Sapa Day 2

Sapa continued to be amazing through the second day, as we left in the morning to set out on a trekking tour through the villages and rice terraces just outside of the center of the town. Me, Ian and our guide walked out to the hillsides where the rice was grown, with indigo plants and corn interspersed here and there. As we continued to get deeper into the trek, I knew I was in for something special. We dropped down into a valley where the trail was lined with towering clusters of bamboo trees. We saw some large spiders, a bamboo beetle, and some other unusual and colorful insects. Continuing over a swaying wood bridge over a stream that carved through the bottom of the valley, we then began climbing up through more bamboo groves. After a quick stop for a lunch of egg, cucumber and tomato sandwiches provided by our guide in a wooden shack, we continued through toward the villages that housed members of the indigenous tribes that lived on the hillsides. We took stopped briefly at simple "mills" that were run by the water flowing down the mountains, used by the locals to husk the rice that they harvested. After this, our guide took us to a traditional shack that housed a family from the Black H'Mong tribe. It consisted of little more than worn wooden boards for walls and a tin roof (which were were told was a recently adopted feature). Just outside of the house, we were greeted by the smiling children that lived there, ranging in age from toddlers to about 8 years old. They were curious and very excited to see strange visitors, and clamored to see the pictures of them that we had taken on our digital cameras. They laughed and pointed, and squeezed in around the cameras; they were very friendly and full of joy.

We then continued on through the rest of the village, around which roamed dogs, pigs, ducks, and hens with their chicks. We were also passed by a few of the water buffalo that were used to work the fields. As we passed the villagers threshing rice in the fields, most were quick with a smile and even a "hello". We then visited a stone carving shop, selling solid carved objects with beautiful detailed adornment. The highlight in the center of the room was a 3 foot-tall urn, with ornate handles and carving that took over a year to complete. Revitalized after a quick snack of a bitter orange-like citrus and strong green tea, we continued on out past a few more sparse houses, and took a quick swing on a large bamboo contraption set up outside of a simple guest house. After passing over the stream at the bottom of a second valley, we then made our way to the waiting SUV that our guide had arranged to take us home. The trip back gave us spectacular views of the route we had just hiked, as well as a few harrowing turns on the edge of the mountains. We returned to our hotel exhausted by the beating sun and long hike, but inspired by sights that we had just taken in. After checking out from our hotel, we took a winding van ride back to the train station in Lao Cai, where another overnight train took us back in to Hanoi.

Photos and Map, finally

Note: I've finally uploaded photos, which can be found in a slideshow on the right of the page. You can view the images full size by clicking on the slideshow. I've also inserted a map on the bottom of the page so that you can track my journey. I'll update this as much as possible so keep checking in- You can also be notified of updates automatically by subcribing to the RSS feeds so you don't miss anything. Thanks!

Sapa Day 1

Silver Falls outside of Sapa

Now that I'm back in Hanoi after another overnight train from Sapa, I can finally take some time to reflect on the first few days of the trip. Sapa proved to live up to its reputation of majestic natural beauty and fascinating culture. All over the village, the local "minority population" of indigenous Black H'Mong people go about their business and sell their crafts. The women are dressed in indigo tunics, adorned with bright red, yellow, green and white embroidery, while the men wear more subdued dark outfits with off-white collars. We visited the local market, which was full of all sorts of food, artifacts, clothing and all the necessities and nick-knacks for tourists and locals alike. There are constant offers from the crafts-women to "buy blanket" because they have "best price". This was a good place to hone our haggling skills, and it turns out that threatening to go to the next stall is fairly effective at ending the conversation and getting the price you're looking for. We worked up an appetite walking around for a bit more, and went to a great little restaurant with bamboo-backed menus. We shared what has so far been the best meal since reaching Vietnam, consisting of venison stir fried with lemongrass, and a goose dish with honey served on a hot plate. Leaving behind clean plates, we then ventured out to take a tour of the landscape just outside of Sapa. We hired a tour van with a guide, who took us out to see Silver Falls, an amazing waterfall splashing down into the valley, and then upwards to Tran Ton pass, which is a mountain pass providing spectacular views of the lush forests below. The deep greens contrasting with the blue sky and billowing cloud formations kept us there snapping photos for some time. After returning to Sapa, we had a quick dinner of Pho Bo (beef noodle soup) and then stopped to play a game with some high-school aged guys in the street that involved juggling a shuttlecock-like ejectors like a soccer ball in a circle. We then stopped at Kau Bar to grab a quick beer before returning to the hotel and resting after another long day.

Sapa

Last night we came in from Hanoi to Sapa on the overnight train. It was about 10 hours, during which we discussed the US presidential elections with an Australian and spoke French with a big tour group that was filling up the cabins adjacent to ours. We got into the train station at around 6AM and took a long winding bus ride to the village of Sapa. We drove through some amazing scenery, sharing a van with an Austrian, a couple from France and some Vietnemese. Along the way, the scenery was breathtaking. We drovethrough lush valleys, with rows and rows of rice terraces lining the hillsides. We began to see signs of the indigenous populations working alongside the roads, carrying baskets of good or working in the fields. The bus ride was about 2 hours, with slight interruptions provided by one passenger getting car sick, and a quick roadblock provided by some of the cattle that roam around the villages. Once arrived in Sapa we got a great room with a view over the mountains ($4), and are now planning our day in hopes of seeing as much of the area as possible. I'm looking forward to being out of the bustle of Hanoi and relaxing.

Good Mooooorning Vietnam!

I made it!
After about 30 hours of travel, including short layovers in L.A. and Seoul, we finally got into Hanoi at about 10pm local time last night. We're staying in a nice, small hotel in the "old quarter" and spent the morning walking around Hanoi to get a feel for the city. We visited the Ho Chi Minh museum and mausoleum, which had many historic documents and artifacts, including the communist leader's dumbbells that he used for working out. Hanoi is a wonderful, busy and cacophonous city, with scooters and cars zooming down the narrow streets in droves. This makes crossing the street not unlike playing a game of Frogger at the advanced levels. As expected, it's hot and muggy, with a heat index around 97 degrees. The people have been very friendly, and many of them relish an opportunity to work on their English. I was even greeted by a smiling toddler who waved "hi" and 'bye" to me, putting my non-existent Vietnamese language skills to shame. We are now checking out of the hotel as I type, and heading out to grab some lunch- I'm looking forward to my first authentic pho! After that, we're going to grab an overnight train to Sapa, a majestic village in North Vietnam with a significant indigenous population. I will try to upload some photos when I get a little more time at a computer. Until then, Tam biet!

T minus 2 days

As I sit on the edge of my bed typing this, it's finally starting to hit me. I'm looking at my pack, with a few things strewn about my room, and realizing that I fly out of Boston in about 33 hours. I've been doing the last bits of preparation during my final full day in Maine before taking the train down to Boston tomorrow afternoon. I've done what I can to get things ready before I leave: My mail is being forwarded to my parents' house, I have my vaccines and medicines in order, and I've hopefully bought and packed everything I'll need to start. I'm also wrapping up my law school applications, so that I'll have minimal work to do when the application season opens on October 1st. It's been quite an experience already being in Maine; I feel as if I'm just hitting the reset button on my life. No more alarm clocks, no more Mondays (or Fridays, for that matter), with literally the entire world open to me. I must admit, though, that as liberating as the past 2 weeks have been since I left Boston and my job as a paralegal, it's taking a lot of adjustment in order to cope with these overwhelming changes.

I made my last round of goodbyes today, visiting friends and their families that I haven't seen since I left Biddeford, ME to go work in Boston over 3 years ago. Over the past few weeks, I've been going through this with people I've known all my life, and also with people that I've only recently met. It certainly puts things in perspective, and each time that I tell them my plans (or lack thereof) it all sounds a little crazy, even to me. But, it's also reassuring to know that I have so many great people that are behind me as I set off to the unknown.

(Hector the cat is helping me pack)