30th November

Day started at 9.30 after a good breakfast and a good night sleep, with a duvet and heater. For the first time I was really cold.
It's been a full on day with a Vietnamese guide and 8 other travellers from all over the world, Ireland, France, Belgium Spain he was a little older than the rest. Very nice but not as old as me. Haha. ( nobody is) Aussie girl and a Swiss bloke. Some of them had meet up before so had come together but quite a mixture.

We walked for 5 hours which was pretty tough for me, through mud and narrow paths up and down the mountain. Travelling through villages of different religions also different tribe names, all trying to sale there goods.I tell them I have bought to much already, they say you need to buy from me, as you bought only from the Mong in different village. !!!! No more.

It's also One minute hot next really raining and I'm Carrying an overnight bag.
But I wasn't going to be beaten by the youngsters, but my legs feel beaten now. It's amazing how out of condition you can quickly get. My toes feel as they did after the marathon. Bruised.

But we are at the home stay not as I thought as not on my own with the family. But still cool, as I have been helping with the cooking.
They are cooking over a fire in the floor of there house for about. 16 people. Loads of chopping but very laid back. It's so homely & friendly. Sometimes I wonder if I lived this life before or maybe I'm just a gypsy.

But whatever way I am a very lucky person. I will remind myself of that tommorow when I am limping back through the hills. as my knees are sore and my hip is struggling. The guide says he will get me a buffalo to ride back on. That might not be such a bad idea.
Must say the villagers walk with us and help me down the hills. You know it will cost but you are happy to pay the price at the end.
They do the walk every morning to meet the tourist buses, at 6am god knows what time they leave , it must be dark, and treacherous as far as I'm concerned

Well the guys are playing UNO with my cards so time to have more fun & more tiger beers.
Supper was great they even cooked chips as an appertif. Also plenty of it. Only thing was the rice wine came out then, all the guides and family kept coming round filling our shot glasses to cheer them. Everyone is getting pretty drunk, I'm pulling a fast one and pretending every other one.
Guess what then they spot the neighbour has karaoke, Ohps. We are on a slippery slope.
Yes he had a sort of sound proof front room, hard to explain.
Eventually I left them to it and came to bed, it's sort of a barn all open with very thin mattresses on the floor. Mosquito nets around. Very well done.
But I could have done with not felling like I'm sleeping on the floor.

1st December Day 2

It's 6.30 the cockerel is roosting, I'm feeling pretty stiff, after a restless night. Needless to say the younger ones are asleep, it was a late noisy heavy night for them !!!!!
All night it's sounded as though it's pouring with rain, but I think it's the river running past, very full.

Well I'm going to get up and get my joints mobile ready for another tough day, the sun is shining which is good.

Maybe I would need to be a posh gypsy with a few little luxuries.
But it's all fun, I like to tell you about a young girl here, an Aussie but maybe later. !!!!!!!
We are all. Back in Sapa, after quite a walk back. It was up and down very slippery muddy slopes. But I had two villagers helping me, think they might have both been even older than me !!
Only tiny but very strong some of the slopes where at 90% and that's no lie. If I hadn't had there help reckon I would have spent a lot of time in the mud and on my butt. So well worth the payment, of few pounds. Or 21 million dong, sounds better.
Amazing views once again and a waterfall.
Whole experience was great and we got fed great food 3 times a day.
As you might guess karaoke turned out they all owed money, more than expected. But a figure wasn't agreed before. Couple of the Irish guys didn't think I should pay, which was really good of them but they all expected the guide to put in. I wasn't happy about that so I just paid his. Difference of being young and not realising that he had to stick with us. Mind you he was pretty drunk.

Back now it's all run well, as all taken off to different places for a shower, depends how much you paid I guess to where you go.
I think I'm over the tour guide centre, as none of us have a hotel,so I'm going to the hotel I was in night before last for supper at 5.00 then getting picked up for the train at 6.00
All off us on the 8.00 train except for Diego ( Spanish) who has another
Day.
My joints are quite sore and my ankles feel very bruised, no support in the cheap shoes I guess. But they are thick with mud and done the trick.

All in all good trip and I would recommend Sapa. It was 125 dollars all in, including the train. Tips extra but worth it. Bargain.
Will try and publish as Wifi at hotel but it doesn't seem to work to well. So if not will have to publish this at a later date.

Thanks for reading hope it makes sense.