We visited Ta Phin, a small rural village close to Sapa, home to both Black Hmong and Red Dao ethnic minorities. As our vehicle arrived we were greeted by a group of smiling local women, some with children. They started up conversations immediately and never left our sides as we wandered through the village and up the winding path to one of the houses, where a Red Dao man was working. It was a really interesting afternoon and I enjoyed every minute of it. Upon our return to the bus, of course, we were shown their wares and expected to buy. They appeared not to be fully satisfied with how much we spent on the woven bags they were selling, and this is probably easy to understand. It is clear that these people live a life of poverty and no doubt tourist visits to their village offer an opportunity to earn a little more money.
On The Road With Garry 