Filed under: Asia
Leaving Hanoi on the overnight train, I end up sharing a cabin with three guys from Israel. They have been travelling four months and covered a lot of ground. They spent a lot time in India, which they really enjoyed, although it was very challenging. Like me, they agree that travelling in Vietnam is far too easy. The most challenging thing is to avoid getting ripped off! They are spending a few days in Sapa trekking and then heading for Laos.
We arrive in Lao Cai, which is the last stop before China. Sapa is about an hours drive from there. It’s a truly beautiful mountain area, located in the northwest of Vietnam. By the time I arrived it was about 7.30am and the whole area was shrouded in fog, spectacular! The region is home to many minority tribespeople. They wear traditional clothes and their main occupation besides subsistence farming is making clothes, bags, purses, scarves – all very colourful. The children are very good marketers, and of course, after two days there I leave with more scarves and stuff I don’t need. However, at least the money they make goes straight to the families. The day flies past, as I wander through the town and its colourful markets and take a walk down to a local tribal area. The locals are more than happy to escort you there, explain their way of living and talk about life in the mountains.
By the end of day, I can hardly keep my eyes open. Two nights of travel are taking their toll! I’m in bed by 8pm. My original plan was to spend three days here, but as usual, I change my mind! I decided to take the night train the next day back to Hanoi and make an effort to get to Halong Bay! It would be a shame to come this far north and not see this beautiful place. Before I leave though, I organise a trip to Ha Bac Market, which takes place every Sunday. This Market is where all the local hill tribes come to sell their wares, including horses, pigs, chickens and cows. It’s amazing and a photographers heaven! The afternoon takes in a visit to a hill tribe and we get to see their way of living, from saving the corn to cooking. It’s a great insight. Finally, we go back to Lao Cai where I depart for my train, but not before taking a quick trip to the Chinese border, where we see the friendship bridge. China, so near! But with no visa organised and no plans to visit in such cold weather, it’ll have to wait for another time. I have a few hours to kill before my train, I have a look around the town, but it has little to offer. Lucky for me, I bump into two Japanese girls I met in Hoi An. They are also waiting for the train, so we pass the hours together.
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