Typhoon & Landslides in the north

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Hi All,

Since our last blog we have been on something of an adventure. We left Sapa on the afternoon of Fri the 8th for a night train back to Hanoi. On our way down the mountain to Lao Cai it was raining pretty bad and the river was quite wild but we didn't think much of it. We got the train at 8:15 and all seemed to be going well, however it stopped during the night for hours then proceeded to return to Lao Cai, without any explanation. Nobody on the train spoke any english!!!

We arrived back to Lao Cai, where a Vietnamese tour guide told us he could get us to Hanoi on bus for 1 million Dong each (about 60 dollars). We saw this as our only way out, so 28 tourists climbed onto two mini buses and we were of.

The flooding was getting very bad as we were leaving Lao Cai, and we came across some small landslides. after about 10 hours of driving and notgetting veryfar, our tour guide decided to let us all sleep in the bus in the middle of nowhere!! because just ahead of us was a very bad landslide and itwould not be clear until the nextmorning (sunday).

The next morning after a very bad sleep if any, we proceeded past the landslide. We only got about ten mins further when we stopped for breakfast in a small village valled Bao Yen. Our tourguide set the meal prices, I really think he was getting some profits! We moved on a little further andthat was the end of our travels. We reached 5 km of Mud to the waist and there was no way we were getting through!

We headed back to Bao yen and stayed the night in some family home! Anothertight squeeze, 30 people in one room on matresses for 40,000 dong each, again the tourguide chose the prce!

Yesterday we gave up and decided to come back to Lao Cai and wait for the trains to start working again! Bao Yen was very small and they very rarely saw tourists if ever, the prices of food and accomodatio were rising too.

Back in Lao Cai we have our own bed , shower and we can do some laundry! Last night there was a trial run of a train to Hanoi, so I think we will be out of here by tomorrow!

It hasn't been very nice, but at least we are safe and alive! many locals ansd possibly some tourists have died!

Our trip in Vietnam hopefully will get better!! Bye for now,
David & Anita

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