im actually in Sapa ... arriving at 5 am on train to Lao Cai, jumping mini bus and continuing on to Sapa, trying to sleep through the steep journey as it was still dark and i couldnt see a thing! as we arrived in Sapa, we were shown our rooms and greeted my the locals trying to sell there wares. they look amazing, their outfits are sensational and most of them dont have much on their feet, which is a shock cause im freezing. arriving today (sat) there is a huge staurday market and ive been given cash to buy things for alicia's housemates (who also gave me tips of how much things should be)... jewlery, silk sleeping bags aswell as some things for me so was pretty keen to hit those markets ... well the markets hit me!! i step one foot out the door and i have hilltribe women and children saying "you buy from me .. look look look, you buy from me .... only from me ... promise" i learnt quickly not to promise! no i go for the chepest price!

i havent been one for bargaining in Hanoi ... they dont want to play the game ahlf the time, so has been fun bargaining with the locals here, they are up for a joke .... as long as you buy something at the end of it!!!

well John and i arrived so early we wandered around but really needed to do something! asked around ... about day tours, and decided that we could get cheaper if we didnt go through the hotel ... so out on the street we negotiated for a say ome (motorbike) with guide to take me and john would hire a bike and the guide would take us to some local villages ... all agreed to the set rpiec and we were off ..... as soon as we had bought some gloves and warmer things!

off on the bikes ... im growing quite fond of biking around Chau (our guide) took us to some local villages ... as we assended toward one village .... children came pouring out5 of the scenery toward us ... they were after lollies (had none) and i wanted photos ... tehy were grubby, wearing hardley anything (i wanted to give one of them my jacket) they had like 5 year olds looking after babies , strapped to their backs ... really cute kids but sad too see the way they live! but they seemed happy enough playing around, i got some shots and john gave them some coin instead of lollies. off again winding through villages and rice pattie stairs scattered the countryside, the first village Machu is home to the H'mong (pronounced mong) tribes they are the ones with the black head dresses, just after that village we came to a massive church that was destroyed by bombing, it has this luminess orange fungus (moss) growing all over it ...pretty cool. we headed on, through to Ta Phin, which is where the Dzao (pronounced Zao) tribe lives, as we arrived there for lunch i was bombarded by the women trying to sell me all sorts of things, i said nothing of promise this time ... i said "No buy, i look and will think, no promise to buy" they began dressing me in hats, belts all at ridiculus prices ... so i said no thankyou, and went in and ate my expensive lunch, which was delicious, best tofu ive ate whilst here, throughlunch gentle men were smoking on baboo bongs, with the added help of a bucket thus creating a bucket bong! i wanted to buy a red Zao head scarf ... but they were charging silly prices, so ill try get one here in town for cheaper, one red Zao women invited us into her home, they are so basic but quite spacious and have multi levels, for storing and drying rice and corn. there are animals everywhere, pigs, dogs,cats, chickens, ducks and i havent seen one chase another, they are so placid and free to roam. the villages have schools, primary and secondary where the children are educated and taught english, so most can hold a conversation, but its very repetative "where you from?", "whats your name?", "how old are you?", "you have brother, sister?", "you old, young, middle?" it same same then come the selling "you buy!!" after walking around the Dzao village we biked it back into town, where the guide, Chau, said we were finished and we argued that we hired him for the whole day, we negotiated and got a bike for an extra few hours, after cruising round town, we found a quiet street to teach me how to ride a motorbike ... was a bit scary but i got the hang of it after a little bit.

back in town got a hit of coffee and now i cant sleep, it was so strong but soooo good and now im filling in my travel blog ...i also had a good banter with a H'mong women this arvo ... a good friendly banter, bargaining, competition she won in the end, i bought something , but i really won cause i got it cheap!

Johns having a rest, and ill be out for dinner soon ... Mmm food

im off on a trek tomorrow, with a home stay in one of the villages overnight and a trek back on monday ... shoudl be fun .. though not sure how ill go with the trek, my lungs are playing up quite a bit ... ill push through it i guess .... got my trusty tiger balm so should be sweet.