Blogs from Northwest, Vietnam, Asia - page 24

After travelling from Hue to Hanoi we caught the overnight Green Train to Lao Cai in the mountains on the Chinese border. The train left Hanoi at 9.00 pm and we had a four berth compartment to ourselves. However, luxury was in short supply with shared loos and one washbasin for the carriage and it was a very rickety ride, making sleeping difficult. We arrived at Lao Cai at 5.30 am the following morning and were met by a guide who took us for a very early breakfast at a nearby restaurant. After breakfast we went to the bridge where one can cross over to China. The bridge is open from 7.00am to 7.00pm each day and we watched a steady stream of Vietnamese making their way over the bridge where apparently they purchase cheap Chinese ... read more

Sapa est une ville mais aussi une région magnifique et incontournable au Vietnam, et plus particulièrement pour les mordus de marche en montagne. Elle est située au Nord-Ouest du pays. C’est là que vous pourrez admirer les rizières dans les vallées que les ethnies locales cultivent abondamment. Dans la ville, on retrouve une atmosphère de petit village, bondé de jeunes enfants et adolescents qui sucent sans cesse une sorte de canne à sucre visiblement très appréciée. Ils se baladent dans les rues, au bord du lac, et flânent sur la place centrale à proximité de la seule église catholique. Un petit marché est omniprésent sur cette place et dans les rues alentour. On retrouve aussi très vite cette influence chinoise, avec de nombreux petits restaurants de rue. L’occasion de manger une petite soupe de noodles, quelques ... read more

After a few days in Hanoi sight seeing we headed off to Sapa. We were prepared for the December cold with our newly purchased North Face jackets that we bought for an exceptionally good deal at the shop in Hanoi Towers. Sights of interest that were visited included the Political Prison, the Temple of Literature and the Military Museum. Also of interest was Ho Chi Minh's mauseleum. From here we also visited the One Pillar Pagoda. I was apprehensive about having to leave my camera with the guards at the mauseleum, not to worry, there's a great little system that magically transports your camera from the front of the builiding to where you exit. You just show your ticket, and there's your camera. Don't go to this spot thinking you can discuss issues with your friends! ... read more

Hello Fellow Travellers , My first visit to Hanoi , Vietnam. I was surprised to see the development in the city. People are very lively and friendly . I had not done too much of a research about the city before visiting this place. I would like to relate to an incident which took place . It is a city which is known for its massages ( i was not really aware about this ) . I had my first massage. During the course of the massage , the lady touched my private parts and indicated for a massage there . She asked me how much i would tip her . We started to bargain . ( i feel disgusted about thinking about the incident) To my surprise she was throwing tantrums . Then she started ... read more

The walk today was really great, much better than yesterday's. Yesterday we just walked through one village and right back up, but today we walked about 12.5 kilometers and saw two villages and a lot of beautiful countryside. It's basically rice paddies as far as the eye can see and they aren't flat, but have been built up into the sides of the mountains, just like in Peru. The women from the Black H'mong followed us the whole way for two reasons: they go to the market in the morning and then walk home, and they wanted us to buy things from them. Our guide, Lan, told us a little bit about her life -- she makes the most money out of anyone in her family (she's 16). Max, the owner of Kangaroo Cafe, just sort ... read more