This is my third attempt to write this particular section. Nothing traumatic happened the computers just don't seem to want to let me upload this section....and I am getting VERY frustrated by it.
Back to waiting at the airport for my flight to Lau Coi--Wednesday.
...I wish I could be one of those fashionable travellers-wearing nice clothes. This t-shirt and the other 'good' one I packed have a thick coating of fuzzies on them making appear much older than they are. Everyone else seems to be dressed a tad nicer--classier even. Hopefully I don't reek rich tourist, hopefully I reek old backpacker on a budget [written as originally writing this....hopefully I don't reek. I've been in the same clothes for just over 24 hours.]
My flight is uneventful and because I didn't sleep I was able to do some work on the blog [which you read DAYS ago about the storks. ]I get a mini tour of Hanoi-very nice and then I get dropped off for supper at Phõ 24. A big bowl of pho lands in front of me along with a lovely glass of watermelon juice. At the moment I am in a large open room full of other people waiting for a train. There is a booth marked 'Here is the place to get the immediate train ticket' I think it is hilarious that they need to explain it in such great detail. There is a door leading into a room 'waiting hall for passengers of international train' I'm not on the tourist train it was full but I gather this is a pretty close second. Very curious as to what my sleeping arrangements are going to work out and how much sleep I am going to get.
February 28th from the hotel in Sapa.
There is no one directing you to the proper train and the group I met in the waiting area followed my guide to the train. A mob of people crossing tracks and walking in front of a running train looking for track 9. Then to find the proper car and then find your bed for the night.
Last night was interesting to say the least. I ended up in a dorm room that sleeps 4. Two French Canadians and a Vietnamese tour guide who doesn't speak English or French. He went to sleep almost immediately leaving the three of us to make small talk until the train pulled out of the station.
Any romantic visions you have of being lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking of the train should be abandoned. The rocking was so strong that if it wasn't for the sports bra I was wearing I would have lost an eye. There is no 'safe' storage on the train so you must store all your belongings under the bed or on the little shelf above the door. It is OK if you trust your roomies but otherwise I would be worried that I may not have everything when I return from a trip to the washroom. Theft on trains is pretty popular in India and I'm not sure about Vietnam but I can't imagine why it would be any different. I managed to get a bit of sleep and used my camera bag as a pillow. It is the only bag of concern to me--money, passport and phone. Take the other ones full of clothes clean and dirty but leave me this one bag.
At 4:45am someone raps on the door and calls out Lao Chi which is our stop and we are promptly evicted from the train once more left to wander across the rail tracks, down a dark path to the station where they take your ticket and the guides await. By 5:01am I am lying in the back of a car trying to sleep during the one hour drive to Sapa. Guides through reputable agencies are a great way to go but I still think I must be at least a bit nuts to continue climbing into cars in the middle of the night with two strange men. It's all good.
We arrive at the hotel and I'm impressed. Even with the clouds that are playing peek a boo with the mountains I have a great view. This is why I came to Vietnam.
I also have 3.5 hours to kill before my guide comes back. Sleep is the enemy so I need to keep busy. I shower do some sink laundry, organize my bags and then head upstairs for breakfast. As I write this (not type) I'm sitting on my deck listening to the birds fly by, people talking as they walk below me and the occasional scooter. The temperature here is cooler, damp but lovely. I'm wearing my Parkland sweater and fear that it will be too hot later in the day when/if the sun decides to stay out.[ I was right. By the time the guide arrived at 9:30am it was just over 20 degrees] From the deck I've seen a couple of local ladies in their bright clothing--Kelly you are missing out. Sorry.
Time to meet my guide and go adventuring in Sapa.
It has been a moring of adventure as we crashed a wedding reception! There was a wedding going on and my guide knows both families--he lives just up the block. So for 300,000 Vietnamese dong [around $15 Canadian] I buy my way into the reception. Probably some of the best money I will spend the whole trip. Was I out of place? Yes and No. I was definitely the only non-Vietnamese there but I drank tea, spat sunflowers and became a regular. There had a great laugh--with and at me over my attempt at what would be some sort of chewing tobacco. First mistake, I swallowed the juice (no one noticed) then when my guide escorted me over to the ditch to spit Ispat it all out. Hence the laughter. More tea, more sunflower seeds--just spit the seeds right onto the floor thank you very much. The speeches continued for a while and then we moved into the houses to eat. I ended up in a room full of men--had to stay with my guide. [ of course have tons of photos of all this but you will need to wait for my return to Canada]
I ended up with a tea cup (shot glass) full of homemade rice alcohol. POTENT. About 125proof. I took a hearty swig the first time and my face must have turned a few different colours as everyone laughed at my reaction. I took small sips after that and many pretend sips to try and keep up with all the toasting.
My guide kept putting different foods into my bowl for me and I keep eating them. Most of the older men just nodded and smiled at me and I didn't feel as though I was out of place or unwanted. The few who spoke English would ask a question or two and smile politely.
A few pictures later and we were back on the original scheduled tour. Off to the land of one of the minority groups in Cat Cat. We had a lovely hike, watched some of the local ladies dying material in the traditional way and got to view the indigo plants where they get the beautiful blue dye and a waterfall. By the time we returned to town for lunch I wasn't very hungry--breakfast at the hotel followed by eating at the wedding feast and the heat--I just wanted cold liquids. An ice cold Coke Light, pineapple juice and a banana crepe for lunch. Perfect.
Down the road after lunch for some breathtaking views and a very long hike up a lot of stairs to see a waterfall. [My fault. We were not supposed to climb it but when I said I wanted to...away we went] On the way down I saw a blooming cardamon plant.Then back to town and some well deserved free time. Right now I am sitting at a restaurant that overlooks the terraced fields, listening to some traditional music while the owners of the restaurant I am at coo over a baby. An Australian couple talk over their travel plans-which seem to revolve around beer. There is a warm cat by my side purring and stretching occasionally. I made friends with her--she belongs to the people who own the restaurant. I had a cool glass of pear juice some fried spring rolls and now I am off to wander, pick up the paintings I bought earlier and then go for supper. I would like to spend the majority of my evening sitting on my deck drinking tea.
The restaurant tonight is the same as lunchtime which suits me fine. I order a ginger zinger; ginger, carrot juice, pineapple and a few other juices I can't seem to remember. It is wonderful and neither the ginger or the carrot is overwhelming it.
Tomato soup and crab rolls for supper and if I have room for it--ice cream! :) I keep forgetting to write this in my note book but I was under severe investigation today at the waterfall. One of the ladies in a different tour was giving not the once but the twice look over. I smiled, nodded and kept going. When I stopped to take a picture all her friends came over to measure themselves against me. It was humorous as the all came up to about the top of my shoulder. Then a couple of them grabbed my love handles and gave them a squeeze-it was funny and sad all at the same time. There was a second tour guide with us all day today (she is in training) and she barely stands 4.5 feet tall and must weigh well under 95 pounds. She is very soft spoken and I wish her the best of luck with any rowdy tour groups she gets. She has a pretty good grasp of English--well as good as anyone.
They just started the fireplace--I'm in khakis and a long sleeved tshirt with flip flops. Yes there is a chill in the air but a roaring fire seems a bit much. I had been fooled this morning because the locals all had sweaters on but once the sun came up there is no need to wear any extra layers.
Another great nights sleep and I managed to drag myself out of bed around 6:30am to do some exploring on my own. A lovely wander for about an hour and then back to the hotel to shower, eat another fantastic breakfast and meet my guide. We set off on foot headed I knew not where and ended up at the top of Sapa. A lot of stairs, a lot of stares and a lot of photos of a beautiful park full of flowers and trees. There is a music and dance pavilion at the top of the park but after about 20 minutes I was ready to go. We spent a couple of hours exploring--my guide is really into plants. Yesterday we stopped several times for him to gather seeds, fruit, etc. Again I am the giant freak show this time it is men and women wanting their picture taken with me. I smile politely and then we continue.
Back to The Lizard Restaurant for an early lunch. It's 11ish and while I wasn't really hungry I certainly was thirsty. More pho soup and a big bottle of water followed by some mango ice cream and then conversation with a group I had seen walking down the road earlier. They are from Saskatchewan and interestingly enough they are headed to Cambodia for a Habitat build. What are the odds?
We chat for a bit then I'm off to the market for a short visit before I meet up with my guide. I make a few purchases and end up paying too much I'm sure but hey-I'm on holidays!! I buy some postcards, find a place that sells stamps and sit down to scribble some messages. My apologies to those of you getting them my ability to string together coherent sentences seemed to have failed me and they are gibberish. I start to draw a crown and find myself surrounded by people who watch me write. Ah, to be a tourist attraction all on ones own.
This afternoon we went to a minority village just a short drive out of town and then we walk the rest of the way. In true Sapa style we have a couple of local ladies following in the hopes that I will buy something from them.
"Where you from?"
Nobuy.
"Where you from?"
No buy.
"Where you from?"
No buy.
"Nobuy, ah!"
It is amusing for the most part and only now and then does it become annoying. It is hot and sunny. Very hot for me. I roll up my pant legs in an effort to catch a breeze and maybe get some colour. The walk is fantastic and I am snapping photos left and right. My guide seems to know everyone which I start to suspect isn't just because he is a guide as we get invited into a yard for tea and a smoke on a water pipe. While I have tea with the wife, the guide takes a couple of drags. She starts to feel the lower part of my arm and laughs, feels it again and then says something in Vietnamese. The guide tells me that she likes me and she thinks I am beautiful. She would like to be fat and beautiful like me. he further explains that a lot of Vietnamese think that fat is good because it means you have lots of money for good food, not poor with no money to buy food. I'm touched and figure that it is no wonder they think I have money to spend on their trinkets--I'm very fat so I must be very rich. LOL
After tea we go up to their home and I get a tour. It is sparse and dark but with all the necessities of life including a very new, very shiny motorcycle. Outside they are drying kale and tea leaves while over to the side a gaggle(?) of baby ducks paddle in a puddle.
A casaba(??) is tossed over from next door that had been cooking on the outdoor fire and we split it; the grandfather, my guide and I. It tastes like a cross between a potato and a yam. YUM! The grandfather points that I can put the peels on the ground and I point out a beetle crawling up his leg. He knocks it to the ground and SMACK!beetle juice everywhere as the end of his cane comes down on it. Everyone laughs at the sound and I ask to take his picture. As we are leaving I see the wife struggling to get a pan down off the roof of the shed. She has a long piece of bamboo but just can't seem to get it. Amazon woman to the rescue as I reach up and grab it for her.
Back on the trail and more great views. The view is exactly what I expected it to be-terraces on top of terraces and mountains in the background. Next time I come to Vietnam I want a couple of weeks to spend in Sapa and area. You really need at least a week to explore the area. The rest of the afternoon passed in visits to a couple of other villages and a very windy ride back to Lao Chi for the train. The drive is about 35km but takes a solid hour due to all the twists and turns. A quick supper and at 6:55pm the cattle (tourists) are lined up to board the train back to Hanoi. I get settled into my bed for the night and am probably asleep by 8:30pm which is good because one of my bunk mates seems to think she is going to miss her stop and is awake over 45 minutes before we arrive in Hanoi. I tried to ignore her but the light, the rustling and the whispering make it difficult so I give up on sleep.
The same guide who met me at the airport 2 days ago meets me again to bring me back to the airport. My flight to Ho Chi Minh City is very uneventful and when I arrive at the airport I hop a cab to the hotel to meet up with the rest of the Habitat group. We are all here except one. He is an experienced traveller and I'm not concerned but he is taking the train from Thailand so I have no idea what that entails.
A lovely lunch with the group and then off to the market for a few minutes and then I went in search of water for the group for tonight/tomorrow. Supper tonight for me and the guys. The other 4 ladies are heading out for a night of drinks and vespa touring. I opted to not go. I would enjoy the vespa part but not the drinking.
Tomorrow we head out on a one day tour of the area and then Monday at 4:30am we head to Rach Gai for the build!
I am sitting in Rach Gai as I wrote most of this. It is day one of our Habitat schedule...I need to make my own written notes and will hopefully do an update later today or tomorrow when I get back from the build site.
Back to waiting at the airport for my flight to Lau Coi--Wednesday.
...I wish I could be one of those fashionable travellers-wearing nice clothes. This t-shirt and the other 'good' one I packed have a thick coating of fuzzies on them making appear much older than they are. Everyone else seems to be dressed a tad nicer--classier even. Hopefully I don't reek rich tourist, hopefully I reek old backpacker on a budget [written as originally writing this....hopefully I don't reek. I've been in the same clothes for just over 24 hours.]
My flight is uneventful and because I didn't sleep I was able to do some work on the blog [which you read DAYS ago about the storks. ]I get a mini tour of Hanoi-very nice and then I get dropped off for supper at Phõ 24. A big bowl of pho lands in front of me along with a lovely glass of watermelon juice. At the moment I am in a large open room full of other people waiting for a train. There is a booth marked 'Here is the place to get the immediate train ticket' I think it is hilarious that they need to explain it in such great detail. There is a door leading into a room 'waiting hall for passengers of international train' I'm not on the tourist train it was full but I gather this is a pretty close second. Very curious as to what my sleeping arrangements are going to work out and how much sleep I am going to get.
February 28th from the hotel in Sapa.
There is no one directing you to the proper train and the group I met in the waiting area followed my guide to the train. A mob of people crossing tracks and walking in front of a running train looking for track 9. Then to find the proper car and then find your bed for the night.
Last night was interesting to say the least. I ended up in a dorm room that sleeps 4. Two French Canadians and a Vietnamese tour guide who doesn't speak English or French. He went to sleep almost immediately leaving the three of us to make small talk until the train pulled out of the station.
Any romantic visions you have of being lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking of the train should be abandoned. The rocking was so strong that if it wasn't for the sports bra I was wearing I would have lost an eye. There is no 'safe' storage on the train so you must store all your belongings under the bed or on the little shelf above the door. It is OK if you trust your roomies but otherwise I would be worried that I may not have everything when I return from a trip to the washroom. Theft on trains is pretty popular in India and I'm not sure about Vietnam but I can't imagine why it would be any different. I managed to get a bit of sleep and used my camera bag as a pillow. It is the only bag of concern to me--money, passport and phone. Take the other ones full of clothes clean and dirty but leave me this one bag.
At 4:45am someone raps on the door and calls out Lao Chi which is our stop and we are promptly evicted from the train once more left to wander across the rail tracks, down a dark path to the station where they take your ticket and the guides await. By 5:01am I am lying in the back of a car trying to sleep during the one hour drive to Sapa. Guides through reputable agencies are a great way to go but I still think I must be at least a bit nuts to continue climbing into cars in the middle of the night with two strange men. It's all good.
We arrive at the hotel and I'm impressed. Even with the clouds that are playing peek a boo with the mountains I have a great view. This is why I came to Vietnam.
I also have 3.5 hours to kill before my guide comes back. Sleep is the enemy so I need to keep busy. I shower do some sink laundry, organize my bags and then head upstairs for breakfast. As I write this (not type) I'm sitting on my deck listening to the birds fly by, people talking as they walk below me and the occasional scooter. The temperature here is cooler, damp but lovely. I'm wearing my Parkland sweater and fear that it will be too hot later in the day when/if the sun decides to stay out.[ I was right. By the time the guide arrived at 9:30am it was just over 20 degrees] From the deck I've seen a couple of local ladies in their bright clothing--Kelly you are missing out. Sorry.
Time to meet my guide and go adventuring in Sapa.
It has been a moring of adventure as we crashed a wedding reception! There was a wedding going on and my guide knows both families--he lives just up the block. So for 300,000 Vietnamese dong [around $15 Canadian] I buy my way into the reception. Probably some of the best money I will spend the whole trip. Was I out of place? Yes and No. I was definitely the only non-Vietnamese there but I drank tea, spat sunflowers and became a regular. There had a great laugh--with and at me over my attempt at what would be some sort of chewing tobacco. First mistake, I swallowed the juice (no one noticed) then when my guide escorted me over to the ditch to spit Ispat it all out. Hence the laughter. More tea, more sunflower seeds--just spit the seeds right onto the floor thank you very much. The speeches continued for a while and then we moved into the houses to eat. I ended up in a room full of men--had to stay with my guide. [ of course have tons of photos of all this but you will need to wait for my return to Canada]
I ended up with a tea cup (shot glass) full of homemade rice alcohol. POTENT. About 125proof. I took a hearty swig the first time and my face must have turned a few different colours as everyone laughed at my reaction. I took small sips after that and many pretend sips to try and keep up with all the toasting.
My guide kept putting different foods into my bowl for me and I keep eating them. Most of the older men just nodded and smiled at me and I didn't feel as though I was out of place or unwanted. The few who spoke English would ask a question or two and smile politely.
A few pictures later and we were back on the original scheduled tour. Off to the land of one of the minority groups in Cat Cat. We had a lovely hike, watched some of the local ladies dying material in the traditional way and got to view the indigo plants where they get the beautiful blue dye and a waterfall. By the time we returned to town for lunch I wasn't very hungry--breakfast at the hotel followed by eating at the wedding feast and the heat--I just wanted cold liquids. An ice cold Coke Light, pineapple juice and a banana crepe for lunch. Perfect.
Down the road after lunch for some breathtaking views and a very long hike up a lot of stairs to see a waterfall. [My fault. We were not supposed to climb it but when I said I wanted to...away we went] On the way down I saw a blooming cardamon plant.Then back to town and some well deserved free time. Right now I am sitting at a restaurant that overlooks the terraced fields, listening to some traditional music while the owners of the restaurant I am at coo over a baby. An Australian couple talk over their travel plans-which seem to revolve around beer. There is a warm cat by my side purring and stretching occasionally. I made friends with her--she belongs to the people who own the restaurant. I had a cool glass of pear juice some fried spring rolls and now I am off to wander, pick up the paintings I bought earlier and then go for supper. I would like to spend the majority of my evening sitting on my deck drinking tea.
The restaurant tonight is the same as lunchtime which suits me fine. I order a ginger zinger; ginger, carrot juice, pineapple and a few other juices I can't seem to remember. It is wonderful and neither the ginger or the carrot is overwhelming it.
Tomato soup and crab rolls for supper and if I have room for it--ice cream! :) I keep forgetting to write this in my note book but I was under severe investigation today at the waterfall. One of the ladies in a different tour was giving not the once but the twice look over. I smiled, nodded and kept going. When I stopped to take a picture all her friends came over to measure themselves against me. It was humorous as the all came up to about the top of my shoulder. Then a couple of them grabbed my love handles and gave them a squeeze-it was funny and sad all at the same time. There was a second tour guide with us all day today (she is in training) and she barely stands 4.5 feet tall and must weigh well under 95 pounds. She is very soft spoken and I wish her the best of luck with any rowdy tour groups she gets. She has a pretty good grasp of English--well as good as anyone.
They just started the fireplace--I'm in khakis and a long sleeved tshirt with flip flops. Yes there is a chill in the air but a roaring fire seems a bit much. I had been fooled this morning because the locals all had sweaters on but once the sun came up there is no need to wear any extra layers.
Another great nights sleep and I managed to drag myself out of bed around 6:30am to do some exploring on my own. A lovely wander for about an hour and then back to the hotel to shower, eat another fantastic breakfast and meet my guide. We set off on foot headed I knew not where and ended up at the top of Sapa. A lot of stairs, a lot of stares and a lot of photos of a beautiful park full of flowers and trees. There is a music and dance pavilion at the top of the park but after about 20 minutes I was ready to go. We spent a couple of hours exploring--my guide is really into plants. Yesterday we stopped several times for him to gather seeds, fruit, etc. Again I am the giant freak show this time it is men and women wanting their picture taken with me. I smile politely and then we continue.
Back to The Lizard Restaurant for an early lunch. It's 11ish and while I wasn't really hungry I certainly was thirsty. More pho soup and a big bottle of water followed by some mango ice cream and then conversation with a group I had seen walking down the road earlier. They are from Saskatchewan and interestingly enough they are headed to Cambodia for a Habitat build. What are the odds?
We chat for a bit then I'm off to the market for a short visit before I meet up with my guide. I make a few purchases and end up paying too much I'm sure but hey-I'm on holidays!! I buy some postcards, find a place that sells stamps and sit down to scribble some messages. My apologies to those of you getting them my ability to string together coherent sentences seemed to have failed me and they are gibberish. I start to draw a crown and find myself surrounded by people who watch me write. Ah, to be a tourist attraction all on ones own.
This afternoon we went to a minority village just a short drive out of town and then we walk the rest of the way. In true Sapa style we have a couple of local ladies following in the hopes that I will buy something from them.
"Where you from?"
Nobuy.
"Where you from?"
No buy.
"Where you from?"
No buy.
"Nobuy, ah!"
It is amusing for the most part and only now and then does it become annoying. It is hot and sunny. Very hot for me. I roll up my pant legs in an effort to catch a breeze and maybe get some colour. The walk is fantastic and I am snapping photos left and right. My guide seems to know everyone which I start to suspect isn't just because he is a guide as we get invited into a yard for tea and a smoke on a water pipe. While I have tea with the wife, the guide takes a couple of drags. She starts to feel the lower part of my arm and laughs, feels it again and then says something in Vietnamese. The guide tells me that she likes me and she thinks I am beautiful. She would like to be fat and beautiful like me. he further explains that a lot of Vietnamese think that fat is good because it means you have lots of money for good food, not poor with no money to buy food. I'm touched and figure that it is no wonder they think I have money to spend on their trinkets--I'm very fat so I must be very rich. LOL
After tea we go up to their home and I get a tour. It is sparse and dark but with all the necessities of life including a very new, very shiny motorcycle. Outside they are drying kale and tea leaves while over to the side a gaggle(?) of baby ducks paddle in a puddle.
A casaba(??) is tossed over from next door that had been cooking on the outdoor fire and we split it; the grandfather, my guide and I. It tastes like a cross between a potato and a yam. YUM! The grandfather points that I can put the peels on the ground and I point out a beetle crawling up his leg. He knocks it to the ground and SMACK!beetle juice everywhere as the end of his cane comes down on it. Everyone laughs at the sound and I ask to take his picture. As we are leaving I see the wife struggling to get a pan down off the roof of the shed. She has a long piece of bamboo but just can't seem to get it. Amazon woman to the rescue as I reach up and grab it for her.
Back on the trail and more great views. The view is exactly what I expected it to be-terraces on top of terraces and mountains in the background. Next time I come to Vietnam I want a couple of weeks to spend in Sapa and area. You really need at least a week to explore the area. The rest of the afternoon passed in visits to a couple of other villages and a very windy ride back to Lao Chi for the train. The drive is about 35km but takes a solid hour due to all the twists and turns. A quick supper and at 6:55pm the cattle (tourists) are lined up to board the train back to Hanoi. I get settled into my bed for the night and am probably asleep by 8:30pm which is good because one of my bunk mates seems to think she is going to miss her stop and is awake over 45 minutes before we arrive in Hanoi. I tried to ignore her but the light, the rustling and the whispering make it difficult so I give up on sleep.
The same guide who met me at the airport 2 days ago meets me again to bring me back to the airport. My flight to Ho Chi Minh City is very uneventful and when I arrive at the airport I hop a cab to the hotel to meet up with the rest of the Habitat group. We are all here except one. He is an experienced traveller and I'm not concerned but he is taking the train from Thailand so I have no idea what that entails.
A lovely lunch with the group and then off to the market for a few minutes and then I went in search of water for the group for tonight/tomorrow. Supper tonight for me and the guys. The other 4 ladies are heading out for a night of drinks and vespa touring. I opted to not go. I would enjoy the vespa part but not the drinking.
Tomorrow we head out on a one day tour of the area and then Monday at 4:30am we head to Rach Gai for the build!
I am sitting in Rach Gai as I wrote most of this. It is day one of our Habitat schedule...I need to make my own written notes and will hopefully do an update later today or tomorrow when I get back from the build site.
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