Today, left at about 9:00 with guide, Dzung, for the market town of Bac ha. It took about two and a half hours down the mountain from Sapa through Lao Cai. The road is very windy and because today was a holiday, lots of crazy traffic - motorbikes by the thousands - some with three or four people on board, trucks, horse drawn carts - you name it - we saw it.

Some spectacular scenery but whizzing down the mountain overtaking trucks,cars and motorbikes on improbable corners, does not make for good photography.

We arrived in BacHa to a major traffic snarl that we inched our way through and finally left the driver to it and we got out and walked!! Found out that it was the monthly race day!!

The market was very large with loads of beautiful hill tribe embroidery. There were all sorts of things for sale, from birds, cooks, pigs to water buffalo. I had to restrain Janet from buying a water buffalo!! She would love to own one! But, Ernest,what a mess it would make of the back yard!! But she said she could put it in the front yard-sell the turf!!

It was very hot but we were fascinated with the local tribes - the Flower H'mong wear very colourful outfits (wait for the picture download); Nung, Black dzao, Phu La to name a few.

Then another wonderful lunch and back to another village - Trung Do of the Tay people. It was very interesting to see their houses raised on stilts for the cool air.

Then onto the Jade River where we went for an hour boat ride which was lovely and cool. Saw all sorts of things - a herd of water buffalo bathing, kids swimming, dredging sand and more.

Back to Lao Cai where we saw the border crossing into China. Very grand!

Then dinner and a wait for the night train back to Hanoi. Got the same cabin and now old hands at riding the Sapa train,we were ready for bed within minutes of the train leaving the station!