A compilation 10 pictures in Vietnam

10. Worker > 09. Dragonfly > 08. Mother > 07. Family > 06. Rice field > 05. Children > 04. Island > 03. Girl > 02. Light > 01. Old Woman

The age-old traditions of the Red Dao people, a hill tribe known for its medicinal culture and expert herbalists, infuse an all natural spa in the mountains.

After a long day of hiking the steep hills and terraced rice paddies of the mountains around Sa Pa, an all-natural herbal steam bath was just what my aching muscles needed.

At Red Dao Spa, I was led into a small bath full of fragrant steam wafting from the large wooden tub. First, I washed down with some herb-infused water, a dark reddish color, and then sat in the warm water for a 20 minute soak.

The Red Dao people in Sa Pa are known as the best herbalists in the area thanks to a vibrant medicinal culture centered on herbal remedies. Living near thick forests, Red Dao communities have taken advantage of the rich source of medicine to keep them healthy and full of energy. The Red Dao use herbs to treat everything from flu to skin diseases and muscle problems.

Herbs pot to boil in preparation for the spa, Sapa, Vietnam

For generations, the Red Dao people have used traditional herbal spas to treat a variety of ailments. Their baths include ten different kinds of herbs collected fresh from the forest before each soak.

The leaves, some fresh but some dried, are boiled for 3-4 hours. Then they are mixed with fresh water at 30-37oC. The bathtub, put in a small room to keep the steam and fragrance of the herbs, is usually made from fir or another aromatic wood.

Therapy

Red Dao Spa is run by Sa Pa local Ly Lao Lo in Ta Chai Village, Ta Phin Commune, around 12 kilometers from the center of the town.

The spa is small and sparsely furnished, but welcoming and comfortable. I visited after a Sa Pa woman suggested the place.

Once I arrived, I was briefed about the history of the herbal therapies I would be given and the properties of each herb.

Then I had my soak. Sitting in the warm, red water, I felt all my senses tingle and my muscles eased and relaxed. A soothing feeling crept up and down my body. After 20 minutes, I was thoroughly relaxed.

Goldmine

The only problem with Sa Pa’s new Red Dao-style spas is that there are a lot of them and it’s not easy to tell which ones are authentic.

“The thing that worries me is if people sell the service when they don’t really understand it and do not use the herbs properly,” said Lo.

“It also saddens me to see villagers working very hard to collect the herbs when the spas don’t pay them very well.”

With help from doctors at the Hanoi University of Pharmacy, Lo has also established a small company producing soap with traditional Red Dao herbs and leaves. To make the product, which can be found in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Lo has hired some 40 families in his village to grow the herbs themselves.

Try the true Dao’s spa at:

Red Dao Spa: Ta Chai Village, Ta Phin Commune, Sa Pa District, Lao Cai Province

Tel: (020) 871 756/098 897 5704

Tour to Sa Pa can be booked at:

ACTIVE TRAVEL VIETNAM

31 Alley 4, Dang Van Ngu St., Hanoi

367 Ngo Quyen St., Son Tra Dist., Da Nang

50 Bis Co Bac St., Dist. 1, HCMC

Support number (24/7 service): (04) 3 573 8569

www.activetravelvietnam.com

Source: VietNamNet/Thanh Nien

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Äntligen kommer det verkligt betydelsefulla nyheter i vår lila ankdamm.

Vilken dokusåpa är värdig?
Slemgubben Christian menar på att endast Robinson är såpan som är hedervärdig att vara med i. Allt annat är;  måste antas som ovärdigt och lite slaskigt. Skönt att Christian personifierade värdigheten i Robinson med sitt deltagande förra året.  Har väl aldrig någonsin önskat att någon åkt ut mer än honom.

Han var så värdig att när han kände att det var kört så hoppade han av som den feta losern han var. Snacka om att ta värdigheten till en ny nivå.

Nej Christian den Värdige, släpp kuken och knip.
Din värdighet försvann med dina “R”.

Fantastiskt roande diskussion dock … värdigaste såpan … ja herrejävlar. Nästan så man längtar till Idol Eftersnack med den otroligt briljanta och charmige Katrin.

Seriöst … ni fattar att jag skojar va?

Briljant
Charmig
Katrin

I samma mening är faktiskt en av naturens omöjligheter.
Bara så ni vet.

Va prezentam un alt site al SC SF STORE EXIM SRL, Saibe . ro (www.saibe.ro).
Nu uitati ca la Store gasiti o gama larga de organe de asamblare (piulite, saibe, suruburi etc) si intotdeauna veti avea de unde alege!
Va asteptam pe http://www.storeinc.ro – siteul principal.

Va prezentam un alt site al SC SF STORE EXIM SRL, Piulita . ro (www.piulita.ro).
Nu uitati ca la Store gasiti o gama larga de organe de asamblare (piulite, saibe, suruburi etc) si intotdeauna veti avea de unde alege!
Va asteptam pe http://www.storeinc.ro – siteul principal.

Lama tidak berblog ria…. ternyata nulis di notenya fb ndak seseru di blog, tetep aja aku kangen ngeblog.. xixixixi…

berhubung blogku yang http://www.shemurie.web.id udah gak kuurus dan malah sekarang dah expired, aku berniat bikin blog lagi ajah.. yang gratisan… hihihi.. dengan harapan tidak akan bernasib seperti blog2ku yg sebelumnya… di www.shemurie.co.cc <– bernasib sial, karena dihapus sebelah pihak

www.shemurie.web.id <– ku gak mampu bayar lagi, soalnya lagi fakir bgt, nasib anak rantau seberang pulau.. daripada dibuat bayar hosting dan domain, mending ditabung buat mudik..

Senang sekali jari2 ini bernari2 di atas tuts2 keyboard…

salam… ^^

Din ciclul: Ce mai apare azi pe siturile de job-uri, următorul anunţ:

Promotor Rodbun

CANDIDATUL IDEAL:

Domiciliul stabil in MEDIUL RURAL in orice comuna din judetele BOTOSANI, IASI, SUCEAVA, VASLUI, NEAMT

POT APLICA DOAR PERSOANELE CARE TRAIESC IN MEDIUL RURAL (comune, sate)

Cunostinte despre agricultura. Poti trimite cv-ul daca lucreazi pamant sau daca ai cunostinte despre utilaje agricole, seminte, pesticide sau ingrasaminte chimice
Studiile agronomice (liceu, facultate) prezinta avantaj.
Permis de conducere categoria B.
Prezenţă placută, capacitatea de a stabili relaţii interpersonale, abilităţi de comunicare, bun negociator.

RESPONSABILITATI / BENEFICII:
Prezenţă zilnică în zona de activitate
Promovarea produselor companiei
Menţinerea si dezvoltarea relaţiilor de colaborare cu clienţii deja existenţi, căutarea unor oportunităţi suplimentare pentru cresterea vanzarilor ;
Culegerea informaţiilor legate de clienţi si de concurenţă, obţinute de pe raza zonei de activitate

Firma mai este interesată:

• candidatul are cunoştinţe despre agricultură, a lucrat pământ sau a deţinut utilaje (Eu am lucrat pământ şi am dat cu sapa în fiecare vară, tot liceul. BINGO!)

• domiciliul (de pe buletin: sat Smirdan, com. Suharău, jud. Botoşani. BINGO!)

• candidatul este interesat de un contract de colaborare care să îi sporească veniturile (BINGO! direct)

• carnet auto (nu am, da ştiu să fac autostopul la o căruţă până la următorul deal. semi BINGO!)

• ce îi place candidatului să facă în timpul liber, ce hobby-uri are (dacă spun că una dintre cărţile mele de suflet e “Desculţ”, oare mă pun să mi-l amintesc pe Darie? BINGO!)

Concluzie: sunt super calificată! Mă aşteaptă câmpurile, văile şi RODUL BUN!

P. S. Şi în IT se aplică aceleaşi lucruri, doar că nu e deal ci  english “deal”, nu e pământ ci e pad şi nu sunt animăluţe ci e doar un mouse. Cât despre field-ul muncii…e mereu pro-activ! Roade bune să avem!

Unterwegs mit unserem Ortskundigen Schweizer Reiseleiter Hubi Aeschbach www.hubievietnam.ch im Norden von Vietnam
Um die Show anzuschauen einfach Musik anmachen und geniessen.

Vietnam 2009

Säga vad man vill om att en viss ansiktsbok har stängts av i Vietnam. TV kan man banne mig titta på även i de minsta bambuhyddorna bland Sapas dimhöljda berg. Så är det visserligen också ganska enhetligt planerat vad som ska visas på burken…

Tầm này năm ngoái đang lang thang ở Lào Cai, Sapa, Fansipan (đi về đã viết, bài ở đây. Chuyển từ 360 sang wordpress, thứ tự comments bị lộn xộn một chút). Post một số ảnh, lấy hứng viết cái PS cuối cùng năm nay.

Itinerary
Night 1: 8.00pm Depart from Hanoi by taxi to Hanoi Railway Station and catch the night train to Lao Cai (soft sleeper with air-conditioning), arrive in Lao Cai at 5:30 or 6:00am.

Day 1(B-L-D): 5.30am – Arrive in Lao Cai. The bus ride uphill to Sapa takes a little over an hour, giving you a glimpse of the stunning vistas and impressive rice terraces. You’ll have breakfast in a local Restaurant, then meet with our local guide. Walk down through the villages of Lao Chai and Ta Van. The trekking route offers some challenge as you balance on the rice terraces and a small trail on the steep mountainside. The vegetation is dense as the trail leads up to a peaceful village perched on the Hoang Lien mountainside, relax by a local stream for a picnic lunch. Dinner and overnight in home stay in Ta Van villages.

Day 2(B-L): After breakfast, you will have another trek to Giang Ta Chai a village of the red Dzao people then back to Sapa by motorbike or car. Relax, see Sapa town and Sapa market. Stay overnight in Hotel in Sapa.

Day 3(B): After breakfast, visit Cat Cat and Sin Chai villages.
6.00pm – Bus transfer to Lao Cai
8.20pm – Night train back to Hanoi (soft sleeper with air conditioning).
5.00am – Tour ends at Hanoi Railway Station.

Tour includes: Transportation (Train & Bus) – taxi to Hanoi Railway Station 1 way, Permit Fee, Accommodation (Hotel and Village) and Tour-Guide.

We’ve had a busy couple of weeks with lots of friends and family over to visit – cousins Anni and Cal for a couple of weeks, along with their friends Anne and Anna; and then Bron and her friend Nalin. This has meant lots of excellent eating for Brendon and me. We ate honey roast chicken in the private dining room of Madame Tuyet’s lovely Hanoi Old Quarter house (made famous by Anthony Bourdain’s TV series); enjoyed a very nice Vietnamese-inspired French meal at Green Tangerine; ate fried crickets and frogs legs in butter and lots of other delicious things (seriously, the crickets are really good!), as well as some tasty bottles of Vietnamese fruit liquor at Highway 4; and of course had several very nice meals at KOTO. As always, it was really fun to show Hanoi to our friends, the only difficult thing being trying to squeeze work into all the socializing.

Last weekend we took a trip with Bron and Nalin to Sapa, in the Northwest highlands of Vietnam near the border with China. Sapa has Vietnam’s highest mountain (Mount Fan Xi Pan, at 3,143m) and is home to an absolutely dazzling array of ethnic minority groups. The town is an old French hill station and is prettily located on the side of a mountain, looking over a spectacular valley. It is often shrouded in cloud but we had perfect sunny days and cool nights for the whole 3 days.

We caught the overnight sleeper train from Hanoi which deposited us at the China-Vietnam border town of Lao Cai at 5am, then took a 40km minibus ride straight up the mountain to reach the Sapa. Sapa town freaks me out a little, it is very touristy and the hill tribe women (most commonly H’mong or Dzao but also many others) that gather there to sell handicrafts to tourists can be quite intense- the most persistent salespeople I think I’ve ever encountered. That said; the hill-tribe women we met had great personalities  and they can be a lot of fun! We planned a trip that didn’t involve much hanging around Sapa, and when I did venture out I did my best to keep a Zen attitude towards the sellers….after all, this is the home of these people and it’s us tourists who invited ourselves here.

The first day we organized a Black H’mong woman, Chi, to be our guide and took a trek over a high ridge, through some little villages and down into the valley where we met a car for our lift home. Chi was great company and an interesting guide, we talked a lot and compared cultures and I learnt a lot about the people of the area. Chi herself told us she’d never been to school and couldn’t read or write, but she speaks fluent English that she learnt from talking to tourists (how does one learn a language in that way????) She speaks some Vietnamese too, which she uses to communicate with ethnic groups as they all have their own languages. Nowadays, almost all the hill tribe kids go to government schools and learn lessons in Vietnamese but we didn’t hear a lot of Vietnamese spoken in the region. We passed plenty of cute little kids on the trail, somewhat grotty and invariably pant-less, but cute nonetheless. Our presence delighted most but horrified some of the younger ones and we caused a few tears that day. Nalin walked up to shake the hand of one little girl and the boy with her started screaming in an absolute panic. Chi translated for us, “the foreigner’s taking my sister!!!!”

Another very sweet H’mong woman (sister-in-law of Chi) walked with us most of the way and we ended up eating lunch at her house. We wondered what her motivation was for following us for 10kms and of course at lunchtime the goods came out for sale, but by that time we were pretty good friends and we didn’t mind buying some pieces of silver jewelry from her.

I have heard that the tourism trade, whilst bringing much-needed money into the region, is the cause of some social problems in the region. Only the women and children sell to tourists in the town while the men work in the fields, so it is the women who learn to speak fluent English and often other languages as well. In other words, the women spend all day hanging out with a bunch of western backpackers, which can cause some issues when it comes time for them to go back to the farm and marry an uneducated farm boy. Certainly the H’mong girls we met seemed quite worldly even though they hadn’t traveled. Right before we left we met Chi’s very lively younger cousins who are also guides. They listened with great interest to stories of our motorbike trips and the youngest declared that her greatest wish was to go to Dien Bien Phu (the largest city in the region, a few hundred kms away).

The next day we hired some motorbikes and headed off on an overnight trip. It was a pretty ambitious itinerary that was made more ambitious by the delays caused by frequent road works, but the scenery was absolutely spectacular. First we rode up and over the Tram Ton Pass, the highest road in Vietnam at 1,900m, and also the meeting point of two great weather fronts (Sapa is the coldest place in Vietnam, and Muong Lay, our overnight destination, is one of the hottest). The Tram Ton Pass is a fantastic road with awesome scenery…all craggy peaks and dramatic vistas.

The road between Phong Tho and Muong Lay was another beautiful one, following the Da River for about 60 kilometres. The Vietnamese Government is working on a huge project to dam the river and build a hydro-electric power station, so sometime in 2010 Muong Lay and the surrounding region will be underwater. Confusingly, the government began changing town names when the dam project began. So Lai Chau became Muong Lay and Tam Duong became Lai Chau and Binh Lu became Tam Duong….difficult for both tourists and locals I think. The new Lai Chau is a rather strange sight – huge avenues of eight lanes without a single car or motorbike on them, built in preparation for the influx of people expected when the old Lai Chau floods. The old Lai Chau is interesting too – it looks like a bit of a war zone as locals begin to strip the place ahead of next year.

The closer we got to Muong Lay the worse the road got as road crew worked on what will become the dam walls. We didn’t make it to our accommodation until after dark and by that time we were hideously dirty, absolutely covered with dust from the road.  I don’t think I’ve ever been that dirty.

The next day we took a detour on the ride home that was just as spectacular. We left early in heavy fog and climbed the side of a mountain, which quickly took us above the clouds. This road was definitely motor biking heaven – no traffic, just a spectacularly beautiful winding road up and up the side of a gorgeous mountain. We were aiming to get to Sin Ho town before the Sunday market wound up, and as we got closer to the town we started seeing the most fabulous procession of people from a whole range of ethnic groups walking towards us along the road. We arrived at about 11.30am and the market was still absolutely packed with the most beautifully dressed groups of people – in contrast I felt rather under-dressed in my dirty black sweater and jeans. I had heard that Sin Ho can be a little bit unfriendly to outsiders (you have to get permission from the police to stay overnight in the town and it is rarely granted) so I put on my best smile and tried not to point a camera in any one’s face.

The ride back down the mountain was just as gorgeous as the ride up it. Unfortunately by this stage Nalin was feeling really ill, and we still had a long way to go home. Crossing the Tram Ton Pass again and dropping into Sapa in the late afternoon, as the sun was setting and the mountains turning purple, was really memorable. We arrived back in Sapa at about 5pm, cold, dirty and tired once again after a full day’s riding. Bron and Nalin stayed in Sapa an extra night to give Nalin some time to recover; while Brendon and I showered and headed back down the mountain and onto the train for the overnight trip back to Hanoi, and work the next day.

Người ta hay gọi Sapa là “thị trấn trong sương” để chỉ khí hậu se se lạnh của vùng đất nơi rẻo cao Tây Bắc. Nhưng ở Sapa còn có một mùa rất đặc biệt, đó là khi nắng thu rưới khắp các thửa ruộng bậc thang, hòa quyện cùng màu vàng ươm ngọt ngào của lúa chín.

Đến Sapa những ngày trung tuần tháng 9, bạn không thể nào rời mắt khỏi những thửa ruộng bậc thang từng giúp Sapa lọt vào tốp 7 địa danh có ruộng bậc thang kỳ vĩ nhất thế giới do tạp chí du lịch Travel & Leisure (Mỹ) bình chọn hồi tháng 7-2009.
Thung lũng Mường Hoa nhìn từ trên cao như được dát vàng

Thật không ngoa khi có người ví ruộng bậc thang Sapa, đặc biệt là tại thung lũng Mường Hoa – bản Tả Van, như những chiếc thang bắc lên trời. Thung lũng Mường Hoa nằm hai bên con suối Mường Hoa chảy dài khúc khuỷu giữa hai dãy núi hùng vĩ. Tại đây, ruộng bậc thang của người H’Mông và Giáy ôm trọn những ngọn đồi. Vài ba mái nhà nhỏ đơn sơ thấp thoáng bên mé đồi cũng lọt thỏm giữa sóng lúa rì rào.

Có thửa lúa đã chín vàng ươm. Có thửa lúa hãy còn xanh mướt. Có thửa vút lên thẳng tắp theo hình chóp nón để lộ những bậc tam cấp uốn cong như những cánh cung quyện vào thế núi. Màu xanh ruộng lúa tiệp với màu xanh cây rừng nối thành một màu xanh bất tận, khiến từng nhóm du khách hết đứng lại ngồi, máy ảnh không ngừng chĩa xuống Mường Hoa bấm tanh tách, như cố gom tất cả vẻ đẹp trước mắt vào ống kính.

Ruộng bậc thang ở Mường Hoa như những nấc thang nối lên trời

Có thửa vàng ươm, có thửa hãy còn xanh mướt…

Cũng khiến du khách ngẩn ngơ không kém là những thửa ruộng bậc thang trải dài ngút mắt trên con đường dẫn vào bản Tả Phìn của người Dao Đỏ. Những thửa ruộng vàng ươm khoe mình trong nắng nơi lưng chừng núi đẹp như tranh vẽ với những đường nét uốn lượn tài hoa.

Mà đâu chỉ có Tả Van, Tả Phìn hay Bản Dền, Sa Pả, Lao Chải…, dường như đi đến nơi nào ở Sapa, bạn cũng có thể trầm trồ trước những thửa ruộng bậc thang được tạo nên bởi bàn tay tài hoa của đồng bào các dân tộc ít người tại đây. Để rồi khi chia tay, bạn không chỉ nhớ đến Sapa như một “thị trấn trong sương” mà còn là vẻ đẹp của vàng ươm sóng lúa.

Những mái nhà lọt thỏm giữa sóng lúa Tả Phìn

Sapa không chỉ là “thị trấn trong sương” mà còn có vàng ươm sóng lúa

Semut.
“Malu aku malu pada semut merah…”. Jadi teringat lagu ketika masih SMA.
Semut, hewan yang kecil. Ada yang berwarna hitam dan merah. Semut biasanya di contohkan sebagai hewan yang RAJIN. Mengumpulkan makanan ketika musim hangat dan bisa menikmati makanannya ketika musim dingin. Musim dimana semut tak dapat mencari makan.

Semut juga menyapa teman-temannya ketika berpapasan. Apakah kita menyapa teman kita ketika kita berpapasan dengan mereka? Mari belajar menyapa orang yang kita temui. Minimal senyum. Tapi memang mungkin kita merasa mangkel kalau orang yang kita sapa tidak melihat kita bahkan tidak membalas sapaan kita. Padahal orang tersebut sudah melihat kita. Mari menyapa.

Mari kita menjadi orang yang rajin dan memberi sapaan kepada orang yang kita temui.

Here in Nam its been pretty crazy.  After some lovely trekking up in Sapa we came back to Hanoi briefly and then onto Ha Long Bay.  Here we enjoyed a rather luxurious boat trip and saw the beautiful limestone karsts.  Over the last few days on both trips we met some amazing people and saw some crazy things.

I have to admit a highlight of the trip was going to monkey island and seeing a rather strange

This is my island and don't you forget it

Russian lady try to pose provocatively with the monkeys. She crawled up to the alpha male monkey and made what I can only describe as bedroom eyes at the monkey while about 20 shocked tourist onlookers were very uncomfortable.  She eventually backed off after several warnings from the guide and left the poor monkey alone without doing anything inappropriate.  Shortly afterwards another woman ignored the guides advice to keep away from the monkey and was then bitten and scratched by a very angry monkey.  The woman was a bit upset and headed off to hospital when we got back.  I am sure she was OK and will in future  heed the advice of the guide when she is told not to go near the monkeys.

In the evening things turned rather boozy with free rice wine shots and even some shots of the rather lovely local delicacy of snake wine.  This is basically a jar of rice wine witha dead snake and the contents of the snakes gall bladder in it.  I have to say it was one of the most disgusting things I have ever tried.

Shortly afterwards Jo cut her foot  on some glass and luckily a lovely nurse who we met came to the rescue and bandaged it up so all is OK.

Better go as we are now on yet another bus to head down to Hue.

Fortunately last night I got completely hammered. Fortunate because late in the evening I

a) Was given a shot of ’snake wine’ to drink (read: ‘rotting dead serpent carcass in a jar of alcohol’) – tasted just like a rotting dead serpent in a jar of alcohol. Kinda rusty. You could see the scales floating.

b) Had my ankle lacerated by flying broken glass – bled profusely for about an hour, had some bar woman stick Marlboro Red tobacco on the cut to stem the flow (???!!) and;

c) Danced like a monkey.

Mmmmm... rotting snake wine anyone? Yum yum.

Luckily the obscene quantities of alcohol I had consumed earlier on in the evening did its work and numbed any pain (until this morning that is when my stinging ankle woke me up – thank goodness for Spanish mega mg ibuprofen). Luckily as well that one of our new friends, Jo was a nurse. She got very keen with her bandages and all was well. Have had to have a visit from the black doctor three times already today. Rice wine, beer, long island ice tea and snake wine do not mix well.

View from Monkey Island, Halong Bay

Spent the last few days at Halong Bay, a beautiful area of amazing limestone stacks which we sailed around. Our cabin was absolute luxury – wonderful big power shower, gorgeous white linen, air con, and demi-private balcony out the back of the boat for sunbathing. The seafood was delicious – yummy squid, octopus and fish. Painful karaoke. Even more painful rice wine. Potent as slibovitz.

We previously had a great time in Sapa, especially because we successfully managed to hijack another honeymoon – lovely Katrine and Arnaut the Belgians. All went wonderfully wrong when we got mixed up with Mimi the card shark tour guide who dared us to drink loads of rice wine and then somehow got the Belgians to strip naked and run round the homestay. The best Belgians ever.

Obligatory Cheesy Mountain Views / Us Shot

Onwards now down south on sleeper bus tonight. Edging our way slowly slowly towards Saigon down the coast. Apparently there was a tornado down there on Monday so still trying to get info on all that.

SO hard to write this post. SO a big hangover. SO going to go and have a snoozzzzzzzzze.

Dad, hope you had a really lovely bday. Glad you got the email. So sorry we were unable to call you. No reception in the middle of the sea!! Will try and call you as soon as we can. xxxxx

Our trip to Sapa started with a sleepless night on a sleeper train from Hanoi to Lao Cai on the border of Vietnam and China.  The 8 hour trip was on time, which makes a change for the trains we are fortunate enough to board, and we arrived at about 5am before the 1 hr trip up through the mountains to the hill station – Sapa.

On departing the bus and embarking on our little walk across down to the accommodation we’d booked we were very quickly introduced to Sapa hospitality.  Two local tribes women (from the Black H’mong people) quickly followed us up the hill asking us questions about who we were, where we came from, how old we were, were we married and so on.  To start with we were prepared with the standard asia phrase ‘no, thank you’, but they kept following us and they did seem genuinely interested.  But it didn’t take too long before we heard their favourite phrase ‘you buy from me?’  We were soon glad to escape to our predators for a catch up on some sleep.

Later that day we decided to go on a small hike, which Sapa is famous for, to Cat Cat village.  The walk was lovely, down through the valley, past the village and to a waterfall at the bottom.  We got to see a little bit of local life, people working the rice terraces, water buffulo tramping through the water, pigs lazing in the sun and chickens aimlessly wandering around.  The hike was really worth it, although a little tiring on the way back up!

To round off our first day in Sapa we had earlier seen that a free Vietnamese language course was being held at the tourist info centre.  Of course, we leapt at the chance and were soon being taught with a small group of other beginners the basics of Vietnamese.  It was really cool and now we can make a few locals smile with our attempts to order food and drink and ask for directions.

The following day we were to head back to Hanoi in the evening, on yet another overnight train back, so we wanted to make the most of it.  We headed off on a hike to the top of one of the hills surrounding the small town.  Of course at the start we had the usual small group of H’mong tribes people follow us, but at the top we great peaceful views of the valley and town.

Before heading back to the train station, we decided to try out our Vietnamese at a local cafe and had a long chat with the waiter.  He actually understood what we said and was so pleased that a tourist wanted to speak his language!  He was more interested in practicing his English, but it was great knowing our skills were working.  Later we went and sat in the town square to witness some of the madness surrounding the local people and their attempts to sell their wares to the tourists.  Many came over to chat to us as they all do, but they tend to leave you alone a little bit more if you aren’t walking around.  We had some interesting conversations and a bit of a laugh.

That pretty much ended our trip to Sapa, apart from the funny taxi trip back on arrival in Hanoi.  We got an official taxi from the station and, after telling the driver where we wanted to go and the d asking his friends where it was, he took us off around town.  We had a map and could soon see he didn’t know where he was going.  We noticed we had gone full circle and were back at the station.  So when he pulled over to ask for directions, we hopped out and swapped to another cab, with Carly forcefully informing him that we weren’t paying for his scenic drive at 5am.  (she’s not to be messed with, when she’s tired! )

la fabrica două mii trei sute patruzeci şi şapte
de suflete goale,
pe o stradă umedă,
trei oameni
săpau şanţuri nici prea adânci, nici prea la suprafaţă
cu gânduri orbeşti să dezgroape fericirea

dar,
târnăcoapele urâte, grele şi-nvârtind prea rar pumnii cu materie brună
nu formau decât cvasigăuri
despre cvasisentimentul fericire sub pământ.

We asked the experts to reveal the trips they are most excited about – from Vietnam’s Fansipan Mountain to Cambodia’s Tonle Sap Lake.

1. MOUNTAIN TREKKING, SAPA, VIETNAM

Mount Fansipan is Vietnam’s highest peak located in the far north just outside of Sapa. Mt. Fansipan a very steep mountain that gets a lot of moisture. Those looking to climb it should be in good shape and prepared to to have muddy wet feet. The scenery is incredible remember to bring a camera. For most of Vietnam having a rain coat is a little excessive because it is so warm. On the mountain having a rain coat is not a bad idea especially at night. The trails around Sapa are a lot of fun. You will get the chance to go through some minority villages if you have the time to explore. There are well-marked trails, both long and short, for all skill levels.

Conquer Fansipan Mountain, the highest mountain in Indochina- Vietnam.

Photograph: Active Travel Vietnam

When? October to May are the best months

Book it: Trek Fansipan (00 84 4 3573 8569; trekfansipan.com) offers a year-round, four-day guided mountain-trekking tour of Vietnam from $ 219 including hotel accommodation, some meals and travel gear rent. Flights extra

2. MOTORCYCLING HO CHI MINH TRAIL, VIETNAM

The legendary Ho Chi Minh Trail was the supply line used by North Vietnam to link North and South Vietnam during the American War. Soldiers, ammunition, weapons and supplies were carried by hand, bicycle and truck for hundreds of kilometers through the otherwise impenetrable jungle that covered Vietnam’s mountainous border with Laos. A testimony to the ingenuity, fortitude and commitment of the northern Vietnamese, the trail slipped from use at the end of the war and was taken back by the jungle.

Ho Chi Minh Trail Motorcycling tour – Photo by ATA

When? October to April

Book it: Active Travel Vietnam (info@activetravelvietnam.com; activetravelvietnam.com) offers a 18-days trip with 11-days motorcycling guided trip from $1,951, including accommodation, all meals and transfers. Flights extra.

3. KAYAKING HALONG BAY, VIETNAM

Ha Long Bay (also “Halong Bay”) is in northern Vietnam, 170 km east of Hanoi. The bay is famous for its scenic rock formations.If you thought the hideout in the James Bond film “The Man with the Golden Gun” was spectacular, imagine a place where there are 3,000 such limestone islands clustered together in the East Sea of Halong Bay. Paddle through caves into secret lagoons, drift down channels surrounded by cliffs and forest and sail out into the open sea.

Kayaking on Halong bay, Vietnam

When? October and early January

Book it: Kayak Halong Bay (info@activetravel.asia; kayakhalongbay.com) offers a 3-day trip from $ 299, including meals, accommodation and transfers

4. EXPLORE MEKONG DELTA

A holiday in Vietnam would be incomplete without a trip to the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Popularly known as one of the ‘Rice Baskets’ of Vietnam, the Mekong Delta is located in the South Eastern region of Vietnam, where the Mekong River meets the sea. A pride of the Vietnamese and the one of the most popular of the Vietnam tourist attractions, the Mekong Delta is exceptionally rich in scenic beauty. It is a place unique in itself.

Float market in Mekong Delta, Vietnam

When? October to June

Book it: Active Travel Asia (info@activetravel.asia; activetravel.asia) has a 4-day tour with over 3-day biking from $ 312 including full-board accommodation and transfers. Flights extra

5. CYCLING ANGKOR WAT, CAMBODIA

Let’s discover the world’s remarkable awesome historical site through this adventure trip and grasp the reasons why the Tomb Raider’s film maker team chose the Angkor Complex in Siem Reap for its screen backdrops. Also experience the biodiversity of Tonle Sap listed as the World Ecological Wonder.

Monks and Angkor Wat, Cambodia

When? October to June

Book it: Active Travel Cambodia (info@activetravelcambodia.com; activetravelcambodia.com) has a 7-day tour with 5-day cycling from $ 685 including full-board accommodation and transfers. Flights extra

6. CYCLING LAOS

Cycling is a great way to get off the beaten track in this increasingly popular country. Start in Luang Prabang, in north central Laos, and head to Hanoi, in North Vietnam, travelling along the banks of the Mekong River and past the intriguing Viengxay caves.

On the way bike Luang Prabang, Laos – Photo by ATA

When? October to March

Book it: Active Travel Laos (info@activetravellaos.com; activetravellaos.com) has a 17-day tour with kayaking, trekking, biking and elephant riding Luang Prabang to Hanoi cycling trip from $ 1,553, including most meals, bike hire and sightseeing. Flights extra.

We finally made it to Sapa, in the glorious mountaineous region in the north of Vietnam near the Chinese border. It was a little bit of a struggle to get here due to a slight mix-up at our hostel last night when two English girls somehow accidentally instead of us got on our tour operator’s bus to the train station. Two and a half hours later, after waiting around at reception and asking where on earth our bus was, we finally figured out what must have happened. Our hostel had to call us a taxi to rush us to the train station. We got on the train and handed our new tickets with seconds to spare before the train pulled away. So much for an organised tour. We splashed out on this so we didn’t have to worry about organising it ourselves, but it’s almost easier when you do it yourself!!

Shared our beautiful cabin (complete with beautiful faux roses, and soft duvet covers) with a lovely Belgian couple on their honeymoon. They are hilarious and we spent the first four hours on board chatting away, which meant in the end we only got about four hours’ sleep. Oops, forgot that you are supposed to sleep on a sleeper. Wonderful moment early this morning when I got up to go down the carriage to the toilet, came back and a Vietnamese woman was being shooed away out of our cabin by the Belgian guy. In my absence she had cheekily sneeked it and laid on my bed to go to sleep!!

Sapa is lovely. Fresh mountain air. Stunning views in every direction. Steep steps of rice fields, lush palms, slooshing streams and tumbling waterfalls. We visited hill tribe villages this morning and now have the afternoon to explore Sapa town itself and enjoy the weekend market. Dog head on a silver tray seems to be in current first place for weird sight of the day… but it may not yet win. They eat some strange things in these parts!!

Scooby Snacks