'She'll be coming around the mountain when she comes'

I head off to Sa Pa in northern Vietnam for a few days trekking (nothing challenging). We board a sleeper coach which is essentially a double decker coach filled with reclining bunk beds. Last on, I end up on top bunk at the front of the coach.....mmm not my first choice and I sense the travel carnage is about to commence! I'm behind the driver and his crew, all young lads who look like those tattooed bad boys on the coffee advert.... I can't help chuckling to myself, this would never happen in the UK and it's fabulous to experience the chaos. They pick up and drop of locals along the route, some seemingly offloaded in the middle of nowhere along with crew 'pit stops' for a pee and 'smoke' on the side of the highway.

 

                  

The crew and random locals (left) fill the entrance and isle's blocking all escapes.

It's 300km from Hanoi to Sa Pa. Looking out along the route I see hundreds of miles of undulating and challenging farmland being worked. I have pangs of guilt knowing these humble people have a gruelling days labour ahead as I float past on the upper deck of my comfortable coach. 

 

  

The weather conditions in Sa Pa (its much cooler in the north) allow only one rice crop per year to be produced.There will only be enough produce for local communities to store and eat for the year. They cannot complete with volume and mass trade prices to make export viable. The locals pull together through planting season (here they were preparing the rice fields) and share the proceeds of the crop dependant on the number of days worked per individual.

Through undulating and twisting roads, a 6 hour journey later we arrive in the mountains.....its beautiful. 

I'm taken to my ropey hotel named 'The Fanispan View' (Fanispan is a mountain) makes me laugh....don't know why? The views from the town are spectacular. The pretty town is set low, encased in towering mountains with mystical low cloud drifting above. It's so high it snows here in winter.

The first day is a 2 hour hike to a local village named Cat Cat. It's been such a long time since I've been in a mountainous environment .....fresh air, greenery to every aspect, rustic homes inhabited by humble people ...this is heaven and a stark contrast to the fast city life. The blissful inner feelings emerging confirm I'm where I should be.

After some good food and an early night in the hotel I'm ready for the next days trekking adventure. It wasn't too challenging but I wasn't properly advised on terrain, also a monsoon hit ....you know as these things do...so it was wet and muddy. Another pair of comfy converse were fallen victims...courageous and spirited I held them in my arms until their last breath..R.I.P right and left foot soldiers you served me well. The second night's accommodation in Sa Pa is at a 'home stay' set in the mountains. I wasn't really briefed that well on this element either (accidentally on purpose I think) so had no idea what to expect....I was nervous. Locals open their homes as a source of income so I'm thinking rustic, humble but comfy right? I knew deep down it was going to be tough but I wasn't prepared once again for what greeted me. No privacy whatsoever ....just an upper level wooden open plan deck of beds! My first impression ...Ahh man I'm too old for this *hit! I shared the bedroom (you cant really call it that) with a Polish man and his teenage daughters (to my right) and a 'new  romance' Spanish couple on their first travel adventure together (to my left) ....awkward! There were also Dutch and French families (15 people sharing in total) The team took advantage of the hearty meal cooked for us along with the rice wine / happy water (I didn't drink) but the others who did went too far and were snoring like freight trains (non synchronised) all night long, cats and dogs scrapping outside, cockerels and babies crying ....it was utter hell....I had no sleep whatsoever! My last sighting of our trekking guide Hiep was of a sorry 'happy water' mess ...a  young man escaping the family routine for the evening....I'm wondering whether he'll make an appearance tomorrow?! 

The bedroom!!

Garden

Group Lunch

open plan lounge / diner

Hiep was great and gave lots of information on local cultures and descendant traditions. He told me he inherited land from his father but was expected to provide for his parents and care for them until their death. He was very clear this was what he wanted to do and didn't see it as an obligation. He said "man who doesn't care for parents brings shame to the family"...."a bad man". I think this is something which has sadly lapsed in western culture. 

Silly pose with our guide Hiep....i loved him, he was an amazing guy.

We all gather for breakfast and the guide emerges and hour later. He has that 'glazed' and jaded look about him. He was adamant 'no hangover' but I didn't believe him....his face and pace told a different story!

We make the hike back in the rain to the hotel and all disperse onto our next adventures.

Sa Pa is beautiful and everything I want from my travel experience. Having spent time in the dusty and polluted cities It was a welcome break to experience the clean air , cloud drifting skies, stunning mountain terrain, natural waterfalls, rice paddies, being educated about the history of the area and experiencing a typical day and night of the Vietnamese family in their basic, rustic and remote mountain village community. The guide was passionate about his country, I learnt a lot from him. The trek group also were the best group I've been a part of. I burst with uncontrollable laughter at times with the Spanish lady who had a wicked sense of humour. This was my favourite trip this far.

The spanish lady Olatz and her partner.

  

I arrive back in Hanoi and spend what was supposed to be my 'housekeeping' day (consisting sorting accommodation, travel, bank stuff) with a lovely girl (Jen) I met at breakfast - we had a great random day...she flew off to Hong Kong. Deb arrives around 2.30am the following day. She's shattered from travelling and I also from the trekking and sleepless night at the homestay....but it's fabulous to see my friend and feelings of home come rushing in.

       

Playing on the swings at the Botanical Gardens (Jen right)

We tried a traditional Vietnamese egg coffee.....not too keen on this...much prefer the iced coffee with condensed milk.

We stumbled on a random tug of war competition...as I nosey over the wall the security man sees us and gestures for us to come over and he let us in. The atmosphere was electric...loud and fun everyone was smiling. Drums banging, singing/chanting and whistles blowing. People were so happy....I felt lucky to be part of this.

It's been a two and a half month roller coaster of emotion but I'm loving solo travel, I feel in a good place at the minute...quite content. I think being in Vietnam has a lot to do with how I'm feeling, its such an easy country to navigate around. I sit awaiting Debs arrival pondering how having a companion will change the course of my adventure ......I already know it will be tough to say goodbye.