April 24 North Vietnam:

We returned from China and waited in Lao Cai, in North Vietnam, for Katherine to join us. She showed up at 8:00 in the morning after taking the all night train from Hanoi. She had neglected to book early and it was a holiday weekend in Vietnam, so she had to sit on a hard wood bench for the 10-hour trip. She looked a little tired. We got a bus to Bac Ha up in the mountains and Katherine had a nap while Joan and I went for a walk. The north of Vietnam is mountainous and is the home of several hill tribes. Vietnam has 55 minority groups and most are based in the north. We walked about 3km to visit a small village. Around Bac Ha most of the women wore traditional clothing, whether they were working in the fields or selling at the market. The men never wear traditional garb, but they all wore army fatigues. The women tend to carry big baskets on their backs or their baby. Often older sisters will carry younger brothers on their backs. We never saw the reverse.