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Seth Goodman - Click Image to Enlarge) In '95 Sapa was on the map but not yet completely over run with tourists. The town was clean and quiet and inhabited by H'mong. In the town center several H'mong were caught up in the frenzy of making fast money by selling trinkets, whatever was at hand. H'mong are farmers so the sight of gringos throwing money at them was not pleasant. Few tourists walked the trails out of town so Seth and me found a place (Hotel Armage if memory serves) then hit the road. Beautiful winding dirt trails skirted valleys sculpted by broad terraced paddies. We scrambled up a muddy hill to speak with a father playing music to his children. The sad lovely tunes drifted away on the wind. In a corn patch I caved and bought items from the children's grandmother. Made her day but the culture was clearly changing. I had seen the same elsewhere in my travels. The tattoo on my arm says First Cavalry Vietnam Cambodia 1970. I had it done at Tony's Tattoo Parlor in Union Beach, NJ in 1972. Had it removed by laser in 1998.
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Marc Levy - Click Image to Enlarge)Carl with a crew of irregulars and a government secret agent.