The highlight of this Vietnam trip had to be Sapa and here goes...
DAY 3:
We arrived Lao Cai Railway Station at 6am and was then transferred for an hour long bus ride to the hotel. Arrived and had our breakfast before heading out for a 5km trek.
Breakfast view
Started our hike
Arrived at Cat Cat Village and in this village, I learnt that the people here use marijuana to sew their clothes (probably the most interesting thing I remembered after being fed with so much information)
While we were walking to the second village, it started pouring.. And there wasn't anything much at Sin Chai Village so we made a turn back for lunch
This was so good on a cold and rainy day, and I noticed that everyone except Jiez and I finished our food. Shame shame haha
That's it for day 1 activities provided by the tour, there was a pickup for us back to the hotel where we could officially check in and rest.
If only it weren't so misty and foggy, we would be able to see mountains from our balcony but no complains though! Jiez mood was pretty dampened since the hike and did not want to leave the hotel after coming back but NO TIME TO WASTE. I'm so glad I managed to get her out after saying I wanted go out by myself :D
It stopped raining by the time we got back and the weather was really good!
Explored Sapa Town
I remembered I saw a cafe that I wanted to go while hiking in the morning and so we decided to make our way there after exploring the town and while on the way there..
It's sad that I cannot remember the name of the cafe but I remember how to get there! I can sit here for a lifetime just enjoying the view, one of the dopest cafe everrrrrrr
'Can I haz some of that?'
Took this shot while walking back to the hotel.
Ended our day pretty early because we were worn.
Day 4:
The plan was to trek 12km to various villages and we were blessed with good weather that day!^^ During the entire hike, Jiez and I took turns exclaiming, "OMG, it's so nice/pretty/beautiful!"
Isn't it?!
Besides our local tour guide, there were other villagers that trekked with us as well and they were really nice until we came to realise that they wanted us to buy products that they made themselves. But I guess that's how they make a living..
We were told that buffaloes are important to them because they help the farmers a lot, so here's one doing me an honor by looking into my camera:')
Really really love the gradient of the rice fields
Jiez did a good job in taking photos
Cheeks looking real chubby
There's Jiez, my overly attached girlfriend heh
It was really funny to see her trek because she was a first timer and this was her first adventure, plus the fact that we didn't have proper trek wear made it more difficult for us.
My entire camera roll is filled with pictures like these
Walked really long and far and stopped for a toilet break somewhere in-between.
Jiez and her 'Lao Fu Zi' theory. HAHA! We tried to look at one direction even though there was nothing there to see if others would turn to look as well
Step
Saw a lady just sitting there resting and enjoying the view, I decided to join her. Had a short conversation with her and realized that she was the only one who did not ask me to buy anything from her and even told me to have fun. Bless her
I learnt so much from the local tour guide that day and that I am truly thankful with everything that I have right now. She said that she live day to day worrying about her finances as she needs to take care of her 2 sons and family and no one in her family is working (they farm for their own food) and she is only 25 years old :( I was really shocked and asked at which age did she marry and she replied 19.
I was told that it would be difficult to get married after the age of 20 hence it is their culture to marry young. She added that girls in the village need to learn how to sew, cook and do whatever household chores and that if girls who can't do all those are deemed as lazy. Well, that got me reflecting (But I can sew pathetically and knit too)
Learning about their culture as I trekked
Trekked for almost half a day and finally reached the valley!
Almost reaching the village that we would have our lunch at..
Didn't get a picture of our lunch because meh. But there were so many children around there trying to sell pouches and bags for their education, expenses etc. And you can't buy from one because all of them would come to you and ask you to buy from them as well.
After lunch, we continued trekking to the last village before being picked up to go back to the hotel.
Saw a really cute puppy along the way. I would have brought it home if I lived in the village but no :(
'I walk a lonely road, the only one that I have ever known.'
Sang this song until it got stuck in Jiez head hehehehe
If you can see, there is a really tiny bridge that people used to cross the river before the one I stood on was built. It looked like the wooden planks could break anytime..
And that is what happens when you leave the GoPro with me :D
There's us with our local tour guide:) We walked really long and far to get to this village where she stays and then the curious me had to ask her how she get to our hotel because it was really far. "I walk to and fro, sometimes when I'm tired, I will pay for a scooter ride back." that was her reply to me, my heart can't deal:(
Hugging my legs for doing a good job in keeping me balanced without falling, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!! (I fell twice when I hiked Bukhansan in Korea, and I slipped, fell and slid down the rocks near a waterfall at Golden Ears Park in Canada FML I know)
Tired as hell is when you can't even be bothered to look good in front of cameras anymore but it was so worth it!
Headed back to the hotel with intentions to go back to the cafe we chilled at the day before but unfortunately, we didn't have enough time:( Instead, we took our time to shower and had our dinner while waiting for our pickup back to Lao Cai Railway Station for our train ride back to Hanoi.
Staying in Sapa for 2 days was wayyyyyy too short! So, I'm definitely going back there again.. Making a trip here really opened my eyes. Thank god for good weather because it was sunny hence, we didn't get mud on our shoes (I was quite prepared to throw my Nikes away). Also, because the trekking routes were off road, raining would've made the routes really slippery and I didn't want to fall and continue the streak. Although it didn't rain, Jiez had a hard time with the off road paths, not quite sure why but it was funny. Didn't judge and even lent her my hands to hold so you're welcome Jiez^^
I'm so glad you agreed to come here with me even if it meant giving up going to Da Nang! We'll go there another day :') That was Sapa for me and I really enjoyed it!
Till the next entry, PCEOUT
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