We are all a little hungover today. I sit with Sam, Tim and a few of the other hostel members. Speak with Ramon and an older European guy with long hair who's name I don't know. The long haired fellow exports goods from the area and knows much about the tribes and the region in general. With a hangover I could sit and listen to the 2 of them talk all day. Vietnam is going to change drastically. As of this month anyone can now buy a business in Vietnam. Progress can be a positve tool, but not when there are large corporations in the wings like Mcdonalds. You can't replicate an old stall vendor selling one type of food and has been doing this most of their lives. Those recipes, tastes and the culture that goes with it can't be reproduced.
Ally is off on a moped ride and I say my farewells. I will miss the girl and our conversations in the courtyard. Sam is knackered and I say my goodbyes, a man that has help keep me cheery even when tired. A good sense of humour. I say my goodbyes to the staff and last of all Justin. Somebody else that I will miss and I admire his constant enthusiasm. Travelling is what I came for but in Sapa I found a home if only for a short time. I look at my patio seat one last time and get the 4pm shuttle to Hanoi, taking 5 hours. I sit with an english girl from the hostel and near an american and an english girl bound for castaways. Reaching Central backpackers, I am tired. The hostel feels cramped and is tucked down a narrow street in the old part of the city. I stay up for a beer and then crash out in my cramped dorm. Not nearly as good as the hostel in Sapa.