I've first heard of the Hmong tribe when I read the beginning chapters of Elizabeth Gilbert's Committed (sequel to Eat Pray Love).If you haven't read it yet, this is the book where Gilbert faces her fears about getting married (again) by traveling in Asia and asking people about their views on marriage.
So she travels to northern Vietnam to visit a Hmong household. She asked the women questions like: “When did you realize that your husband might be somebody you wanted to marry?” Finally when Gilbert asks, “But when did you fall in love with him?” and “What do you believe is the secret to a happy marriage?” the roomful of Hmong women broke out laughing. It was as though she asked them to purchase some calcium supplements! They found her questions downright silly. Gilbert then concluded that the Hmong women do not place their marriages in the center of their emotional lives as do women in the West.
As I read this book, I vowed to travel to Vietnam and meet these Hmong people myself. They seemed like such an extraordinary bunch! I would later find out that they were much more than that. They were one of the most beautiful tribe I've ever laid eyes on! I finally had my chance after our Halong Bay adventure. Last stop in Vietnam : the rice terraces of Sapa!
My first encounter with a Hmong girl was at the town square where the Hmong women were selling clothes, jewelry and souvenirs. I went in a photo frenzy. They were so colorful, beautiful and just plain photogenic! I absolutely forgot the number one rule of travel portrait photography.
The rice terraces are the main attraction of Sapa. Starting trekking Sapa tour out was pretty easy. We followed a well worn path down the slopes. But after a while, the path got muddy and steep and it got harder and harder for us to walk our way down.
A nearby Hmong farmer saw our predicament and smiled at us shyly. He then walked down and showed us the way. He walked with us the whole way and even guided us back to town after the trek. We couldn't imagine how he hiked through the muddy terraces in rubber slippers but he was smiling the entire time. His act of kindness just validated what I already knew about the Hmong tribe: that they are a warm and exceptionally friendly people.
I have to confess though, I didn't really finish the book Committed. It lacked the excitement and wonder of Eat Pray Love. I was bored out of my mind when she got to the part about the history of marriage. I felt like I was back in college with a stack of books for 'required reading'. But something great came out of those first few chapters for me. I came to Sapa, Vietnam to encounter a beautiful town and experience its enchanting people.
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