From the book: Sapa

06/07-APR 2018

Heading to Sapa. The week has been one long week of speaking tests, loud students and broken TA’s. At least its over, and not particularly difficult. We will see how the written tests fare next week.

I am writing this section on a ‘night bus’. It has bunk beds of reclined seats. In theory it is comfortable as busses go, but in practice it feels like I am lying in a dental chair. I am too tall for the seat, and the movement doesn’t help as the bus hits potholes and swerves around windy roads. I am listening to music and sending messages on the phone to pass the time. I travelled from 9PM to 6AM, barely getting any sleep, but much rest.

First impressions of Sapa are not bad. 7°C temperatures and green hills remind me in some ways of Kilternan, perhaps around October or November. The town is what I imagine a typical winter retreat to be. Of course, there are still rice vendors and bike rentals. As a group we ate fried eggs and toast for a familiar breakfast.

The trek begins!
What starts as a walk through the town turns into hillwalks and photoshoots all through the route. Lots of mud walks and steep ascents at first. By the first peak my t-shirt was so sweaty I had to put on the spare one in my bag. The guides have been very friendly, with a unique mountainous dress and an infectious laugh! Despite their age they travel across the difficult terrain, well, without any difficulty.

After the first peak was a stunning view of the valley on the right. The mountain ridge was so tall and the valley so deep it was mesmerizing and intimidating at the same time. Rice fields could be seen at the bottom. Each subsequent walk, climb and descent revealed something else worth taking pictures of. Free range wildlife, the odd scooter, greenery and fields everywhere you could see.

Eventually a problem emerged: My new hiking boots were hurting my ankle. I had not worn them in enough before trekking. By the end I was in a lot of pain. Hopefully I have the pain threshold to get back to Sapa village.

Lunch was at a local stopover restaurant in the hills. It was quite touristy despite the great authentic food. Children sold wrist bands constantly and locals haggled their clothing. I got a colourful belt off them.

The rain had passed over the restaurant and we continued. By now the ankle pain was unbearable. Fortunately we made it to the homestay house. Beers and a stunning view greeted us all, as was a dinner. It was a deliciously local feast of rice, chicken, mushrooms, spring rolls and beansprouts. I obviously ignored mushrooms but all else was great. The sight of a few cattle passing the front door with a boy riding on one was bizarre indeed.

After dinner was the very dangerous ‘happy water’ AKA rice wine. I ended up having 5 shots reenacting scenes from the deer hunter with Andy. Cheers to the governor, musical chairs and musical statues followed, as did a singing contest. It was all drunken fun.

The night ended with stargazing. It reminded me of the Spanish countryside with its silence and stars. I even managed to catch 3 shooting stars pass through the night sky. We all went in before 11pm after that. However, a trip to the outback toilet later gave me a different sight; a half moon rising above the tallest mountain peaks. Could this be the best place to have a midnight wee? Possibly.

08-APR-2018

I had a cold sleep, but woke up to a roosters call. We ate a surprising pancake plate with locally grown bananas and honey. Extra water was welcome. I only had a litre of water yesterday.

Trekking continued. Fortunately for me, I only had flat terrain to walk through the villages, riverbeds and downhill. My ankles would be saved from the pain of downhill descents with runners.

we crossed bridges, rivers, high passes and small villages before stopping for lunch. More rice and chicken, but I didn’t mind. Afterwards was a surprise trip to a minibus straight to Sa Pa. That was relaxing after a long hike!

We finished up having an all too brief look at the town markets before saying goodbye to our guides and returning to Hanoi. It was a beautiful place, with welcoming hosts snd a great atmosphere from everyone there.