Hanoi and Sapa

Greetings all

So much has happened since I last wrote so stand by for loads of info on what we have been up to.

Tuesday July 17th
We checked out of the Sunny Hotel and went to our travel agents to dump our main bags so that we are only taking essentials to Sapa with us. We went to a cool cafe called Little Hanoi and then had our first monthly budget meeting after buying a small calculator for 75p!

We were a little over budget for 4 weeks but by the time the fifth week ends we should be back on track, largely due to the exceptional value of the tours we have signed up for as they include accomodation and meals. Halong Bay was $53 each and Sapa was $87 each.

After the budget meeting we went to Hanoi prison, nicknamed the Hanoi Hilton by American prisoners during the Vietnam war. I thought this might have been ironic but the tour showed us that the Americans were very well looked after indeed. The prison had originally been built by the French to house Vietnamese revolutionaries earlier in the century. They certainly could not have called it the Hilton!

We then wandered down a wee side street market with all kinds of food on offer - including a dog that had been roasted! Brings a whole new meaning to a hot dog!

After that we went to see a water puppet show, a 'must do' in Hanoi. It was alright, the puppeteers were very talented and the music was good. It only lasted an hour and we got a free fan!

After dinner at a cheap restaurant with a balcony overlooking the old quarter we went to our travel agents and he got us a taxi to the station, following us by bike so he could personally show us to our first class sleeper carriage. Hanoi station was [retty crazy so I was glad he came along - that's service!

Our 4 bed (2 bunks) carriage was lovely and we were pleased when a New Zealand couple called Anthony and Angela (or Ants and Ang as they affectionately called each other) took the other two bunks. We chatted for a bit before getting a decent sleep and been awoken just before we arrived in Lao Cai at 0530 hours. At this stage we were only 2km from the Chinese border.

Wednesday July 18th
Our guide had our names on a card and we hopped on a bus to Sapa, winding up and around some mountain roads. We arrived in Sapa and got a quick shower beforemeeting the rest of our trekking group - 4 Danish girls including identical blonde twins (I kid you not), 2 Canadians, A guy from Vietnam and two German girls.

The trek started well as we admired the scenery. The path was pretty mucky due to the rain (it rains pretty regularly in Sapa as it is so high up - among the clouds). A local tribe walked with us and ended up helping usas the track became increasingly slippy. Our guide wasn't much help as he ploundered on leaving everyone else to slip and slide and fall in the mud! The local tribe ended up holding our hands along teh way as the rain started and their were some dangerous and also funny moments as the path narrowed and the rain continued to come down. It was a lot cooler than Hanoi and Halong Bay! It was like being back in Scotland weatherwise and scenery-wise.

Check our flickr site for photos of me with my two young guides, as sure-footed as a mountain goat! We bought bags and bracelets off them to thank them for their help.

Our guide eventually took us to our home stay in Ban Ho village - little more than shacks in the foot of a valley that we slid down. We walked to a small waterfall and I sat in the river to cool down and wash my mud splattered clothes. We then had a nice dinner and chatted for a bit before the host broughtout some rice wine and got hammered with our guide and another guide (who was Chinese but thought he was American). The Chinese guy tried and failed miserably to chat up the Danish girls.

We set off a little late, around 10am. One of the German girls wasn't well so she went by jeep with her friend, the Canadian girl and the Vietnamese guy to our lunch spot. The Vietnamese guy had attempted the hike in sandals! Our guide wasn't very good and should have warned us all about the conditions.

We clambered back up the valley and Lynn had a real go at the guide telling him that he ignored us and didn't look out for us. Good old Lynn, he got a real earful!We got back to Sapa and immediately put all our clothes in to get laundered. We had a snooze and a wander around Sapa Town, which is lovely and I would recommend a visit - maybe not a trek!

Friday July 20th
After an early night we got up expecting a short trek only to be told that we had the day to explore ourselves. After our previous experience with the guide I was quite pleased and Lynn and I trekked independently to Cat Cat village and back - around 10k . This was much more pleasant as it was by road and recognised path. After lunch we then climbed a hill in the centre of Sapa. At the top there were caves and lovely gardens looking on to the mountains. We watched the clouds roll by and it was rather lovely.

After climbing back down we sat and watched some guys play frisbee in the square before getting on a bus to LAo Cai. We had dinner and met the Danish girls again and ended up sharing a carriage with an elderly Danish couple back to Hanoi.

Saturday July 21st
A long day! We slept well on the train and arrived in Hanoi at 5am. We walked from the staion to the lake by the odl quarter and sat and watched the city wake. Thousands of people run round thelake every morning and do Tai Chi. It was fantastic to watch as this area of the city, indeed the whole of Hanoi is usually very busy! I even did a few stretching exercises, although Lynn was not very amused as she was a bit tired!

We checke back in to the Sunny Hotel and immediately left to get a bike taxi to Ho Chi Minh museum. It was very interesting and we got to see his mummified body! A bit weird!

After an afternoon kip we are refreshed and about to go and watch the second half of Australia v Japan. The game is in Hanoi but we decided not to bother going along and just watch it witha few beers in town.

Tomorrow we have a chilled day in Hanoi before another night time train to Hue where we will spend a couple of nights max, then on to Hoi An and then some beaches!

We will then go to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Cambodia and then hit the beaches of Thailand.

Catch you soon and check some new photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/murrayandlynn