Friday, April 4
After having been on an unsteady train - but still a sleeper - for over 10 hours, we reached Lao Cai on the Chinese border where we were picked up by a taxi and driven the 38 km up the mountains to Sa Pa, which is known for its picturesque rice terraces which at this time of year are still waiting for the rice to be planted. Unfortunately the weather was not very well and still is not very well. Sa Pa was hidden in clouds when we arrived, and after checking in at our hotel we set out on a trip down the mountain, but the whole view was still hidden in fog. Luckily the fog lifted eventually, and we could enjoy the fantastic views as we walked down the narrow roads towards the bottom of the valley. With us was a large group of ethnic women in gaily coloured clothes carrying with them a lot of self made crafts they wanted to sell, but they also had a lot of questions to ask us. Where you from? How old are you? Have you any babies? Do you have boys or girls? And the main thing - You buy from me??? When we made a stop somewhere along the way where many other tourists also stopped small children were swarming around us to sell small knotted bracelets. They also knew the English words. You buy from me - only 10,000 dong. It was cold when we started the walk but when the sun came through it was nice. After the walk Birgit and I took a nap after the rather bad sleep on the train and when we woke up again, we were so cold that we had to invest in new jackets because we had been too optimistic and hoping for good weather when packing our bags in Hanoi although many had told us that it was cold in Sa Pa. The rest of the party has also had a look around Sa Pa and soon we shall meet for dinner in town and then we will hear what they have been doing. But tomorrow we hope the sun will be out and give us a chance to enjoy the beautiful views of this area.
Companies The Chinese border
Our hotel Lotus in Sa Pa
Terrace
Black Mong and Henning
Black Mong
From hike
The boy has got this shirt from Denmark
From hike
View of dikes
Saturday, April 5
We had a good night's sleep in the fresh air here in Sapa. During the night we got thunder and rain, and today in the late afternoon a heavy shower passed the town with thunder and lightening, and the electricity was on and off. Most of us were at the hotel resting but Annette and Eric who were out shopping were able to get hold of raincoats so they got back dry as well as safe. In the morning we were on a trip to a small Red Dzau village, located 10 km inland from the mountains along narrow and poor roads. Upon entering the town we were greeted by a large crowd of ethnic women. One or two came up to us and followed us around helping us along and hoped to sell their goods to us at the end of the journey. My companions were a Black Mong and a Red Dzau but unfortunately it was only the Red Dzau woman who could speak some English. She was quite good and completely self-taught - had not gone to school and could not read or write. On the way through the village we saw everyday life with many dogs, chickens everywhere and a black pig with 14 lively piglets enjoyed themselves in a field. We were inside a few houses. In the first house we had a sit down and were offered coffee and tea, and she had an extra room so she advertised with home stays in this small village. Both houses were quite large but most of the house was just one large room, where there was also the possibility of heating, because they have quite cold winters here. After the walk through the village we went back across the rice fields on the dikes - a trip that several of us had been concerned about but it was easy enough with good help from our ethnic friends who could tell us which was the best stone to step on and gave us a hand at the right time. At the end of the trip we had a look at what they had to sell and bought a few things from them. Later in the day we met one of them in Sapa where she had come to sell her goods. They have a busy and laborious life to survive. Birgit and I did not go on the afternoon trip since we both have had some stomach problems and needed to relax. We took a long sleep and at dinner we only had some soup but I think we are both better now. The rest of the group had enjoyed the trip down the mountain very much. It was long, quite tough, but also very beautiful - and it was sunny, so the pleasure was even greater. Khoa told us at dinner that it was his birthday and he would therefore give a bottle of wine. It was naturally received with joy and we acknowledged it with a birthday song. Tomorrow morning we leave Sa Pa to go to Bac Ha, and tomorrow evening we will be on the night train back to Hanoi.
Henning and May Senh
Red Dzau
Clips with Red Dzao 2011
Red Dzauer
May , Mays mother and Si Jun
Sa Pa
Sale At hike
Hike over the dikes
From the ride over levees
From the ride over levees
From the ride over levees
Red Dzau
Sale At hike
Hike over the dikes
Sunday, April 6
Today we had to say goodbye to Sapa in order to get back to a milder climate. First we had to drive the approx. 1800 m. down the mountain. In some places the mountains were hidden in clouds and in other places we got a glimpse of the magnificent scenery of the rice fields scattered over the hillsides. Nowhere had the rice been planted yet, but as soon as we came down into the valley the rice was standing green and erect in the fields, and no wonder since the climate here is tropical and they can harvest rice twice a year. From Lao Cai there was about 50 km into another valley and about 1000 m up another mountain to get to Bac Ha where all the area's ethnic minorities meet every Sunday to a vast market. Here the shopping gene could easily be satisfied if it came to handicraft and needlework but also a puppy, a water buffalo or a portion of sugar cane could change hands here. We had lunch at the market, where - in addition to the ethnic minorities in their colourful robes - also many tourists were gathered. After lunch there was a walk in the area, which is very fertile and is known for its many plum trees. But it was not the season for plums. Along the way we visited a musician and corn whiskey maker and salesman - Mr. Ho - who generously shared his corn whiskey with us but certainly also liked it himself. The program for the day was not over as we had to catch a train to Hanoi from Lao Cai, and we did not have too much time. But in the end we did have time for a photo stop at the Chinese border and also dinner at a hotel in the town. Then we walked to the station believing that we would be there in good time. It turned out that we had miscalculated a little, because when Henning and I as the last ones came to the place where we should show our tickets we were almost pulled along as it was evidently departure time – at ten to seven and not seven o’clock as we thought. We hurried into the train and as soon as we were inside the train left. We found ourselves quickly settled into our sleeping compartments and prepared ourselves for the long night trip and arrival in Hanoi between 4 and 6 o’clock in the morning.
Lao Cai
Market in Bac Ha
Market in Bac Ha
Market in Bac Ha
Market in Bac Ha
Fiddler Ho