On Wed we took the night train to Sa Pa, 9 hrs from Hanoi, and a million miles from the rest of the world. I am having difficulty finding words to explain th.e whole experience. The valley is awsomely beautiful, with it's terraced slopes, rivers and waterfalls. The people too, are beautiful, although impoverished. Unfortunately, tourism has made them into beggars, selling handicrafts very persistently. We trekked for two days, about 25km in total, and it was fantastic. Even the pictures don't seem to do justice to this beautiful place, because of the ever present mist, but that is part of the mystical beauty. The whole journey is one that I cannot share in words, it is a must see for yourself.
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