🙂 AMAZING scenery and food..
🙁 Not sure about the eels that the little boy collected.
36C
After arriving at Lao Cai train station we completed an excursion to the fascinating Tuesday Market and a river trip as part of the tour that we had selected with Sapa Sisters. After the morning’s activities we headed to the Sapa Sister’s office to drop off our bags and embark on our trek. We chose Sapa Sisters on a recommendation from friends and also because its is a local social enterprise owned and led by local guides who take care of each other’s welfare. We definitely recommend their services and a Homestay where we enjoyed the company of the family and excellent food. Our guide was a lovely lady called Little Mo.
The scenery here is spectacular. We had opted for a a 2 day / 1 night option, which includes two days of trekking with a night at a homestay in between. This time of year (April) is generally great as less rain and less tourists. Sapa Sisters offered various options in terms of challenge on the terrain. We were fit and were happy to take on the ‘Challenging Route’ in the hope that it would mean less tourists. . From the moment that we set off the scenery was spectacular. It was HOT! Almost immediately we were shadowed by colourfully dressed Black H’mong women who come from the villages to sell their textiles, clothes and jewellery. We had been advised to make a small purchase from them and that would suffice to stop them continuing to follow and harass us. So when we got to the little restaurant with a view we took a look at their offerings and Charlotte bought a very reasonably priced hair band from one lady and I made a purchase from another lady. They then gave us textile wrist bands – this would appear to indicate that we had made a purchase and we were no longer targeted so everyone was happy!
After lunch we began to regret our choice of ‘challenging trek’ as it was excruciatingly hot and we had to endure a vertical climb up though the paddy fields which had slippery bordered … BUT the views were amazing and worth every steep climb! Paul flew his drone and all the little boys came to check out what the noise was!
Life pretty much continued around us … the roosters crowed, the pigs squealed, ducks ate slugs from the paddy fields and the water buffalo did their jobs. Just amazing to feel part of it all…so peaceful.
In the late afternoon we arrived at Little Mo’s sister in law’s house (husband’s brother). She introduced us to her husband and her little boy.
We had a shower while they made a start on cooking. We joined them to chat. The cat was begging! The boys were playing with eels which they had found in the rice paddy – I felt so sad because they just left them in the bowl and the next morning they had died. It is absolutely incredible to see what a feast was cooked over such a simple fire – delicious!
We went to sleep with very full bellies. We were upstairs on mats and were completely comfortable and fell asleep quickly after the exertion of the day’s walk.
We were woken suddenly in the early hours by the most enormous crashes and bangs – the most ferocious storm had blown in and destroyed part of the roof! Little Mo was in a complete panic – and her husband had slept through it all!
We were up with the roosters at the crack of dawn and enjoyed a breakfast of pho. It was already HOT! There was evidence of the storm everywhere with people up on their rooftops making repairs and small vespas carrying impossible loads!
Again, it was a joy to walk through the villages witnessing the daily chores being undertaken.
We walked through a bamboo forest until we came to a huge rocky area and a waterfall where we stopped for a break and a cooldrink.
We were now approaching Little Mo and her husband’s house …
He had made us lunch which was gratefully received! DELICIOUS – Just wonderful.
We were so relieved to hear that we did not have to walk back to Sapa in the heat and that there were vespas to collect us! Charlotte and I loved the journey back enjoying the magnificent scenery from the back of the bikes – Paul less so! LOL.
We got back to Sapa Sisters and said farewell to Little Mo after giving her a tip to thank her for the most excellent two days that we had enjoyed in her home. A definite MUST do while in Vietnam.
It was time now for us to head onwards on our trip to the Northernmost province of Hà Giang on the Chinese Border to do the four day loop through winding hair pin bend roads and jaw dropping canyons.
Go to: Ha Giang
Go Back to: Coc Ly Market
Go to: Vietnam
