Remarkable ladies of the Black Hmong.. who
- held my hand literally over the steep, muddy and steps of the hills and valleys.
- wore plastic slippers but walked sure footed like a mountain goat over rocks and pebbles; whilst my legs wobbbled around, in an expensive New Balance trekking footwear!
- carried a heavy bamboo basket; packed with their handicrafts; whilst we could hardly carry ourselves over the hills and valley
- made shapes of animals with straws as they walked, making friends; waiting for the opportune moment, to sell their wares to the unsuspecting, hapless if not breathless city folks!
However (and with a sigh!) all 'progress' and 'modernisation' comes with a price! Not that I was not grateful; but my Hmong lady was trying to flog off a cushion cover to me for 130,000 Dong or about US$100.00. I could probably have bought it for nothing more than US10.00 in town. Even tried to remind me that she helped me!
The insistent bugging irritated one of our super-fit fellow travellers so much that he actually said 'how could they prostitute (and he meant insistent bugging) themselves for US$2.00'.
Which leads me to mention and I did ask 'where are the men' or 'where is your husband'? Answer - they are at home, looking after the children. Then again, I have to admit, that I have not seen so many men carrying and caring for children, around where we 'home-stayed' in the village. In the city square of Sapa, it was only ladies who were 'trading'!
I like to think that it was strategic that all the women folks were involved in the tourist trade, as their clothing were traditionally very colourful. Best not to let 'people' know that I honestly think that women are the stronger species. This is especially so when it can be quoted from the Bible that women should listen to their men and not be heard in Church! LOL!
Do you know that the eldest among them is only 28 years of age? But the hardship of working the fields and the harshness of the weather are reflected in their faces!!!
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