The Vibrant Sunday Market at Bac Ha, Vietnam

Photo opportunity with a Hmong
woman and baby.  (Baby is trying
to pull Akiko's hair out.)

We've seen lots of markets throughout our sabbatical, but Bac Ha's Sunday Market has to be one of our favorites because it is an actual working market for the local Hmong hill tribes who bring their produce, goods, clothing, and livestock from their mountain villages and spend the day selling, buying, trading, eating, drinking, and socializing with one another.

The major draw for tourists who come in bus loads from Sapa is the vibrant and intricate traditional clothing that the Hmong women are seen wearing at the market that makes this experience seem like we've been transported back in time, except for the ubiquitous presence of motorbikes that bring us back to reality...  

Because we were staying in Bac Ha, we got to the market before too many tour buses started arriving.  It started as a misty, rainy day but that didn't stop business.  We felt a little like intruders, however it was definitely worth experiencing.

View the photos and feel yourself transported to a different time and place!