Mud, mamas, and happy water: the Sapa trek that wore us out

The bus dropped us in a foggy Sapa morning

We came to Sapa after a packaged trip from Hanoi: a Ha Long Bay cruise, then an overnight bus to Sapa city where we stayed one night before the real walk began.

The mamas appeared and we followed them down

Next morning the mamas showed up — village women who walk travelers down to their homestays. They walked fast, but the hills around us didn't rush. The road wound past fern-covered hillsides, disappearing into mist. If you ask me, the pace out here is relaxed. The city is where things are fast.

Five hours of mud, clouds, and a river that roared

The hike took about five hours. We passed through clouds, stepped through mud that sucked at our shoes. The mamas told us about their culture as we walked: each village speaks its own tongue, so neighbors often can't understand each other, and they wear different colored garments to show where they're from.

My husband Anton wore regular sports shoes. I had hiking boots. He spent the whole descent sliding, falling, and catching up covered in mud while I kept finding myself in the front realizing he was far behind and waiting for him to catch up.

Then the clouds lifted. We saw the rice fields stepping down the mountains, a fast river cutting through the valley, animals grazing near the trail. The view was sudden and huge.

The homestay welcomed us with fire, food, and happy water

At the village the homestay owner and his family greeted us with a hot meal, a small campfire, and a jug of what they call happy water — homemade rice wine that does exactly what the name promises. We sat around the fire, full and warm.

We slept on the floor and woke up satisfied

We slept on mattresses on the floor with heated toppers. No luxury, but after the walk and the wine it felt like the best bed in the world.