Night train+ Sa Pa

Hello guys,

Unfortunately, we didn't write a blog post yesterday because we took the night train from Hanoi to Sa Pa.

We started at 9:30 PM and arrived in Lao Cai at 5:30 AM. From there, we took a taxi directly to our hostel in Sa Pa.

We didn't do much throughout the day. It was raining on and off in Hanoi, so we went back to the hotel around 3 PM and watched some series.

Later, we went out for dinner and then headed to the train station in Hanoi at 8 PM.

It was quite uneventful - just a typical train station with a small waiting hall.

But it was extremely crowded. Fortunately, the train arrived 45 minutes before departure. Thank goodness because we had to go to the last carriage.

The train ride was awful. The train was shaking like crazy, swinging from side to side. And it was unbelievably loud.

Jasna and I both slept in the upper bunk beds (and no, there was no ladder). Below us was a couple from California. The guy told us a bit about his life and his deployment in the Vietnam War. He also mentioned that there is a huge fire 7 miles away from his house. 😕 Anyway, we quickly turned off the lights and tried to sleep.

We tell you - if you have a weak stomach, either don't take this train or put yourself in a coma before boarding.

The beds were only semi-comfortable and not very inviting. But since we are experienced backpackers (not really), we brought our own sleeping bags. 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

Well, we survived.

A shared bus picked us up and took us directly to the hotel. We arrived at around 7:30 AM, but the room was not ready yet. However, we could use the bathroom and have breakfast (she made it clear to us again that it's all you can eat 😂).

The owner is extremely friendly, speaks very good English, and grew up in Sa Pa. She worked as a guide for 10 years, and you can tell. 😂

Then we went out and went on a "tour" with a local, 1000 Vietnamese women with baskets on their backs, and 11 other people.

An easy hiking tour through rice fields and small villages in the surrounding area. The easy hike had 600 meters of elevation gain. And we didn't walk on roads or established paths, no. Maybe just briefly in between. 😂 But that was the exception. We went up and down the hill in the middle of nowhere, while the nice women made hearts and little horses out of plants while we were busy trying not to fall flat on our faces. And those women walked down the hill wearing flip-flops. 🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️ One guy actually fell flat on his face and ended up looking like he had rolled around in mud like a pig. 😂 We also met a couple from Spain who were staying at the same hotel and were on the same route.

Anyway, the scenery up here is truly breathtaking. The rice fields have been harvested and are currently being irrigated. I imagine it would have looked even more spectacular two or three months ago. We had lunch in a small restaurant somewhere in the middle of nowhere. It was very delicious. Then we walked through the village and were invited into a house. OMG - the way they live.

We are ashamed to have ever had any demands. They live in dirt, in mud huts without windows, doors, or insulation (even pigsties in Germany are more comfortable and bigger). And they just live there with ten people + animals....

And it gets really cold at night here....

After that, we didn't speak for 15 minutes because we were so incredibly moved... and also a bit shocked and upset.

Then we climbed up the hill a bit again before a bus took us back. What they call "roads" here would be considered a closed field path in Germany due to the risk of collapse or something. But we couldn't stop laughing because the others were all asleep, and the road was incredibly bumpy. Imagine how many times their heads slammed against the windows with full force. 😂😂😂😂

Anyway, it was also super interesting because the guide answered all our questions. In these small villages, some people don't go to school at all, or only for four years. Women are married at the age of 14 and have their first child after that. From that point on, they stay at home. In cities, school fees are paid, so people go there and of course, are much better educated.

There are hardly any "original" Vietnamese people here. In the north, there are 5 different tribes, some of which also come from China, Tibet, etc. They are called "Minority" here.

Great, right? This country is crazy. Also, different languages are spoken here in the north, so it's quite possible that two Vietnamese people don't understand each other. 🤦🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️

Another not so great thing, apart from their homes, were the women sending their children to sell things.

It was incredibly sad to see those children with their big round eyes... and to see how they are just sent out while the mother sits at home doing nothing.

And the children were everywhere and persistent 😕😕

Afterwards, we went back to the hotel and took a shower. We got an upgrade - and even a coffee in the room. 😛

Ha says that "heart of Sa Pa" (our hostel) is heaven, nobody has to carry anything, and everyone should feel welcome. You can definitely feel that here.

Then we went into town, had dinner, and of course ran into the Spanish couple again. We briefly went to a café for a drink and then went back to the hotel. We were so exhausted.