Vietnam: Sapa (Part 4) - A Little Bit of Everything

This morning we visited the village which is located pretty much right in Sapa (just down the hill on a dirt track).  This one is somehow less spectacular than everything I saw on the previous day though - it's a shame as this is all that the majority of people who visit this area will get to see.

Not Impressed.

By this.

Actually, it's still pretty damn cool (in a hot and sweaty kinda way) to wander around the area taking in the landscape and surrounding mountains.  We're also right next to the highest peak in Indochina called Fansipan and it's 3,142m high (10,308ft).  I think Fansipan means "Guess is tall because cannot see top through cloud".

Rambo Woz Here

Early in the afternoon we head back down the winding mountain road to Lau Cai to return our bikes.  Halfway down the mountain we turn a corner and almost run into the back of a small traffic jam.  A motorbike lies half crushed in the middle of the road, and a policeman is taking photos.  We weave through the wreckage but I don't see any bodies - the victim has already been taken away.  It's hard to tell how serious the damage was - but I don't think they would have taken them away so soon if they had died.  It looked like the bike had collied with a car going round a blind corner - it's not unusual for vehicles to overtake other cars and trucks while going round blind bends here.  That's where generous use of the horn comes in handy.  It's how you shout out "EVERYBODY - I EXIST SO WATCH OUT!!".

Schrödinger's cat disagrees.

Back in Lau Cai and it's time to return the bikes but I'll be having none of it.  I want another drive so I spend the next 20 minutes roaming around Lau Cai.  It's interesting how when on foot the motorbike traffic looks quite insane and chaotic, but when you're in amongst it all makes sense.  Just go with the flow of the river of bikes.

Humongous's ProTip: If you encounter any road warriors, kill them and steal their gasoline.

We stop in at a guest house to freshen up and have a bit of a rest, then head out for dinner and some nasty looking apple rice wine.

Looks Legit.

One bottle of rice wine later and it's time to catch the train back to Hanoi.  This time the air-con is working, and it gets freakin' cold during the night.  I must say though - this time I managed to get some sleep - I think I prefer being a bit cold to being extremely hot.  The wine probably helped a bit too.
Halfway through the journey the heavy rain starts pouring on the roof of the carriage, and is peppered with bright lighting flashes and rumbling thunder.  I feel very satisfied and cozy couped up in my rattly train, winding through the hills in the heavy storm.



More Vietnam pics here and here.

Vietnam: Crisis

After cocktails at the lake, I'm back at the backpackers and browsing the net in bed (not what you're thinking).  I notice an extra large tub of protein powder lying at the foot of one of the beds.  It seems to me to be an unusual thing to take on holiday with you backpacking.  Sure, a small keg of the stuff could be reasonable, but do you really want to lug around a novelty oversized one?

Weirdo.

At around 11pm my first roommate comes in half naked and lays down in the bed next to me.  Not in the same bed as me you filthy minded creature - I mean the bed that was next to my bed.

He's obviously completely drunk, and strikes up a conversation.  He's a proud Canadian eh, boasts about how much rum he has drunk tonight, and how he punched some holes in a wall at a bar.

What a guy!


He then proceeds to vomit in the bed and then go to sleep which makes me rather uncomfortable and more than slightly pissed off as the pool of spew is down the end of the bed closest to my head and the room fan is blowing in my general direction.

Around 30 minutes later and Protein Powder Man comes home, finds it amusing that his friend has vomited in the bed, and then decides that I would be interested in how he has been "banging chicks at the gym".  Needless to say I'm not interested, but he doesn't seem to mind and keeps on talking before finally going to sleep.

Some time later and I'm woken again by another roommate coming home.  This guy is also drunk, and also rather pissed off that the Canadian chap has vomited and fallen asleep in his bed, and so attempts to have an argument with him which is futile as Vomit Boy is comatose.

I'm ashamed to say it but I had a crisis and just had to leave the next morning and check into a nice hotel.

It was the right choice.  I had a wonderful time with a nice room, privacy, nice staff, and an excellent breakfast.

And the doorman was most handsome.

Pro Tip:  Avoid hostels with excellent rating by 18-25 year old Australians, English and American males.  Go for hostels where the young uns complain about not meeting chicks or having parties.