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  • Day 9

    Vietnam - Sapa

    May 21, 2018 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌬 12 °C

    We arrived in Lao Cai at 6.00am after a great trip on the train, very relaxing and a good sleep. Much improvement on the bus I took 5 years ago.

    We were met at the train station and drove the 30hair raising kms overtaking on corners and driving at break neck speed! Still we arrived at the office of the Sapa Sisters trekking and were given breakfast. Met our guide
    miss Mu and we headed off. Took about two minutes to realise that my light pack was too heavy and it proved to be a hassle from the start. We went down our first track and there the trouble began, the track was steep,skinny and wet and muddy from the rain the night before. Mu had to take my pack after I fell twice on my bum and the pack was so heavy I couldn’t stand up. Thank goodness for the two local women who tagged along to sell us handicrafts because they held my hand and helped me down every difficult bit. Don’t think I would have made it without them.

    On the track Mu pointed out an indigo plant that is used to dye fabric for weaving and showed me how to get the dye out. Now I had a very muddy bum and indigo hands. Pete was busy keeping his own feet and all he could do was look on and laugh as I slipped down the hill on my bum! Very helpful haha! Still once the hard bits were over I managed and the views were amazing. We walked 10kms today through some rough and difficult terrain and by the time we stopped for lunch Pete hated me and I hated me! Both of us agree that we are probably a bit old for this type of trekking.
    Though we did get a round of applause when we made it up a particularly difficult hill.

    The heat was what made it difficult apart from the terrain, it was a relief when we had some light rain. We had lunch at a local house where we were entertained by a piglet knocking the chickens cage to get the rice. Very clever piglet.

    We were staying at Mu’s sister in laws house with the family and got a real insight as to how these people live
    with their pigs, chickens, cats and dogs. The whole family came for dinner and we drank happy water (rice wine) with them and met Mu’s son and husband. Communication was hard but we did learn how to say cheers every time they said just one more! Great experience, both exhausting and amazing. Lovely evening and they gave us our own room and made sure it was really comfortable. No showers and a squat toilet but amazing food and people. We were in bed by 7pm after and exhausting but incredible day.
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