We Journey into the end of Day 4 whereby we were transfer to Hanoi Train Station for our overnight train to Sapa. We were feeling all excited and nervous at the same time; as we do not know what to expect and also what will happen.
Our train trip beings at Hanoi Train station...
Hanoi Train Station Packed with people; both locals & tourists!
The excitement and nervousness was building!
Hopping on "King Express". It is like our first time travelling on train, we have been on boats, plane, bus, metro and so on, but not on train so yup super excited like a kid in a candy shop!!
We spent a bit more to get our private cabin and i guess this was like the best thing we did.
Super nice little cabin and the experience of a lifetime!
I am definitely happy with my cabin!
The train ride was long and bumpy, not the most fun thing but definitely the most exciting thing to do! We were suppose to arrive @ Sapa in the morning @ like 5a.m. but in the end we got delay for like 5 hrs due to some track problem. Throughout the ride, you can see heads popping out of cabin every time the train stops; as people try to find out if we have reached our destination. Hahaha.
The narrow walkway outside the cabins.
We were lucky to meet a aussie couple who were travelling on the same tour with us, so we got to chill while waiting and had cup noodles for breakie. Was suppose to reach Sapa in the morning and have hotel breakfast. But i guess we have no choice. With the delay things just have to go not as plan, but who cares we are having fun anyway!!
Finally reach Lao Cai Station!! 10.30a.m.
Sapa, a little town with lots of ethnic minorities at which many of them came from China, Sapa is also at the far north of Vietnam which is along the borders of China and Vietnam. From Lao Cao Station it is about 1hr more to Sapa town. Thus, here we go again.
Sapa depends mainly on agriculture as their main source of income. Thus, along the way there is really endless stretch of Rice paddy and field. A sight you will never get to see back in Singapore thus we really appreciate the large amount of land and space there. The journey into Sapa town is bumpy but filled with beautiful scenic views.
Finally at Sapa town and our hotel.
Due to the delay, our first tracking tour into the village was rescheduled to be in the afternoon. So is check into the hotel rest, walk around and lunch before we set off!
Hotel with lovely view from the mountain!
Our lunch; made of their simple local products and fresh. Tasty and simple! Healthy too!
After lunch we had like about 1hrs plus more before the tour starts, thus Stanley and i decided to take a short walk around the town. Really nice town which looks a bit like the old town in Europe!
After walking around town we met up with our guide @ like 2pm and begin our trek into the village; cat cat village and the black Mong village.
On the way in, see the beauty of the rice paddy and the field.
Breathtaking and WOW!
Beauty of the mountain.
The most interesting thing during the trip was, it had been snowing 2 days non stop before we reach Sapa, which may have also cause the track fault for the train. But due to the snow, the weather is super cold @ between 0 degree to 5 degree. I was totally not prepare for it. Stanley told me it will be 15 degree; like Taiwan in Dec. But gosh it was real cold!
Beautiful space, the wonders and beauty of creations.
Can see the top of the mountain snow still there!! The white and the green co-existing simple lovely!
Vietnam usually don't snow, so this snow was reported on the news all over the world and it is like the first snow in the past 50 years. So wow, we are lucky!
We got to a gallery along the mountain and enjoy a cup of coffee overseeing the rice field and mountains.
This is life!
On our way again.
Beautiful backdrop.
The village people.
The road into the village.
Doggie, cute and friendly!
After almost 2 hrs of trekking we reach the waterfall. Love the view here and how surreal the place is.
Beside the waterfall, is a little hut store which sells grilled egg and bamboo rice. Cleanliness is usually not in our dictionary when it comes to food overseas, as we believe it is important for us to experience the lifestyle of the ppl there, and if they can survive eating the food there we should not die from having it as well.
Thus, we tried and the egg and rice is really nice and we ordered more in the end and yup, we did not die from eating the food! =)
The trek ended and we spend the night around Sapa town. With the local ppl playing football in the open space at my back drop, we really take time to enjoy the local lifestyle here. Slow and peaceful, Simple and nice!
Along the town, you can see snow residue everywhere, and ppl took joy in it by making snowman and placing them on their cars. So cute!
Dinner is at Michell a place own by the hotel ppl as well. Dinner was nice and the ppl there really are mindful about details when it comes to decorating the place!
Stanley as usual needs more meat than he is given thus he went hunting for meat at a local BBQ place.
Day two began early as it was the day of our full day trek. Many many km of road to clear!
Beautiful scenic view along the trek road. It is really one of those tour at which you simple walk and enjoy the greatness of creation and the view around you!
However, the road was not all so easy to walk, some were muddy, others are steep and the rest just requires lots of support and effort to get there.
And this is us as usual, with our signature post everywhere we go! From Taiwan to Phuket to Vietnam and we will continue to do this where ever we go!
And the road continues into the village with lots of farm animals and rivers and all.
Stanley and a kitten. Soft side of the else tough looking man; his love for animals, especially cats.
Pho Ga (Rice noodles with chicken, our lunch in the village). Tasty and delicious!
After lunch we visit and trek further into the village and visited one of the school. The school there is fully sponsored by UNICEF; the organisation which help bring education to the poverty ridden areas of the world.
The tour ended with us back at the hotel.
We then continue walking around town, enjoying the last of the beautiful life and view there before we prepare another night on the bumpy train.
Our train ticket from Hanoi to Lao Cai.
Of course we have a train ticket from Lao Cai back to Hanoi as well.
Hopping onto the train!
Supper is my fav food in Viet, bread with meat and veggie!! Love it!
Tuck nicely into the tiny bed to slp!
Gd nite word!
