We went to visit Cat Cat village with our guide at the beginning of the
rice planting season. We walked there from Sa Pa, saw the waterfall and
walked back. The walk was scenic and not too tough.
The village was an eye-opener as it is very poor and not as well
built and maintained as the Red Zhao village, or indeed any other
village I saw. Buildings with gaps in the walls, no natural light
allowed inside, muddy paths are all prevalent which made us wonder what
was the cause. Our guide’s explanation was that the Hmong enjoy their
free time and don’t work unless they have to.
The rice paddies are photogenic and obviously hard work to maintain.
