25 July: Sapa

The alarm didn't go off until much later, but the builders managed to have us up and awake just after 06h00, there wasn't much sleeping after that. We got up just before 07h00, finished and headed for breakfast at the market. There was a new restaurant overlooking the market that we had decided to try today. So far we had tried quite a few different market stalls, but we already had a few favorites to which we regularly returned.

Breakfast was the traditional Vietnamese Pho Bo, they brought us two large bowls of beef noodles, that kept both of us busy. We paid, but were waved closer by the owner who wanted us to join him for Vietnamese tea and a smoke from is bong, we declined the latter, but enjoyed the double sized tot glass of tea, before leaving. We had planned to go back to the security post leading into a village we had stumbled upon the previous day, pay the 13 000 dong and walk to the minority village.

We walked there in the reverse of the previous day, first to the restaurant, where a young pig was being spitted, then up the flower laden steps and finally to the security gate, walking down to the ticket office. At the ticket office we tried to communicate with the officers, but to no avail. We finally figured out that there was no minority village, rather a type of resort or theme settling, probably similar to what we had encountered at the "Valley of Love" in Dalat. We decided to skip it and find another route to the villages and through the rice paddies.

We shot in a direction we thought it would be in, without a map, turns out it was right. Then again all you really needed to do was follow the stream of minority tribes walking towards SaPa. We walked out of SaPa into the rural areas along the main road leading down to Lao Cai, 36km away. Turning off the main road we walked with a dirt road into nowhere. The road took us past some farms and brought us to a hill with incredible views of rice paddies, roses and tea plantations down below.

We followed the road further down for a bit, before walking back to the main road and further down towards Lao Cai. Now the flow of traditionally dressed villagers became stronger, with an increasing amount of people walking to us to try and sell souvenirs or needle work. They are so persistent that they would follow you for a kilometer before deciding to turn back. They often offer to walk back to their villages to show you the way as long as you buy something from them. The biggest problem is that their English is very limited and explaining that you don't want to buy something doesn't get you very far.

About two kilometers further down, we found the turnoff to one of the minority villages, H'mong, the road winds though the rice paddies and streams to the village in the distance. We walked for about another two kilometers, before turning around due to the possibility of rain becoming ever increasing. The return leg to SaPa went quickly in comparison and within the hour we were back in the center of town. We stopped again for ice creams at the amphitheater, where all the vendors gather selling their products to tourists. I tried the coconut while Leanne went for the chocolate one. Back at the hotel, we walked across to an agent and arranged a market tour to the small minority village of Bac Ha. We also booked a three day trek through the valleys and hills of SaPa, staying at homestays with the hill tribes for two nights.

Back home it was time for lunch, we walked back to the market, bought spring rolls and deep fried banana, before heading to a lady we often eat at. Here we ordered rice vegetables and tofu and another dish of fried noodles, vegetables and tofu. Satisfied we walked back, buying a handful of bananas along the way. The rest of the afternoon we spent lazying on the balcony playing cards, before heading back to the market for dinner, by now everyone knew us.