Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
SAPA:
Ok, sorry this is getting long, although it doesn't do the blog justice being less detailed...
That same night the hostel picked us up at 8pm and took us to the train station. This time our tour group consisted of a total of 7people (of which 5of us had been on the same Halong Bay cruise, so it was great being already well acquainted with eachother). Overnight it was a 8hour (slow) ride up to a small town on the border with China. Luckily we all had bunk beds (4 to a cabin) and so achieving sleep was somewhat do-able once you got used to being thrown around and the endless attempts by locals walking up and down the train trying to sell you stuff.
5.30am the next morning we were transferred by car up to Sapa!! This town has incredibly errie feel...the entire time we were there it was VERY cold (atleast below 10) and was completely covered in mist and was constantly drizzling. At most the visibility was 5m, if not less. Might sound horrible to you guys, although it was quite cool to experience...After a couple of strong vietnamese coffees and a solid breakfast we were off trekking!
We had a great guide (Nam) who very enthusiastically described anything and everything to us...he also warned us NOT to buy anything from the local touts as it was discouraging the kids from attending school. This was very hard to do as they were lovely friendly people (dressed in beautiful costume and colours) - some of them followed us for almost the entire 6 or so hours that we were trekking. It was very slippery at times and they insisted on helping us up and down the mountains.
At times the clouds would disperse and we would catch glimpses of beautiful landscapes of flowing rice fields and terraces - a huge amount of work goes into shaping and preserving them. There were massive waterfalls everywhere and it was all stunning. Photos certainly won't do the place any justice...
We stopped for lunch at a pig farm (they quite possibly had the biggest pigs anyone had ever seen - they were beasts!) and wandered in and out of villages. We thought the trek had been easy so far until we reached the last 2 hours which was all down and VERY steep and a VERY VERY slippery descent. It might as well have been a massive mud slide haha. Oh and it was drizzling too, just to add to it all! Nonetheless we all put on a brave face and noone actually knew how far we had to go. Taking off our shoes at the bottom was a real treat haha.
At the bottom of the valley we stayed overnight in a local homestay which was great. It was all very authentic as we slept in the roof - mattresses were lined across the floor, each covered in mosquito nets. Very homely! And now, the thing that kept us motivated....THERMAL HOT SRPINGS!!!!
Oh yes...these were well deserved!! Even getting to them was a challenge: basically stepping across some narrow sippery bambow ledges, over a massive heaping, fast flowing deep rapid river...good times! The water was great - with the misty mountains overhead and the fast flowing river right beside us, we all enjoyed a well-earnt soak (we will put up photos soon!!).
Back at the homestay we had another massive feast, then were introduced to the local HAPPY WATER (aka rice wine). Between 7 of us we polished off 6 bottles of the specialty aswell as apparently 26 big bots of bear. Our host was a hilarious old guy who would crack up in laughter everytime he saw Aza and would proclaim "happy water, happy water!" (the next morning, which so happened to be his birthday...seriously hangover haha)...
The next morning we were allowed our first sleep-in in days (9pm) aswell as some banana pancakes (which Nicky happily discovered were made out of rice flour, aka no gluten). We then explored the local village and came across a local wedding celebration! Here, the celebrations last 3days and the entire village is typically invited to join in the festivities. It was hilarious as this was day 2, the parents of the bride and groom were incredibly intoxicated, and apparently noone had slept the night before. Locals being locals, our group was warmly dragged in... The wife and groom then insisted on us having approx 6 shots of rice wine aswell (it would have been rude to refuse...aza could barely handle the smell let along drinking it haha). Then tables were cleared and we were all clumsily dragged into dancing with them (aka 11am, hangover, but now all semi boozed again). Put it this way, the Vietnamese certainly love their techno trance music, even if the same song is played over and over ("I'm so lucky, lucky..."). Everywhere we went the locals were smiling, completely self sufficient, and genuinely the most generous anyone could come across!
Once we managed to escape, we trekked off to a river which had a fantastic waterfall and swimming hole. The brave amonst us jumped in (it would have been about 16degrees) then back to the homestay for lunch. We then learnt that we had to climb up the same hill which we had all sled down the day before...Bare in mind we are still hangover and semi drunk and all our joints are seriously aching. Nonetheless all armed with bamboo poles, 2 hours later we made it (we kid you not, it was STRAIGHT up. Luckily it was far less muddy this time).
A van then met us which carried us back into Sapa (still foggy and misty). Despite the poor visbility it doesn't slow down the drivers in anyway!! Overtaking on blind corners is perfectly normal, even on places where the roads have collapsed and there is a sheer cliff below us... After a couple of hours to kill browsing the local market, or just trying to warm up, we were transferred back to the train station, then another overnight bouncy sleep back to Hanoi. We arrived at 4.45am this morning and were shocked to see the markets were already buzzing with activity (bare in mind it doesn't get light til 6am....we don't think this city ever sleeps!) Over sunrise we all wandered to the local lake and observed the locals in their morning exercise rituals (mum - no Luc Tung here, nor hardly any tai chi, rather it was mostly women bouncing around to a techno boom box haha) - quite entertaining!!
Another Vietnamese coffee later, it is now 8am and we have to whole day to kill in Hanoi until our overnight 'sleeper' bus which leaves at 6pm and will take 12hours to reach our next destination, Hue (yes have sympathy, we haven't seen a bed in days haha)!! Again, the same 5 people from the last 2 tours are also making the same journey which will make it more bareable (we hope). And we seem to be muttering the word 'rice wine'...watch this space!!
Hope everyone is well, love to everyone...hopefully most of you made it through this blog. Our mission for the day is to work out our photos, so hopefully you will all see some soon!! Thanks to those who have been leaving us comments :)
- comments