Dusty, bumpy, rocky dirt roads = a very sore bum

So we arrived in Lao Cai at 5:30am and caught a minibus to Sapa which is about 1.5 hours away. I think most of the people on the train were tourists as the train station kind of resembled an airport and our train carriage was full of ‘kiasu’ Singaporeans.

Minibus dropped us of in the middle of town and after working out our direction we made our way to the Mountain View hotel. It’s a budget hotel, but if you want a room with a view it’s a bit more pricey at $25 USD a night. But it is worth it as it gives you a panoramic view of the valley and it is facing the direction the sun rises.

We weren’t planning on doing any trekking/touring today but in the end we did as the weather is very good today in Sapa. In December it can be sunny one day and miserable with low visibility the next. Dad wasn’t really up for trekking as it was going to be too far for him o we went off on a motorbike tour again of the mountains, valleys and hillside villages. The roads were sealed in some places, but once we got further out they were dirt, rock and dust which made for a very, very bumpy ride. The views were pretty awesome even though the rice season is over. Because it gets very cold in Sapa there is only one rice season where they have to grow enough for the year.

Tomorrow I am planning on walking to Cat Cat Village and if I am adventurous maybe the hill that the radio tower is on too. Not sure if dad is joining me as it’s pretty uphill/downhill.

And lastly, some pics from the last day or so…

Halong Bay

Kayaking in Halong Bay – thank goodness for my waterproof bag and cheap camera…

Sapa – this is the view from our room!

Cruising the Sapa countryside