains of Vietnam are home to several tribes of hill people who migrated down from China. They retain their own religions and languages, but you can speak to them in Vietnamese and some English.

Sapa town is flooded with Black H'mong, who are distinguished by their indigo-dyed clothing, cyllindrical hats, and leggings. Their costume is my favorite design of the hill people- sparse but striking.

When i got to Sapa it was raining buckets, so i spent the whole day waxing pathetic in my room, because there ain't nothing to do in Sapa when it's raining.

The next day though, the heavens opened up, the birds were harmonizing in thirds, and the glory of Sapa stretched for miles. I spent the whole day hiking in the Muong Hoa River Valley, visiting Black H'mong villages. Even though the rains had turned the terrain into what looked and felt like soggy quiche lorraine- and I was a virtual mudman for it, it was a very good day.

I also visited Bac Ha market, where all the hill folk congregate on Sundays to sell pigs and water buffalo. There i got to see the Flower H'mong, the Red Dzao and the Zay people. They all seem to get along pretty well. No fights that i saw. Check out the pictures of their clothes.