It had been a long time since I trekked hills, climbed mountains, and walked in the villages. Sometime along my journey as practicing broadcast and print journalist in Mindanao, covering “lumad” (indigenous people) issues was my favorite. I get to walk in the mountainous area, have a close encounter of the people in the villages and learn its culture and tradition. Born with a backpack shoulder, I brought my passion for that kind of adventure in Vietnam. And on foot I toured the rugged north with some independent travelers and a team of professional tour guides of Columbus Adventure Travel & Tour. Northern Vietnam, where Sapa is located, is blessed with amazing landscapes, rice paddies, and a home to diverse ethnic minority groups. It is a place to visit if you want an ultimate experience of Vietnam’s culture and traditional daily lives practice of various Vietnamese tribes. With the number of tourists visiting Sapa, Columbus guides offered us a new place. Instead of the main tourist area in Sapa they brought us to a village called “Hidden Tibet” where there’s not much tourists. The village as situated on top of the hills overlooking the wonderful view of rice paddies an
d the green lush view of the forest. No one speaks English, so we were all dependent to our tour guides who were so helpful in explaining to us the culture of the “Hidden Tibetians”. However, even with the presence of the guides I always remember one thing, a lesson I would never forget when I was still covering armed conflict, and that is to be sensitive to the culture and tradition of the people I met, so they’ll always treat you like their best friend. Dressed in their traditional costumes, the people assist our guides in showing us around the village. As an Asian myself, surprisingly I received a warm welcome. Well I have to say this, I look like a Vietnamese but my color is tan that oftentimes I got mistaken to have come from the countryside of Vietnam, a farmer color of skin so to speak. If I don’t open my 
mouth I’ll expect a cold gesture. People here love foreigners. For them, tourists or expats means money, if not someone they can learn to speak English with. True, they’ll be very happy to hear you try to learn their language but you’ll also be the number one target for overcharge. In almost a year of living and traveling in Vietnam, I’ve mastered identifying the “rip me off” taxis and souvenir shops.The people from the villages, however, did not try to sell things like in the market of Sapa, so I did not worry getting bombarded with girls pushing stuff into my face and won’t leave me alone until I’ll buy from them. Girls were all over me, not to sell things but because they find it amazing that I look like them and yet I don’t speak their tongue. I took pictures and showed it to them that attracted them more to hover a
ll over me. It was fun and the most gratifying experience I ever had with the locals in the countryside. I’ve been in the countryside of Saigon, joining a group of expats setting up trail for the weekend Hash Run but camera trick and a Vietnamese look with a foreign tongue didn’t help, I got chased like a goat eating their crops.
The “Hidden Tibetians” that Columbus experts brought us, however, offered blood from the snake they caught and cut in front of us, as a warm welcome. To show gratitude, I didn’t say no despite the fact that I was dying to vomit just by the thought of drinking that unfriendly smell and fresh dark red color sticky syrup look like in front of me. I’ve eaten snake which I ordered in some restaurant in Saigon but it was prepared in the hidden kitchen, not like a ritual to welcome us. I was proud of
myself though, I did not vomit and I was still wearing my sincere smile for them. I heaved a sigh of relief and murmured to myself, “Ha! I’m a real backpacker now”. The journey for me was not long. I opted not to join the group for an overnight homestay adventure as I know I will have a lot of that in the near future. Besides I broke my camera and I can’t take pictures anymore. A taste of culture from northern people of the country that hosted me is enough right now. With more time, I intend to get a closer encounter of the real world of Vietnam’s ethnic minority group. North Vietnam promised an exciting adventure yet to be explored.
d the green lush view of the forest. No one speaks English, so we were all dependent to our tour guides who were so helpful in explaining to us the culture of the “Hidden Tibetians”. However, even with the presence of the guides I always remember one thing, a lesson I would never forget when I was still covering armed conflict, and that is to be sensitive to the culture and tradition of the people I met, so they’ll always treat you like their best friend. Dressed in their traditional costumes, the people assist our guides in showing us around the village. As an Asian myself, surprisingly I received a warm welcome. Well I have to say this, I look like a Vietnamese but my color is tan that oftentimes I got mistaken to have come from the countryside of Vietnam, a farmer color of skin so to speak. If I don’t open my 
mouth I’ll expect a cold gesture. People here love foreigners. For them, tourists or expats means money, if not someone they can learn to speak English with. True, they’ll be very happy to hear you try to learn their language but you’ll also be the number one target for overcharge. In almost a year of living and traveling in Vietnam, I’ve mastered identifying the “rip me off” taxis and souvenir shops.The people from the villages, however, did not try to sell things like in the market of Sapa, so I did not worry getting bombarded with girls pushing stuff into my face and won’t leave me alone until I’ll buy from them. Girls were all over me, not to sell things but because they find it amazing that I look like them and yet I don’t speak their tongue. I took pictures and showed it to them that attracted them more to hover a
ll over me. It was fun and the most gratifying experience I ever had with the locals in the countryside. I’ve been in the countryside of Saigon, joining a group of expats setting up trail for the weekend Hash Run but camera trick and a Vietnamese look with a foreign tongue didn’t help, I got chased like a goat eating their crops.The “Hidden Tibetians” that Columbus experts brought us, however, offered blood from the snake they caught and cut in front of us, as a warm welcome. To show gratitude, I didn’t say no despite the fact that I was dying to vomit just by the thought of drinking that unfriendly smell and fresh dark red color sticky syrup look like in front of me. I’ve eaten snake which I ordered in some restaurant in Saigon but it was prepared in the hidden kitchen, not like a ritual to welcome us. I was proud of
myself though, I did not vomit and I was still wearing my sincere smile for them. I heaved a sigh of relief and murmured to myself, “Ha! I’m a real backpacker now”. The journey for me was not long. I opted not to join the group for an overnight homestay adventure as I know I will have a lot of that in the near future. Besides I broke my camera and I can’t take pictures anymore. A taste of culture from northern people of the country that hosted me is enough right now. With more time, I intend to get a closer encounter of the real world of Vietnam’s ethnic minority group. North Vietnam promised an exciting adventure yet to be explored.
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