A cold day in Sapa

It was a coldish morning. I awoke with anticipation of an eventful day exploring the surrounds of Sapa. My first shower in 2 days was "eventful". The water was started and I had just begun to soap up in some wonderfully warm if not plentiful water when the power went off. So did the hot water. There was a rush to get the soap off before the cold got too much to bare. At least breakfast was not hampered by the power cut, which I was told would be all day so fortified I set out for the famous Saturday market.I can say categorically that like the Channon Markets the Famous Sapa Markets suffer from the same fate when the weather is bad. few customers and fewer stalls. It was Ok for me though as I was able to stroll around  easily and was able to find the place where the Hmong go to buy. Fascinating. I met and was accosted by lots of bulky Hmong women wanting me to go back to thier villages to see thier families. Several promises later I emerged from the lower end of the markets and began strolling down the road. The lower I went the more the cloud lifted and I began to see some fantastic views of a valley far below me, Terraced levels flowed thier way down. The crops had been harvested so it was all pretty muddy but that was ok because it provided a great resource for a myriad of swaybacked pigs of varying colours.


On my way I encountered a small Hmong woman with the ubiquitous basket on her back. She engaged me in conversation and began to follow me down the road. At first I had no intention of encouraging her but after a while her informative ways engaged me and we walked together on down the hill. She telling me about indigo and how clothing is made. Very interesting. We walked for what seemed ages until we got to the bottom ( a very long way indeed!). At the bottom was the village of Cat Cat. We looked into a house and checked out the various sights. The views around punctuated by blasts of cloudy fog were spectacular. The photos do not do it justice.We finally walked down through some huge bamboo glades to a waterfall that was mildy impressive. Then came a fairly exhausting walk up a hill to a point where there were a bunch of blokes with motorbikes eagerly trying to get me to let them take me back up the hill on the back of thier bikes. I have to admit that this was not a difficult task as by that time I was knackered and all I could think of was a Pho soup in the markets (25,000 dong - cheap!) at the top of the hill. My erstwhile guide and I shared a meal me eating pho, she eating rice she had brought with her and some chicken supplied by the stall holder. At this point we parted and I staggered back to my hotel for a well earned rest in the warm embrace of all the doonas in my room. It is very cold here.


I had such a nice time. It is these times that make travelling worth it, Getting out of the town onto the country with views and experiences that warm the heart and create lasting memories. Tomorrow I'm off to Bac Ha, now I'm going to check out the lake.