Sapa and Hanoi

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The trip down the Red River (goes on past Hanoi) to the Chinese-Viet Nam border was long. The road started out well-paved, but by the end was nothing more than a clay mud pit through the jungle. I remember as a kid thinking that Oklahoma dirt was red, and that the Red River there (near my grandfather's farm) was pretty dark red. This Chinese earth is so red it looks purple (confirmed by native English speakers, for those of you who know I'm a color cripple) and this Red River is looks like Christmas ribbon. I kept thinking I was on the wrong bus to nowhere as the arrival time came and went and we were nowhere near anything resembling a town, much less a city. Finally I saw a sign with the Hekou characters showing straight ahead. We arrived two hours late.

My border crossing into Viet Nam was eventless (one couple had their Lonely Planet "China" confiscated because "It shows Taiwan as separate from Chin!!!"). I headed towards Sapa--a mountain village just across the border to try to stay cool as long as possible before heading further south. It's a really beautiful setting with rice terraces in the valleys and Viet Nam's highest peak nearby. Unfortunately the rain arrived just as I arrived, and the Saturday market had already finished.

The next morning I got up early to go to the weekly market at Bac Ha (three hours away). It was one of the best markets I've been to...with animal market, household market, as well as handicrafts market...large enough to almost get lost. The women all were wearing their finest (even those selling piglets). Though there were tourists, generally you ran into only the locals doing their thing. And it was a bright sunny day. Could have spend double the time there, but the bus going back was leaving.
Back to Sapa where it was raining.

I had decided to do a long hike the next morning, so I set out at 7:30 just as the fog was lifting. By 8, it was pouring...came back...waited...started out again. 10 minutes down the road...more rain...came back. And so it went all day. Totally frustrated, I dared the elements the next day positive that it would
stop raining after just a few minutes. It didn't. I kept going anyway, only to find the path was basically water with water buffalo leavings. Still, I kept going. After another hour, I noticed that the rice planters gave up and went home. "When in Rome....... " I turned around. Of course, by now the path was indistinguishable from the actual rice paddies. So much for the great planned mountain trek. I heard later that it rained for seven straight days, and that rainy season hasn't arrived yet. And I have a new pair of shoes and no photos.

Hanoi was my second favorite city so far in Asia. No one is more surprized than I. The large scale buildings in an undistinguished style that have been constructed in other Asian cities have not arrived here. The Old Quarter still exists just like the photos we saw from the 60's and 70's. Most building are not over 4 or 5 stories, and the French architecture has not been destroyed. Thought it was really hot with relatively no air conditioning anywhere, it was really fun to just be on the streets. Ho Chi Minh is everywhere...street photos, busts, monuments, the money, under glass in his mausoleum...everywhere. And Hanoi is unbelievably inexpensive, though I did have a dinner at the well-known Green Tangerine which was not cheap, just less than New York prices. Hanoi is a hoot. However, the one drawback is motorbikes. They are like swarms of gnats coming down the street. Crossing a oneway street isn't too easy, but crossing a two way street is downright scarey. Suggestion should you visit Hanoi: Go drinking during rush hour...you'll never get across any street to go anywhere. Bike parking is anywhere there is a space. So forget walking the sidewalks. They should be called sideparks. Basically you walk in the street. Still, the handicrafts and the art (even the Oriental Mona Lisa) is really fun in Hanoi.

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