I never thought I'd say it here, but I've just spent a few days freezing to the bone. I took off to Sapa, in the northern highlands. James had to work, so I was on my own.
My flight to Hanoi was straight after work on Sunday and I arrived up there just as it was getting dark. Took a taxi into the Old Quarter, a big touristy area. Wandered around the shops until it started to rain, as it always is at that time of night in Hanoi. So, I decided to head to the train station.
My ticket was for a "soft sleeper" on the overnight train. This was the only part of my little holiday I wasn't looking forward to. Because I was traveling alone, I was more than anxious about who I would be sharing the four berth cabin with. All sorts of things were going through my mind. I spent about an hour in the "Passenger Waiting Hall" and between reading my book, watching some drunk guy trying to get on the train before everyone else, only to be unceremoniously thrown out. The other entertainment was two little boys who spent that whole time sliding a shoe between each other on the floor, something so simple but had them engrossed for ages. Onto the train and wow, was I surprised. James and I had traveled by train here in Vietnam before and this train was a real step up. And, even better, I had the cabin all to myself. So I locked the door and was rocked off to sleep as we made our way toward Lao Cai, a little town which is on the Chinese boarder and a stepping stone to Sapa. Woken at 5am with a light knock on the door and outside it was a misty, cold morning.
A minibus took me and a dozen others on the winding road to Sapa. It was like the Great Ocean Road (without the sea) mixed with Devil's Elbow. A few of the passengers were using the small plastic bags supplied and disposing of them out the window. Pity the poor bugger on a motorbike traveling behind us.
Sapa was settled by the French in the early 1900's and sits on the top of a hill with some spectacular scenery. I was there in the off season, apparently it is the destination of thousands through the summer, the cooler climate attracting the Vietnamese. And cold it was. I don't have any winter clothes here and found the purchase of a jumper in Hanoi brilliant planning.
I checked into a hotel and wandered out to explore. Well, I tried to get out. At the bottom of the steps I was surrounded by a group of very persistent women who were well versed in the spirit of free trade. Although most of these local people have had little formal education and are illiterate, their command of English is quite good. Buy from me, why you buy from her and not me, you want to buy blanket, maybe you buy from me later, buy from me for baby...are all spoken fluently with crisp pronunciation and emotion. 10 out of 10.
There are two main ethnic groups, the Black H'mong and the Red Dzao. They live in little primitive villages in the surrounding mountains and the tourists provide most of their income. The women of the Red Dzao shave their eyebrows and the front of their hairline and wear what can only be called a big red billowing headdress decorated with beads and tassels. They wear lots of silver decorating their clothes and are a fantastic sight around the town. The Black H'mong wear....guess...black. They dye their clothes from the indigo plant which grows in the mountains. The length of time that they boil the hemp fabric determines if the clothes are a dark blue or black. The women wear a tunic and wrap lengths of black fabric around their legs for warmth. Again there is silver jewelery and either baskets full of wares or babies tied to their backs.
On my first day I took a Honda taxi to check out the sights. Because of the increase of tourism in the area, some of the roads have been upgraded, but I don't think my driver knew where they were. Before we took off, we stopped at this house so he could get me a helmet (always need one of those to feel safe). This was secured under my chin with a strip of fabric, well the thought was there.
This ride was well worth it. Zac, obviously his acquired English name, took me up through the mountains and some of the most spectacular scenery of valleys and terraced hillsides. My only regret was that the weather wasn't better, but the rolling cloud and thin mist did add to the experience. I was tempted with the offer of, for a few more dollars, a visit to one of the villages. What the heck, off we went. He took me to this incredibly primitive village which obviously wasn't frequented by many tourists. Zac told me to go into one of the houses, rather intrusive I thought, and so did the lady who lived there. I didn't feel comfortable with going in but could see the dark interior was little more than a rammed dirt floor, a fire in the middle of the room and no obvious comforts. This experience of wandering around the tiny village was the highlight of my little holiday.
The next day, rather than doing one of the many treks on offer from the local tour companies, my luck would be to fall and break an ankle, I hired a jeep and English speaking guide to go to another 2 villages. Well, two out of three's not bad. Yes, it was a jeep, we did go to 2 villages, but English was a language to which my guide could only shrug a response. This was a more enterprising arrangement, with these villages accepting bus loads of tourists and having a tourist centre and merchandise centre. Here it was acceptable to venture past the threshold and there was nothing that gave a hint of creature comforts. Again the dirt floor, beds a platform of timber covered in blankets, two low wooden chairs and a fire burning in a pit in the centre of the room. Grandmothers play a big part in childcare here, most having a child on their back or hip. If the child is tied to the back, there is a piece of plastic protecting from any little accidents because nappies are not part of the attire.
When I got back to town, I ran the gauntlet and made some of the local women happy with my souvenir purchases. They sell a lot of beautiful hand embroidered clothes, bags, cushion covers and blankets. There is also trade in silver bangles and earrings. I just had to remember that what I bought, I carried.....but my small case had wheels. The women sit in the street working away on small pieces of cloth, but the dye from the fabric turns their hands blue. Needless to say, I wrapped everything before I put them in my bag. The craft of needlework is taught from a young age and all female members of the family are involved in the industry.
I wandered around the town, it is steep but alive with a mingling of tourists and locals. The market sells fresh fruit and veggies along with handicrafts. There are plenty of hotels and restaurants to meet the tourists needs. I just loved it and have promised James that we will both seek refuge from the heat there in summer.
I did the return journey, again lucky to have the train cabin to myself. I found Hanoi Airport not very welcoming at 5am, especially when my flight wasn't until 10.30. I managed to get an earlier flight, we boarded at 8.15, only to have to get off again straight away, apparently a security matter, a passenger had got on, then decided to get off again, so the pilot refused to fly....bugger. I had met up with a young Aussie couple and these events brought the girl to tears. It seemed she was already terrified of flying and was now saying to her boyfriend that it was all his fault that they were going to die. I think she was a bit of a fragile thing, they went on a home stay and16 km trek not knowing it was that long (derrrr....read the brochure). She stopped half way, refusing to go further and just sat in tears. She thought the jeep was going to pick them up and was not happy when she found out she had to walk back the next day. Anyway, no sooner were we off than we were back on again, the pilot happy to fly. When we took off, there was turbulence and a glance toward my new young friend showed a red face streaming tears and the boyfriend stroking her head. When we landed, she was first off.
I was home in time to empty my bags onto the floor, shower and off to work on the back of a bike. It was only a few days but it seemed like a week. It was great and I highly recommend a visit to that rooftop town with lots discover.
