Day 3: Sapa, Vietnam

Day 1 - Drive to Sapa overnight

The drive to Sapa was interesting being it was my first time on a sleeper bus. We left Hanoi around 9pm and was supposed to arrive at 5am.

During the ride I had no trouble sleeping. However, the top bunk came with extra sway, almost a roller-coaster-like feeling, following the natural curves in the road and while passing other vehicles. I managed to tune out the honking and fell into dream land.  Only towards the end of the journey I was awoken by sharp deceleration/accelerations as the corners were taken. I was finding myself reaching for the side handles to make sure I was not going overboard from my bunk.  This was going on for a good hour till we finally arrived at 4am.

Day 2 - Morning in Sapa

Upon arrival, it was still very dark outside and above, millions of stars were shining. We were far away from city lights so the view was spectacular. The only reason I was awake at this time was the strong urge to find a toilet.  However, all other tourists were still deep asleep and our driver seems to have vanished into the darkness.  I could tell there were about 20 sleeper buses next to mine but no movement from any of them.

I was too scared to even look at the facility offered on the bus.....so I  decided to meditate for another hour in hopes for sunrise and directions to the nearest loo. 5:30am rolled around, and by this time I was shivering from the cold (in Sapa, the temperature dips into 10 degrees or less at this time of the year) and was desperate to find a toilet. I decided to take a deep breath and make a run for it.....get off the bus and find our driver!  I need clothes and a toilet fast!!!

Immediately off the bus, I was stunned by the view! Surrounded by large mountains and an early sunrise was just too great to rush by.  But then nature called again and as my driver noticed me rushing off....he ran after me (he was hiding under the covers in one of the beds.....recovering from the 5 hour drive) and finally helped me to get my bag. The toilet cost me 25 cents!

Once walking back to my bus, every tourist seemed to be awake.....and this is when chaos hit.  With very minimal instructions....very little English speaking guides...everyone started getting off the bus frantic to find a toilet and get access to their clothes to cover up their summer attire.  But most importantly, we were all frantic to find our tour guide and get on with hiking!

Instead of being told what to do, hundreds of tourists were herded by a handful of men with papers....asking each tourist if they can recognize their name on the list. After another few hours pass....and myself and a few others get zipped away by taxi to somewhere....the hotel assuming, where my breakfast awaits. Not at the promised 5 am with a shower...but at 830 am with frantic eating and packing up our day packs.

I wanted to double check to make sure that in fact I can pick my bag up after the hike, prior to heading to my home stay...and I was made assure that leaving my things behind was fine and pick up was possible at a later time. Without further hesitation, I walked out to find my group and didn't ask any further questions.

The hike on the first day was 15 km and the most picturesque place I have visited.  While I have seen many amazing places in my time...Sapa was very unique from all the rest. The beautiful rice fields carved into the side of the mountains was nothing I have ever seen. The local people were tiny and their babies even smaller....I felt like Gulliver on his travels.  I took about 500 pictures just on this first day.

Our group was very fun...and we all seemed to get along great! United Nations really, as 13 people were from about 6 countries. During our hike we were a little bombarded by our tour guides to buy hand made gifts as a trade for assisting us during the hard trek....this was a little disappointing and very uneasy experience.  You were forced to buy things rather than just tip the guides. Lunch time was similar, with sellers being forceful to buy their things...but all I could get myself to do is smile and nod in disagreement.

After lunch, it was time to get to our home stay.

It never really occurred to me that everyone had their bags during the hike...accept for me.  I was told that picking up my stuff was possible after lunch....however, it turns out that is incorrect...and it my fault for doing so. Lol

Za, our tour guide arranges for Ba, another tour guide to pick me up....and take a bus to get my stuff from the hotel.  I was left on the side of some road at a house, in some village, where a couple of men sat around talking. I watched my group walk away and disappear into the distance and the mountain valley.

It was about 30 min of me sitting there alone when it hit me, I did not know where I was, who to ask and how to call for help if it was needed. I was completely alone in the Sapa mountains and it was peaceful to sit there knowing such fact.  Plus, I had great trust in Ba to find me. With a huge smile, and an exhausted tour group behind her she asked if I'm the bag-lady....I smiled back and started walking with her and chatting like nothing has happened.

Once at the hotel, I grabbed all my things, and again a motorbike taxi zipped me away. This time however, I was taken on an even more scenic route than my bus ride up. On this detour, I made one of the best videos which captured the hills and valleys we climbed for the entire day.

After such breathtaking detour I decided that leaving my bag behind was probably the best part of my hike in Sapa.  I showed my video to the other hikers and they seemed to be a little envious of my crazy luck.

At our home stay, we enjoyed local food and drinks called, happy water, which is basically my father's 50% moon shine but made from rice. The sunset was again breathtaking...and we all seemed to have no trouble getting g to bed early after this day.

Day 3 - Hiking after the Sapa home stay

I awoke in the morning frantically to take pictures of the sunrise....but as I ran downstairs to grab my battery....it was gone! The sun also rises ( I believe that's a Hemingway title) but I captured none of it!

It turns out, one of the boys living at the house took it into his room...and just after sunrise he de ided to bring it out again to the main room.  It's nice of him to keep my battery safe....but unfortunately I only got the tail end of the morning.

By this time my group is giggling thinking everything seemed to happen to this crazy canuck! Never mind....we had a good laugh and enjoyed banana pancakes and tea/coffee before starting the last 5km of our hike.

But the fun continues for me.

While we only had 5 km to hike on the second day....it turned out to be the most challenging and slippery experience.  We were balancing on the edge of the rice fields for the entire 5km, so naturally someone has to end up falling in the rice field. I ended up taking home the award for the most graceful landing into the rice mud/water.  I landed with my bum on the edge so I did not need to use any of my swimming strokes...but sure enough, I was carrying Sapa mud home with me all over my runners and clothes.

More giggles thanks to my entertaining abilities followed by our last lunch before the bus ride back to Hanoi.

       

Overall, hiking through the Sapa hills and the home stay became an immediate highlight of my early travel days in Vietnam.  I connected with the local tour guides very well....and our group seemed to get along very well.  We even organised coffee dates the next day in Hanoi ....and met up randomly with a few others along the later stops as well.

Cheers 

-R