Sapa II

So where was I?...Ah yes, in a modest house, in a remote village, in the mountains of Northern Vietnam- just about as far off as you can get. That's where I was geographically at least, in my story I have much further to go.

So we had dinner with the family that night, gathered around a table on those ubiquitous little plastic stools, underneath the lumination of the single bulb in the house- suspended from a wire that snaked it's way out a hole in the room and up the hill to the village generator. Under that modest glow we shared at least 12 or 15 plates of delicious fried and sauted vegetables and ...less identifiable yet highly mouthwatering foods. (My vegetarianism may have been compromised, I'm not really sure, but it was worth it to try everything.)

Then after we had all given the international sign of "Full tummy" -a satisfied pat on the belly and leaning back on the little stools- our guide Quan invited us, on behalf of the family, to drink some rice wine. A lovely custom we felt would have been impolite to have declined....if only we'd known.

Our single cheers (or "xo!") soon turned into several rounds of the thin strong vodka-like liquor and it wasn't long before we were singing and clapping to Irish, Norwegian and Vietnamese drinking songs. Incidently, if one is ever visiting Norway they may find themselves doing a jig similar to the hokey-pokey while taking shots.

Needless to say, by the time we finally were able to convince the family to stop pouring the wine (coincidently when the bottle was Finally empty) I was quite ready for my cushion and mosquito tent in the loft above the house. The next moring we were all groggy but ready to hit the trail again for a half day more of hiking, then to lunch and a jeep ride back to the hotel at 2:00- or so we thought.

Having planned to leave by 9:30, our guide Quan didn't actually rise until some time after 10:00- leaping bolt upright at first out of his netting- giving us a bleary-eyed look and proclaiming "I make pancakes and we GO!" He was still rather..um..smashed. Yet even in that state, and with the most basic fire and skillet he was able make the most delightful banana crepes, that I would not be able to match even given soberiety- so he had that going for him.

After finishing our crepes we got up to find Quan and start the trekking. We found him with the family in the cooking area with a familiar green bottle. "the family has invited you to drink with them rice wine to say 'goodbye and good luck'"...are you serious?..at this point it's 11am.

We were duped into thinking this was a single invitation for a good bye send off and as I raised the small glass to my lips I nearly lost my banana crepes to the haunting smell of the pontent stining alcohol- it really hits you between the eyes. If only we had just walked away then. But Quan insisted. All that kept going through my mind was "When in Rome...God, how I wish I was in Rome" I was able to convey to them my abstinence by simply raising the glass to the (Several) "Xo!"s and setting it back down- can't refill a full glass. However Quan was not quite as restrained. By 12:00 we were inquiring about our departure time that was crawling further and further into the day, and after hearing "11:30 ok, ok"..."12:00 ok,ok"..."12:30 ok,ok" we decided action had to be taken, or we risked spending the Entire day in that little rice winery...in a modest house...in a remote village...in the mountains of Northern Vietnam.

...oh yes, there's more, this story is to be continued.