In a world that is ever changing and rapidly developing, we sometimes feel that tribes and indigenous people are a thing of the past. And Vietnam is no exception. It is a country that is seeking development and modernization fast. To date, it has nearly fifty minority or indigenous tribes left. We had the pleasure of learning and interacting with three of these groups this week in Northern Vietnam. Overall, we've found Vietnamese people to be a bit more reserved and introverted than other people we have encountered, but the indigenous minorities do not seem to have this trait. In fact, we found the opposite to be true. Our encounters came in the small mountain town of Sapa, in Northern Vietnam, near the border of China. The town was chalk full of women dressed in layers of colorful traditional clothing, complete with beautiful head pieces and large earrings. These women carry woven baskets on their backs, which they use to carry handicrafts to sell to tourists. We were initially a bit timid in interacting with them, fearing that perhaps there would be communication problems or a negative interaction when we told them we were not interested in buying (as anything we buy we must to carry). But immediately, we were pleasantly surprised. Not only did these women have perhaps the best English we've encountered in Vietnam, but they were extremely friendly, regardless if you were interested in buying or not. In fact, selling their items seemed to be somewhat secondary in their minds. Everywhere we went in town, indigenous women and kids greeted us with smiles, asking us where we were from, how old we were, and how many siblings we had. A couple of women even chatted with us without hassle as we walked around the lake. It was a welcome relief from northern Vietnam that has at times seemed a bit cold and unfriendly.

What truly impressed me is how the roughly 2,000 indigenous people of the area maintain their culture and traditions in the 21st century. Indigenous people still wear traditional dress, made in a traditional way. They farm rice, corn and hemp (yes, I said hemp) by hand by terracing the hillsides and diverting water from streams with bamboo troughs for irrigation. However, despitethem holding on to their old ways, there is evidence of the encroaching modern world. Most of the women carry cell phones, I saw a satelite dish strapped onto a tin roofed house, and sadly, garbage from snacks bought in town litter local villages. The most impressive example of the melding of the new and old came in the form of our tiny (probably half the size of Adam) trekking guide who gave us a tour of the nearby hillside communities. She blew us away not only with her excellent English skills, but also in the fact that she was waiting until her late twenties to have children, as she wanted to "experience life" first (needless to say, this is unusual for these tribal communities). And although she leads trekking tours for tourists, she continues to hold her tribe's values and dress traditionally (and not just for the tours!).

Indigenous cultures are intriguing and beautiful and a part of me, perhaps for selfish reasons, wants them to remain the same forever. That said, I do realize that modernization often brings ease and comfort and I understand their wanting to partake. Hopefully the tribal peoples of Vietnam will be able to balance modernization with the customs of their ancestors so that they are not lost. As to what happens, only the future will tell. All I can say is that I'm ever so grateful we had the opportunity to witness and interact with the beautiful hillside communities and people of Sapa.