LAO CAI – Kiril Grudin was surprised when Sa Pa had more hotels and resorts but it was no longer as pure and pristine as it was in 1995.
Kiril Grudin (55 years old), from Bulgaria, has lived and worked in Vietnam for 30 years. In January 2021, he traveled across Vietnam from Ho Chi Minh City to the Northwest provinces and vice versa for 22 days.
During the trip, Kiril had the opportunity to return to Sa Pa, where he used to learn the Mong language 26 years ago, when he was a student of Literature at Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities.
“Sa Pa in my memory is a very beautiful place, with majestic nature, ancient architecture, with many ethnic people. I was very happy to be back, but also surprised when this place has changed. many, different things, “he said.
In Kiril’s memory, 26 years ago, the electric light system in Sa Pa was not developed yet, now the streets were lit up. Today’s town center is dusty, not as clean as it used to be. The large hotels in the center also obscure the natural beauty here.
Kiril also remembers the ethnic peoples’ market where they bring in-house goods for exchange. “Now the market for ethnic people has been commercialized, the road down to Cat Cat village has many shops and restaurants. Although sad, I understand this is inevitable when life develops,” said the male tourist. He noticed that the vendors were wearing traditional but nicer clothes and were less likely to pull off customers.
Previously, during the visit to Sin Chai to meet the village leader to get materials on the Mong language, Kiril asked about the departure route to Fansipan. “At that time the way to the mountain was a trail, it was difficult to walk.
He invited me to go down the stream, pointed to a very large rock like a turtle. The head of the turtle pointed to a small trail, which was the way to the top of Fansipan. “, he said. Kiril judged that the construction of the cable car helped many tourists to reach Mount Fansipan, but somewhat changed the landscape.
At the top of Fansipan, Kiril waited about 30 minutes to take pictures with the landmark. He was very impressed to see that many Vietnamese people wore red flags with yellow stars and carried the national flag to the top of Fansipan taking pictures. “I feel their pride in their national and national flags,” he said.
Also, Kiril found it strange that it was very cold on the top of the mountain but many women dressed in miniskirts seemed to be shooting for fashion magazines. Meanwhile, the Bulgarians going up the mountain often dress in harmony with the weather and nature.
Despite many changes, Kiril still thinks that Sa Pa is beautiful and has its own ancient features. “Going about 4-5 km from the center to the villages, I see that people still live in traditional bungalows, with a fire in the middle of the house, still a landscape of terraced fields, majestic mountains. This place before and now. It’s always safe, no theft and people are still very united, “he said.
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