sapa adventures - PART I

this all-in-one sapa trip, minus drinks, cost 110usd per pax and was the cheapest package we found on the internet. the package included a car pick-up at hostel and transfer to hanoi train station, an overnite train to lao cai wiv soft-sleeper, a minibus to-and-fro transfer between lao cai and sapa, all entrance fees at sapa, meals and an english speaking guide. lao cai is a northern province of vietnam bordering china. if schedule allows, i'd really apply for a china visa and enter the nearest border town of china, hekou. but we'd only hav a short stay in lao cai. so save my money.

sleepy face, messy hair. worry not abt missing the stop. there was a wake-up knock on the cabin door few mins before arrival.

getting off the train. cool weather in lao cai.

reaching here at sapa after 1-hr plus mountainous ride fr lao cai.

market.

early market. some ppl here speak chinese.

sapa square.

banana blossoms. it reminds me of the malay saying, pisang berbuah dua kali. nothing to do wiv this pic rite? i know...

omg, they even hav astro.

wiv our guide, ling.

the anti-social ber-social.

whats to celebrate? these two can really pose.

giant cows: dun take my pic. leave me alone!! gazing grass also wanna kacau?

this loom is still in use.

crops.

handsome ho chi minh at the back.

everything is so kuno.

even the man inside the photo is also kuno.

the traditional house of hmong ppl.

waterfalls.

high tea in cat-cat village.

the tour adjourned and would continue the next day. so we rented this bike to get around sapa village. at tourist info centre.

surrounded by terraced paddy field. padi huma.

i love horses. but these are all kuda padi and donkey.

met a malaysian couple who took this photo for us.

going up and down hill on a narrow road.

bird-view of sapa village. i can be very poetic, "枯藤老树昏鸦；小桥流水人家；古道西风瘦马；夕阳西下; 断肠人在天涯." but i dunno the meaning... talking abt him being homesick?

hidden agenda on the bridge!! *the vietnamese version of infernal affairs*

behind-the-scene no.1.

behind-the-scene no.2.

behind-the-scene no.3.

behind-the-scene no.4.

behind-the-scene no.5.

behind-the-scene no.6. before me and bearbear fell down fr the bike.

our dinner.

self taken pic.

nite view of sapa. in front of the mountain view hotel.