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Published: June 29th 2008
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SAPA for the weekend!
A market town and a the main meeting place for local tribes who come to trade every weekend. Some excellent handicrafts can be got here and for watching the passing parade of people. Colorful tunics of the Dao and Giay people mix with the black and blue clothing and silver ornamentation of the Black Hmong tribe, while bright red scarves cover the heads of the Red Hmong who carry large woven baskets on their backs brimming with goods. Definitely one not to miss while in Vietnam
Not enough words for this fascinating place...really beautiful, the scenery was breath taking, we arrived when the weather was cold and crisp but the skies were blue in other words... tis flippin' coooold...... Sapa.. this little town perched high on mountains...
Found this fab guest house (6USD between us) over looking the valley & Hoang Lien mountains and even managed to get an electric blanket!!!! & blagged breakfast in bed from the roof top restaurant that over looks the mountains.. every morning they would come down with French crusty bread and scrambled eggs.. on a tray... best guest house everrr.
Myself and
Renee spend the day shopping, must have bought the place between us... don’t know how I am going to manage to carry all this shiiiit around...
Met these 2 little girls of the Hmong tribe, Ha & Che that adopted us while we were there and showed us around, it was great, they brought us through their little village which is outside of the main town, my pictures didn’t do it justice, I think this is what they do for a living, reel in unsuspecting visitors and bring them to their villages and then like ejits we buy everything, because the girls are so good to us... well not me.... I haggled them down all the way.. ha ha
Took a bus tour to the Sunday Markets.....up super early hangover an all for the winding bumpy... looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong ride to the markets.. now I’m sure at this stage u know I like to shop but heck this ride was not worth it at all. it was like the Mart to marts on a Tuesday bidding for the heiffers... no fun at all slip sliding from one pebble to the next just to avoid all the mud.. but on
that bus ride we met up with a bunch of Australians and immediately made plans for that evening to splash out in one of Sapas exquisite restaurants....
We take the girls out with us aswell just to say thanks and Jacob, Greg, Rory, me, Renee & co found a cute little restaurant and we literally take over the joint.. food was fab if I remember correctly... of course its the last night in Sapa and I along with everyone else do what we do best & go hammer and thongs in the local bar and I’m not talking cheap beer either... full on 3 dollar cocktails all the way..
Next morning went something like this.. UGH!!!! mouth.. barrel... bottom... something to that effect anyway..... and an overnight sleeper train journey back to Hanoi....
Lucky for us Jacob the Auzzie guy lived in Hanoi so invited us to stay with him.... and of course it would be rude not to so we did.
Hanoi!!!
Renee left for Cambodia the day we got To Hanoi and I spent another week there hanging out with Jacob and Co.. it was a fantastic experience, one I wont forget
in a hurry...Jacob lived right next to a park and every morning music would start up (at 5am I will politely add) and the park would fill up with all these elderly Vietnamese...... doing... I’m not sure what but it reminded me a little of Shaun of the Dead... it was endearing to see.. maybe not at 5am in the morning but it was endearing none the less.
My first 2 weeks in Viet nam I would have said that this country has been my least favorite place in South East Asia...... Saigon I loved but was a little disappointing due to me being sick and the torrential rain... but since I’ve gotten better and the sun has come out here in Hanoi...I have to say Viet Nam is magical......most of all Hanoi...I’ve fallen in love with this city....My favorite place in South East Asia....... so far. But I'll also say that the Vietnamese are always on hand to make a quick dong.. always...
I prepare to pack my bag one last time in Vietnam so while Jacob sits on it I try and zip it up, I take advantage of J's big physique and let him
carry it to the end of the road to where I seen this fantastic top... I think Ill get it before I leave.. Ill only regret it if I don’t. Sad goodbye to Jacob and just like that I’m on my own again heading for another big adventure.. the border to China...
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