Blogs from Northwest, Vietnam, Asia - page 71

Her foelger en ganske kort (hmm den blev selvfoelig laengere end forventet) update af de sidste par uger her i Vietnam. Efter en skraekklig varm og svedig bustur fra Hoi An ankom vi tidlig morgen til Hanoi og naaede kun at skifte bluse inden vi blev hentet af en ny bus og drog paa vores foerste rigtige gruppetur til Halong Bay. Det var en ganske hyggelig tur, hvor vi virkelig fik slappet af. Vi foelte os som en spoejs blanding af fine moviestars og store blege turister naar vi laa og slangede os paa soldaekket paa vores naesten krydstogtslignende baad. Vi sejlede i ca 2 dage rundt mellem de mange smaa oer, der var ganske nydelige men ikke noget videre interessant syn. Tilgengaeld fik vi rig mulighed for at hoppe i det dejligt svalende vand - ... read more

It’s been a while now since I was in Sapa or at least it seems like it although it’s only been a week. So much has happened since getting to Hanoi. However, I want to talk about Sapa before getting on to the rest. I got up to Sapa after crossing the border from China at Lao Cai on June 1st and I spent three days just wandering around the area and getting used to Vietnam. The highlight was on the second day, when I rented a motorbike and spent the riding through the hills past water falls and small villages, but also down into the valley to see some of the tribal villages of the Hmong and Dzao people. Sapa is only 50 kilometers or so away from the Chinese border, up in the mountains. ... read more

This is backtracking on our journey a bit, but we're finally getting this posted :) Be sure to check out the new photos on the Cruising China Seas/Wet and Wild entries, too! Sapa was one of our favorite places we've visited thus far on our travels. It is a small town in northwest Vietnam, settled in a little valley up in the mountains not too far from the Chinese border. The clouds often roll in low, giving the town a mistical effect. Small villages around Sapa are home to several different hill tribe people, each with their unique traditions and dresss. Getting to Sapa from Hanoi involved a night train...we ended up on a car with an older French man who didn't speak to us at all and a Vietnamese grandmother with her 6 yr old ... read more

It's COLD!!!!!! Well, not that cold, but after so long in the sticky heat Sapa was like stepping into a fridge. Sapa is a very popular spot for tourists, the main reason being to trek through the hills to the various hill tribes around the town. We weren't equppied for trekking at all - no shoes (other than flip flops), no waterproofs, no warm clothes. On this basis we already new we wouldn't see much whilst there, but decided to go anyway. If anything it was a welcome break from town and a space to chill out before starting our journey home to England. Luckily for us when we arrived in town the weather was clear and we had some great views out across the hills and down the valley. We even manged a walk down ... read more

There is one thing I have to do while in Sapa. I have to find Pen. Pen is one of the hill tribe people living in a village outside of Sapa, and a friend of Karen’s. The only clues for finding her are a photograph and this letter: Dear Sherry, As soon as you get to Sapa find someone dressed the same as Pen. They will know her and send word for her to come into town to see you. She has 3 sons now including a new little baby boy. Her village is 5-7 kms from town. If you go out there take your own water and eat first. Pen speaks English and is gorgeous...Don’t try to get police permission to visit her village, it will take too long. Just plead ignorant if you are ... read more