Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Day started at 5:15 on the top deck for the sunrise on amazing halong bay. Managed to explain that i needed boiling water for my coffee. We have a stretching session and Anneke and I sit outside and i have another cup of coffee. Amazing chat and the idea of a creative space ontkiem.
Off to visit an amazing cave - very hot and humid!
Different animals in the limestone - need to use imagination for quite a few.
Fishermen Drumming on small boat to panic fish after nets thrown in.
Walk past some vendors selling fish and cold drinks etc. 2000 people live in the floating villages in the bay. Around 2000 islands in the bay - we were 8-10 km from the sea. Beliefbis that 1969 oslands - the year that hcm died. Difference of 3.5 m between low and high tide.
Aircon net as boot af is.
Shower and checkout after which we have a quick springroll making lesson.
Gatvol vir life jackets - even though the calmest water ever.
Just before lunch paul shows us his amazing photos that he took in north sapa and he shares his idea of starting photograpy daytrips from hanoi. We get excited.
Bus trip back - Anneke gets a bit
Anneke eats her red bean and rice ice cream - i stick to king cone.
Reason for narrow houses - tax paid on width. Trlefoonnonmers.
We get dropped off at mango hotel bwalk to the station and have an amazing mango smoothie close to the temple of literature. Stroll between real life vietnamese shops - selling scissors, hardware and coffee pots.
Ticket counter still closed. Back to hotel for a shower. 4 girls through the shower in less than an hour.
Short walk to the station, get our tickets and we have a mielie braaid over open fire and streetfood kebab tramezzini type thing.
The station is terribly dilapitated and the way to the train looks like a building site. Board the 4 berth cabin and have a local beer. Initially quite happy with the aircon but during the night it just gets colder and colder and finally i put on my fleece for the first time on the trip. Marga falls asleep mid sentence and We ask and find out that train arrivesat fyfaclack - we set our alarms for 4:30 and at 4;50 ready to go. Only arrive at 6:00.
Wait for a short while and get picked up by Sai to start our hour trip to Sapa through amazing rice paddies.
Sapa has a ski village feel. People in black hmong local outfits all around toen. They dont mind photo taking but clearly used to tourists. Love the bit cooler though still warm weather.
Have breakfast - really ski like feel.
Go to the room and the bamboo sapa hotel and meet Sai. With our hiking shoes on we take a short drive and start out hike with 3 local ladies. They show us how they make their clothes with hemp. They dry the plant, strip the bark in thin raffia type strips, use ash from the rice leaves to bleach the strips and this is what they use to make a very thin but strong thread. This then gets used to make the clothing.
Traditional wear -
They make the most beautiful varing hartjies.
Explain how rice gets grown. First seedlings are planted. Seedlings from china - then sure of good quality. Then replanted by hand in paddies that will always stay in family when they are about 20cm high. Once the rice turns yellow dried for a day and then rice uitgeslaan. Goeie rys bly maar minder goeie ryskorrels waai weg. Kernels dried for another day. Rys moet gestoor word sonder dat katte daarby kom of dat dit weer ontkiem.
Warer buffalo ploeg die lande. Almal help mekaar - hou balke by heuwel af.
Almal besig met iets tasbaar produktief.
Tannies help ons by moeiliker dele. Na 4 ure se stap (omtrent 10km) stop vir lunch - toe ons daar aankoop - ambushed om goed te koop.
Bangh, tingh, shong, sha.
Lunch nie te great maar mooi plekkie.
Terug hotel toe en toe begin die shopping marathon. Probably most north face shops per sq meter in the world!
I first scout the shops for thick jackets and then come across Marga with an entourage of girls following her. We then stumble across the local handicraft market! Totally overwhelmed and actually have to stand back and take a few deep breaths. I buy small bags and pillow cases and marga buys a beautiful throw and bags.
Quick shower, buy 2 jackets on the way and then off to dinner. Free garlic bread and beer in italian place. After dinner we walk up the street - disco music. We buy chocolates before a 45 min foot and shoulder massage.
- comments