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Because of a recommendation from Rick (Thanks again!!) we scooted up to Cat Ba Island straight away after arriving in Vietnam...
We planned on spending a couple of days on the island, but a week past without hardly noticing. Ha Long bay is made up of 1500 islands. We took an overnight boat tour of the bay. Kayaking thru caves to find hidden lagoons, climbing thru caves to hike to views of other lagoons and squeezing thru caves we didn't think we'd see the end of, eventually seeing the light to find more lagoons. We slept under the stars on a private boat (sounds romantic I know, but I promise there was no rocking as the boat slanted our foam mattresses away from each-other, and L twins is only a nickname!) Another day of kayaking, lazing on monkey island and cruising around the bay we were well and ready to sleep on land that night.
Being back in full tourist swing we booked to do an 18 km hike thru Cat Ba National park. Finally we found a trek that met our standards! We hiked over 5 mountains, had lunch in a local remote village then set off to the coast to catch the boat back to the harbour. Exhausted and ready for new adventures we left the island at noon the next day...but not before we took ourselves on a self guided motorbike tour of the whole island in the morning! We needed one last dose of fresh air before the next journey.
Bus-ferry-bus-hanoi(enough said if you've ever been there)-train-bus...and we finally arrived in Sapa! OMG I'm in heaven!
And from what we've heard we brought some sunshine with us! We spent one day cruising around town buying knock off trekking clothing. What we've read tells us you should hike with a guide...so on our way to a travel office we were approached by two H'Mong women. They spoke very good english and were willing to give us a tour tomorrow to their village for $15. SOLD! We met them in the morning, again only the two of us, but we had 4 women to guide and entertain us. We walked thru the forest, villages and up and down hills for 4.5 hours before arriving in their village. They welcomed us into their home and made lunch. We were entertained by their kids, puppies, pigs and ducklings while we waited. It was very interesting to hear about their way of life. And how tourism in the near by city has changed things and given them many opportunities. Sem, the leading lady of our tour, lives in a row of 3 wooden shacks amongst the layered rice paddies. I'll post pictures because its all so hard to describe. Her husband stays home and she used to as well. But she has learned english lately and every day looks for people to give tours to to make a little cash to save to buy things like tofu, or vegetables that they don't grow themselves from the market in Sapa.
Anyways, those were just the adventures of today, so I write this as we are keeping warm by the makeshift fireplace in a pub drinking a bottle of apple wine.
- comments
Mom What amazing stories. Surreal
Kenna I can't wait to hear where you will be on your birthday!!!
Lou I lovezzz it Liza! Looking forward to your nexttttt post! xo