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Published: June 26th 2007
view from the Cat Cat Hotel
it is impossible to capture the beauty of this town Ahhhh, finally cool weather! We took the over night sleeper train from Hanoi to Sapa - an eight hour ride with four bunks per cabin. The beds were comfortable and we felt relatively safe with locks on the doors and good companions in our cabin. You can travel for less money if you ditch the air-conditioning, sleep in a seat and even take away the cushion! But - we wanted to be rested and so top of the line it was! We arrived in the Lao Cai train station to a million drivers trying to get our business as it is a 60 minute drive to Sapa through the mountains.
Upon arrival, we were surrounded by beautiful mountains whose sides were covered with rice paddies. The air up here is much cleaner than Hanoi and significantly cooler with the perfect amount of humidity (Los Angeles weather). We checked into the Cat Cat Hotel and climbed the three hundred stairs (or so it seemed :-) ) to get to our room. What an amazing view! We had a surrounding view of the town, the mountains, the sky, and the minority villages in the distance.
We spent our first day
getting acquainted with the town and it's inhabitants. There are distinct populations here...Vietnamese nationals and several minority tribes-people. The women from the tribes walk the streets trying to sell their crafts to the tourists, while the men seem to stick to the farming. The people here seem kind and many know a little english and are entertained as you try to speak Vietnamese :-). There seems to be constant construction as the town is growing, but right now, it isn't overrun by tourists.
We followed our guidebook which suggested we take a hike up a hill to a radio tower for some great views. What the guide neglected to tell us, though, is how truly spectacular this hill was. Little did we know, but the area was filled with flower gardens, rock formations, numerous winding paths to explore.
That night we discovered our new favorite Vietnamese food...a hotpot. For those who are unfamiliar with the dish, it consists of a boiling pot of hot soup. You are given lots of fresh vegetables, noodles, and raw meat that you can put in the soup to cook. We loved it, but were stuffed after dinner.
After dinner, we relaxed
under the stars from outside our room at the hotel. The sky was so clear and there were countless stars to be seen.
The next day, we trekked out to the Cat Cat village and took in the local tribal life. We saw the locals tending to their crops and going about their lives.
We hiked to a local waterfall and a nearby swimming hole where Lorin took dip in the cool water.
The next day, we took a private trek out to some of the minority villages. Later we grabbed another overnight train back to Hanoi where we will spend the day before grabbing another train to Hoi An.
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Sissy
non-member comment
I just cannot get over the photos of all the beuaitufl scenery. It really is spectacular. Glad you are having such a great trip. Love ya, Mom