Trekking in Sa Pa, Day 2

TUESDAY 19 JULY 2011

We  had a leisurely start after a superb breakfast of fresh pancakes, pineapple and honey. Some of the Hmong tribe started gathering near us like migrating birds, waiting to leave. We left about 9.30, accompanied once again by some of the Black Hmong tribe, and it started to rain just as we set off again! It was even more slippery after the rain, and quite a bit of up hill and down hill walking until we got to a lovely waterfall. 

On the way Shosho showed us some leaves which people in the villages would use to commit suicide! She said it used to be quite common, but not many try to commit suicide now. We walked through Giang Ta Chai village where the Red Dzao people live, and had a lunch of noodle soup with egg by a suspension bridge over the river. After another 20 minute walk, we had to wait about an hour for the mini bus to take us back to the Summit Hotel. We only walked about 3 kilometers today but it had been very interesting and seemed further.

I wandered around Sa Pa, where there were lots of different hill tribes selling their handicraft. I had dinner with Dennis and Kim, and at 5.30 p.m. everyone except for 2 girls and I were put on mini buses to go back to Lao Cai, and we were told to wait. I thought we were going to have a bus to ourselves but not a bit of it! The one that turned up was already full and we were told to sit in the front. When we got down the hill to Sa Pa, they wanted someone else to get in the front with us. There was no room, so in the end they put 3 very thin Vietnamese in the front, and we sat in the back squashed between the luggage, and one had to stand. We went round hairpin bends, quite fast at times, and overtaking on dangerous corners. We arrived about 6.30 p.m. but my train was the last one and didn’t leave until 8.45 p.m. 

Three Korean men shared my cabin, and two of them promptly removed and folded their trousers! However, they were very nice and gave me a pear and a beer!

A very muddy trek