Sapa (6-9 Nov 12)

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First things first, congratulations President Obama! Four more years!

And now on to my next stop. After a 9h overnight train ride from Hanoi, I arrived at Lao Cai at the Vietnam-China border. The moment the train pulled to a halt, the obligatory competing minibus runners stormed in like Special Forces troops of course, soliciting all and sundry who were still in a dazed stupor from the early 6 a.m. wake-up call. After the expected attempts at exhorbitant over-charging (this is Vietnam after all), I finally managed to get one to settle on the correct price as reported on Wikitravel, and it was just another 1h winding minibus climb to the highland town of Sapa.

I had some expectations, as I'd read in LP that in Vietnam, the northern highlands were where "the magic happens". But I also knew that I'd just arrived from magnificent Northern Laos, so the bar was set high. Moreover, this was the beginning of the winter in Sapa, so its splendid summer views would be obscured by even thicker cloud cover and fog.

And indeed, Sapa didn't disappoint. Certainly much more touristy, and much more developed than its Laotian counterpart, but still packing some spectacular views of rainbow-coloured rice paddies terrace-cut into the majestic moutains, and notwithstanding the clouds, that seemed to roll in at every opportunity to frustrate a photo-taking tourist. But the incessant touts soliciting "motorbike", along with the sight of Westerners every corner I turned, inevitably made me compare the experience to Northern Laos, which was by far much more peaceful, even meditative.

Nevertheless, I was happy to be at a place that I specifically had in mind when I was contemplating this Southeast Asian journey months ago, so wandering its pretty streets in the midst of English-speaking, traditionally-dressed Hmong villagers (and disturbingly large Alsatian strays I must add!), I could certainly feel some of the "magic" that LP refers to.

Stayed at Lotus Hotel.

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Photos

Sapa Town
From the peak of Ham Rong Mountain Resort. City in the clouds.

Hmong BBQ Woman
She spoke good English, and made even better BBQ pork, enoki mushrooms and bamboo-steamed sticky rice!

Ham Rong Mountain Resort
This particular garden was called the Garden of the Twelve Heavenly Branches. I kid you not!

Sapa Lake
At dusk.