i'm moving.

Sunday, August 17, 2008 @ 1:00 AM

Day 4 - Overnight Train to Lao Cai (pronouns as lao kai)

They have so many railways tracks that we'd be totally lost if not for our trusty Hotelier, Dut.

We took the VIP sleeper class and it was SHIOK! It was clean and very oriental..I LIKE!!

We bought cards but end up succumbing to our beds because once we reach Sapa, we're gonna start trekking so we concluded that we need rest! I slept extremely well.

The only thing abt train is the toilets. It's quite cramp inside and you do not know when the train is approaching a bend. So when I was standing inside and it came round a bend, I knocked against the window...

Day 5 - Lao Cai to Sapa; Trekking ard Cat Cat Village

We reached Lai Cai at abt 5am and was whisk off by one of the tour agents to our mini van that squeeze abt 15 ppl.

Then it was a long and very windy road up the mountains to Sapa. The driver was zai one lo...he never step brake until one ang mo guy said he wanna puke and ask the driver to stop the van a while. Very lousy...I enjoyed the thrill and looking at elevation on Lun's GPS just got us all excited that we're finally reaching SAPA!!!

Our hotel - Royal Hotel

My room!!! I tell you I've never stayed in a room that is facing NATURE itself.

See what I mean?? The greens are just beneath and the clouds just float pass in front of ur eyes. The weather was terrific and I wouldn mind just bumming ard the room. We did just that on the first afternoon and just slept all the way till dinner after our short trekking.

Sapa is a place full of minority groups like Black H'mong, Red dai or smth. I cant remember their names. But it has become too commercialised for my liking. The place is nice but the ppl are not brought up the way they should be. Quite sad but we all lead life differently.

When we were having breakfast, we met a ~~German~~ Switzerland lady named Deborah. She's travelling ard Vietnam for a month ON HER OWN!! I wouldnt know when I'd have that kind of guts to travel alone in that kind of place where I cant even understand their language..haha!

Our tour guide picked us up and we embarked on a trekking that he claim was easy. We asked him what's the distance we have to cover and he said 6km. BUT THAT'S NOT ALL!!! It's 6km in and 6km back to hotel. 12km and so many up and down slope! There's one part where we had to walk across a bund (this mud like wall on the perimeter of the rice terraces) and it was fun!

Finally reach the entrance of Cat Cat Village.

Some kids playing with real Buffalos! We dun even know how buffalos look like when we're their age!

See this video and u will understand what I mean by they ain't brought up the right way. Their lives are revolved around money and kids just need to learn how to say, "Gimme some money?" It's really a pity.

Pretty pretty scenery that was simply breathtaking! These photos just dun do justice to the place.

I bought this weaven case from her but she dun seem happy at all lor...

Idy's posing with the large earrings. In Sapa, if you spot any girl wearing large earrings means she's married. Singles usually wear smaller ones.

I love looking at rice terraces.

Came to this suspended bridge beside a waterfall. It was cool!

Nice hor? Good for screensaver and it's thanks to Lun's good cammie.

We saw lots of farm animals! I wantd to disturb it to check if it layed any eggs but tot it was rather bad.

The rooster in Vietnam dun have sense of time. They crow in the afternoon or even evening! Maybe their biological clock is spoilt.

Baby boars...

Water buffalos taking a dip.

And this is a cross breed between a chicken and duck. We saw a few of these along the way and concluded that they enjoy creating new breeds.

This is a HUGE and STINKY boar or pig or whatever la! Lun named it Lixia...hahahaha!!! Lixia dun take it to heart la, we're just joking!

Ended the trekking and was extremely lethargic. So nua the afternoon away in the room.

Went for dinner and drank Dalat red wine that was recommended by Victor and Petra. It was smooth and good.

Day 6 - Trekking to some other village

We're told that today's trekking will be about 12 to 16km but hor. I believe it was more than that because along the way got sign that say how far away you are from Sapa town.

These group of minorities followed us as we walk. We didnt chase them away because who knows we might need their help as we trek along.

Luckily there were loads of downslopes but downslopes actually give u more knee problems and aches after that.

This picture was taken when we're at the top and have alrdy walked a couple of km from our hotel.

We had to get down to the stream for lunch.

Saw this bunch of kids along the way. I think they dunno what is danger because it's a very steep slope and once u slip, u will reach the bottom within a matter of seconds!

As we walk, we see hectares of maize and a couple of girls walking up to Sapa town. They literally walk up the mountains to Sapa town everyday. No wonder they dun even sweat a drop when they walk with us. Damn power!

Picturesque!

Lun's 'smoking' some 'herb' thingy.

Our tour guide have ZERO talents for photography. We wanted to take half body against the pretty background that's why bend down ma and he took everything from top to bottom plus the unwanted muddy ground!

Not sure if there's really Karaoke

Kids ard the village

In the past, the people played with this swing-like thing by standing on it and swing as high as possible. But they found it dangerous because ppl died from falls so they stopped it. I guess it's still there so we could take pictures with it..hahaha!

Went back to Sapa town by mini bus and it was shiok. We were driven pass the route we took and it just feels great my feet dun need to move an inch!

We walked ard Sapa town just to see more of this lil town.

Found this famous church...

Being bugged by these minority groups whom we met the day before so just buy something from them.

The ONLY barber we saw that was smack right in the middle of Sapa Market.

Nan nan in progress...

Sapa market..

Finally, we got back to Lao Cai for the tran back to Hanoi.

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