Tet Trekking

Heya Folks,
Mindful of how quiet and dull Hanoi is in the days following Tet, I decided to head north to the hilltribe region of Sapa for some trekking and generally rural adventures. Getting the sleeper train on monday evening was a fabulous exciting experience, really felt like an adventure what with hauling my little backpack into the tiny sleeper carriage. I shared my cabin with a very sweet Vietnamese family taking their Tet holiday in Sapa too. I'm so lucky to have the opportunity and ease to travel overseas, when for many even having a passport is just not an option.

We arrived sleepily into Lao Cai, and after a minibus ride to the hotel and a quick refresher we set off on the trek! It was FAB, cold and muddy, walking among and through remote hilltribe villages and skirting around rice terraces, all of it surrounded in an eerie but atmospheric mist. It would have been nice to see the scenery properly, but it didnt dampen the experience at all. We stayed overnight in a village house in Ta Van, which was very cosy and comfortable. The evening was spent chatting and laughing around the fire in their kitchen, and then we slept under heavy blankets and mosquito nets on raised wooden platforms. A fab experience indeed.
Next morning's trek was equally fantastic, a tough climb up the side of a hill and then across a waterfall, before climbing up to the road and getting a bus back to the town. All in all it was a fab experience, and already I've made plans to return in september when the weather should be better, I might even be able to describe the scenery this time!The days and nights were VERY cold in Sapa, so during the evenings in town I parked up in a cosy bakery with a hot chocolate and an open fire. It was a perfect end to the days here, staying warm and chatting with new trekking friends. In the bakery there was a very small and very cute puppy (pet, not dinner) which went to sleep, first underneath the fire and then in my lap.

I found myself sad to leave SaPa, it really is such a beautiful place, a real adventure and a perfect rural escape from Hanoi. For some reason the 'hardsell' to the tourists didnt seem as prevalent this time around, unless I'm just used to it now. I'm looking forward to heading back up there for some more walking soon.SarahHeadsEast xx

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