Monday I woke at 4am to get the last blog written before our 4 wheel drive trek across the north of Vietnam. Vi-Lay was still sleeping so I snuck out and downstairs to the breakfast area where I could set up my computer. I later returned to the room to pack before breakfast, then back upstairs after eating to finish packing before taking everything down to the foyer. Vi-Lay sorted out the paperwork at the reception, proving we had already paid and the date we were returning. I was then asked to pay the deposit for the one night we were both staying as I was also staying on for another six days. Ngoc had arrived by then and loaded our things into the car, and then we were off.
It took us a while to exit the city, we were surprised at how quiet the highways were especially for a week day at 9am. As we entered the country side the road went from two lanes in one direction to single lanes either way. We were going west through Son La province through Hoa Binh. We stopped in Mai Chau for an amazing spread for lunch at a homestay where Ngoc knew the brothers from his university days. I watched while our host made banana flower salad which Vi-Lay and I were first introduced to at a restaurant in Sydney. There was so much to eat. Ngoc asked if he could join us, which is unusual as the drivers usually eat on their own but we didn’t mind, there was so much food! From here we headed north-west into the Moc Chai Plateau in the province of the same name. It was only an hour and a half before we pulled up at a grand four star hotel. Ngoc was offered 7 rooms this month at a special offer of 50% off for his guests as he comes so frequently. We felt very blessed and pampered after our cosy room in Hanoi. What luxury!
After unpacking, we went exploring along the main street into town. The streets here are wide and mostly quiet. As we entered the main street I noticed a scooter loaded with milk churns disappearing down a lane. I wanted to follow it to see if there was a dairy at the end of the lane. Sure enough there was. Ngoc had told me this area had many dairies with Frisian cows imported from Australia. Ngoc said this was a town I’d be sure to get fresh milk. He had asked the receptionist who said her family had a dairy and would ask them to bring me some later in the day. In the meantime, we decided to take a look around this one we had stumbled upon. We saw a lady with her buffalo. She was encouraging the animal put on its harness which was attached to a cart full of manure. I was amazed that the animal knew how to put its nose into the halter without her help, then slip into the harness. We had a quick look around the dairy before continuing our walk into town.
We walked up one side of the street, then down the other looking into shop windows and taking in the sites. On our way back Vi-Lay stopped to look at some sandals. As we exited the shop, we got caught in the rain. It was only a light downpour so we continued walking towards the hotel till I called Ngoc who picked us up to take us for dinner at a local restaurant. I had a nibble but really wasn’t hungry so walked back to the hotel while they remained to finish the meal. At the reception I picked up the fresh milk which was waiting for me. Ngoc called a little later to tell me I should boil the milk first. Too late! I had already made up my kefir and by then Vi-Lay, who had just arrived, had drank some of the fresh milk. I put the rest of the milk in our little bar fridge but it really wasn’t very cold so Ngoc contacted the receptionist who suggested I bring it down stairs so that she could put it in the kitchen freezer which helped keep it cold on our drive the following day. By then I was exhausted having been awake since 4am and traveling all day.
I slept in till 4:30am the next morning but that may be because I didn’t sleep till 10pm the previous night as we had some very noisy neighbours! Still I don’t mind being up early as I can get lots done before the day starts, like finish correcting my previous blog and post it online.
Breakfast at the hotel was an enormous affair with dishes of all sorts on plates and in many Bain Marie. Dishes ranged from fried rice, curry, soups and thousand year eggs, none of which interested me. There were some fruits but the only one on my FODMAP diet that I could eat were oranges. Praise the Lord I bring my own breakfast of oats, seeds and nuts to which I can add my own fruit which I saved from the previous day, bananas and pineapple. I was delighted to see both yogurt and milk were provided. After our large breakfast it was back to the room to check and pack everything before meeting Ngoc in the foyer.
We set off in a north-west direction, west of the mountain range, on a fairly straight road passing through many rice fields, eucalyptus forests, vegetable and fruit farms, stopping in Son La for lunch at one of the many restaurants. Here there was a table full of different raw vegetables which we could choose from. We agreed to a few dishes suggested by Ngoc which were then cooked and served. Always far too much although we did manage to eat all bar the rice which was enough for six people.
From here we turned north-east into the Hoang Lien Son Range, zig-zagging up the mountains passing many rice terraces, corn, longan, guava and other cooler climate fruits and vegetables. Along the way there had been quite a few landslides, some across the road with rocks and mud to manoeuvre around.
We crossed the Red and Black River (Da and Hong), both rivers have dams and hydroelectric schemes which power not only Vietnam but electricity is also sold to China. We passed the largest hydroelectric plant in Asia as we travelled beside the river and up into the mountains. The Hmong tribes live on the mountains, they are a colourful people with bright red, purple, blue or green pleated skirts. They tend to marry within their own kind keeping their customs and traditions. The Tay tribal people are another group who live along the rivers in the valleys. They have indigo shirts and long pants with colourful sashes and headdresses. Both these people groups still work using buffalo but most of the work is now done by motorbike or hand as they clamber up the steep slopes of the mountains etching out a living off the land.
As we gained altitude the weather cooled to a lovely 25⁰, we pulled into Mu Cang Chai around 3:30pm where we were staying at a guest house belonging to a Tay family. After unpacking in a lovely chalet with two king size beds, I was given an early dinner (which I really didn’t want but didn’t want to offend the family by not eating). Vi-Lay and I then took a walk around the village following a cement road up into the mountains and then back down another route to return past the house and on into town across a bridge over a fast flowing river, then on to the local market place. I was looking for a root vegetable, Jicama yam, which is quite sweet and crunchy. There was only one lady selling them, so after walking around the whole market (which was quite small) we stopped to see if we could ask the price. Praise the Lord there was a young man also buying vegetables from the same lady. We asked him if he spoke English, which he did, a little, and was able to help us make a purchase. Back at the house I showed our host how to make Malaysian style Rujak. She and I prepared the fruits; pineapple, cucumber, Jicama yam, green mango and white guava. I then tried to mix the sauce together from what they had at hand. Unfortunately they didn’t have the main ingredients kecap manis, so it wasn’t quite what I had hoped for but it was similar and they all loved it, especially grandma who polished off the last little bit.
Vi-Lay joined Ngoc and the family for dinner around 7pm while I excused myself to get things done in our room. I didn’t sleep well that night, I think it was because I ate so late, I’m just not used to eating so late. The following day our host said she didn’t eat breakfast as she was losing weight. Why am I made to feel like I’m being so impolite not wanting to eat in the evening? I decided then I would just let Ngoc know I wasn’t going to compromise, I would do what was best for me.
Wednesday we set off again after a large breakfast of fresh fruit, yogurt, crepes and fried bananas (as well as my usual homemade Burcher muesli). We didn’t have as far to go although the road in some places was very steep, twisting back upon itself as we climbed even higher into the mountains. We finally reached the northern capital of Sa Pa where we parked the car under the hotel in which we were staying, leaving our things in the car and walking to a local restaurant where we had local food for lunch. We then returned to collect our luggage from the car before Ngoc booked us in. Taking our things upstairs we changed into walking shoes ready for the 600 steps at the top of Fansipan Mountain, the highest in Vietnam at 3,143 metres. Ngoc took us by car to the cable car entrance where he organised our tickets before leaving us to go alone as he doesn’t like swinging in mid-air in the carriages. Vi-Lay and I took our time, wandering around the gardens and grounds till we reached the cable car station where we boarded one of the cars. We were suspended above the valley between the mountains, climbing steeply towards one of the peaks. Once we arrived, we had to walk up so many steps to the summit I’m sure it was more than 600 steps. Praise the Lord it was in stages with bench seats where we could rest. The view should have been spectacular but unfortunately it was very cloudy. We had prayed before coming up for the Lord to part the clouds and were so grateful when they did part giving us either a view into the valley below or up to the structures and stairs further up the mountain. The clouds actually formed a special atmosphere for our photos so everything was working together to give us a special experience. It was so much cooler at the higher altitude and quite damp due to the low clouds. We had brought warmer clothes but because of all the climbing we weren’t cold.
On reaching the summit, we rejoiced as the clouds parted for some more pictures just before we needed to get tickets for the tram back to the cable car station. It was the last tram for the day. We were very pleased not to have to walk all the way back down; just a few more steps to the cable car which took 20mins to reach base station where we wandered back to where Ngoc was waiting to take us back into town, dropping us at the hotel. While Vi-Lay went out for dinner with Ngoc, I went to find the swimming pool but this was a disappointment as it was full of kids and had a very musty smell. Returning to the room I wrote up the day’s adventure. Just before Vi-Lay returned a maintenance man came to look at our bar fridge which wasn’t getting cold, and needed to be replaced with a second fridge. By then it was late at night, so I took something to help me sleep through the night, which did help.
Up at 5am and at breakfast by 6:30am. I had been told there would be pineapple but I couldn’t see any so I asked and was brought a plate of sliced pieces. I then tried asking for yogurt and this too was provided for both Vi-Lay and myself. Vi-Lay enjoyed her Vietnamese fish noodle soup and other cooked dishes while I stuck to my usual breakfast but adding to it some other treats I wanted to try like fried taro balls, jellies, a slice of waffle with a passionfruit sauce (which was for a salad but tasted ok with my waffle) and two fried eggs with fresh baked French roll. It’s no wonder I’ve been putting on weight, but what the heck I’m on holiday!
Back to our room with our water bottles refilled, we were ready for today’s walk. We met Ngoc in the foyer who introduced us to Xu (pronounce Sue) from the Hmong tribe. Ngoc had planned a different route but because the weather was wet and overcast and the terrain slippery and boggy, he had asked Xu to be our guide on our trek through a Hmong village. Ngoc dropped the three of us higher up the mountain so that we could walk downhill towards Sa Pa where he would wait for us in the car. We had a lovely time getting to know Xu and Xu getting to know our Aussie bantering and joking. Our walk started with just a misty dampness, then a drizzle which continued off and on the whole way, praise the Lord we had brought ponchos and for me a raincoat. The trail was along a cement roadway which was washed away in parts leaving large gravel and muddy areas to circumnavigate. Still we enjoyed our hike to Sin Chai Village, taking in a glimpse of village life for the Hmong people. I was also very privileged to be permitted to take some lovely photos of some of the women in their traditional dress.
Xu was very helpful explaining things along the way, answering our questions and naming plants for us. When she pointed out the indigo plant I asked how it was prepared to make the dye for their clothes. I had thought it was the berries that made the colour but she explained it was the whole plant which was cut down to the ground so that it could regrow and the whole plant soaked for several days to release the colour; to this liquid was added a type of clay which helps it to bond before straining and drying it so that it can be made into a powder. After this, ash is added which helps to set the colour in the fabric. The traditional fabric is made from hemp which is the reason it is grown throughout this region.
Exiting the village we walked further down the hill chatting away when we suddenly saw Ngoc waiting for us. He had come looking for us. Praise the Lord the rain had started by then, so we quickly rinsed off our muddy shoes as much as we could in the running water beside the road and clambered into the car. Ngoc said he had been concerned as we were taking so long; we laughed as Vi-Lay said it was because she had been taking so many photos.
Ngoc dropped us off at a café as we had mentioned we would like an egg coffee. While we enjoyed our treat, he dropped Xu off at her restaurant where he had his lunch; the chicken noodle soup which was their specialty. He then picked us up and dropped us at the hotel to change before walking us to a nearby restaurant for a local meal of Banh Cao, which is a pork and vegie filled pancake wrapped in a rice paper roll with lettuce and cucumber, then dipped into a Vietnamese dipping sauce. Very delicious. We also had sizzling pork and cardamom with rice. Ngoc wasn’t very hungry so he just had a banana crepe drizzled with chocolate topping.
Ngoc left us here as we wanted to explore the town. Even though it was raining we didn’t want to miss this opportunity to look around. The town was further up the hill. We followed the paved narrow street, sometimes on the path and other times forced to use the road as the path either disappeared or was blocked where the shop spilled over onto the sidewalk or the scooters used it as a parking lot. Because the road was so narrow sometimes there was a gridlock of traffic when a large bus or truck was trying to pass one another. This morning when Ngoc was taking us to the drop off point he pulled off the road into a driveway so that a bus could pass but the car behind us continued to block the road. Eventually Ngoc had had enough and got out of the car to direct the other vehicles so that the bus could pass. A similar situation occurred as we were walking up the street wondering why it was so empty, then found out the traffic was being blocked further up the street.
We stopped to look at some rain jackets for Vi-Lay at one of the local shops where she had seen some on special. She bought a lovely aqua jacket which wasn’t included with those on special but it was still a very good price. Eventually we took a turn off the main road when we found a side street which looked like it was going behind the buildings along the main drag. This street was much quieter with only an occasional motorbike; it was here we found a small market corner selling local vegetables and fresh meat. We continued along this backstreet till we eventually reached the town centre. Here we were constantly being asked by the Hmong people to buy their products; they were mostly young women some with babies strapped to their backs, sometimes it was young children. The women asked if we wanted to buy and when we said no, they said ‘we see you later, you buy’. I found it very annoying. At one time I was surrounded by three young children, I was admiring their national costumes but they were insistent I needed to buy their trinkets. They were pressing in closer and closer until Vi-Lay called me over to her and I was able to escape.
At the main intersection of the town, we turned right where we found some public toilets which were surprisingly very clean. From here, still in the rain we walked through a lovely garden beside the Ho Sa Pa Lake then back through the side streets till we came once again to the main street to our hotel. We stopped briefly to try a white pork bun, then it was a short walk to our hotel where I returned an umbrella I had borrowed from reception. We were glad to rid ourselves of our wet clothes, hanging them on coat hangers to dry them out.
We hung all our wet clothes on hangers around the room hoping for them to dry before leaving the following day. It looked a bit like a Chinese laundry. Our shoes and sandals were also wet through and unfortunately didn’t dry before morning. Most of the clothes had dried out or were helped by the hairdryer. My backpack was also very wet as I had forgotten to cover it with a plastic bag. This too needed to be blasted with the heat of the hairdryer.
I spent the rest of the night in while Vi-Lay left at 7pm for her dinner date with Ngoc. I was still up when she got back after 8:30pm and I was waiting for my computer to update. It would be good if the updates gave an estimated time for what was needed! It seemed to take ages but finally it was done after nearly 45mins and I could shut it down and sleep. We had a big day ahead of us as this time we were heading East across the mountain ranges.
Photos: 1. Ornamental banana flower 2. Buffalo at the dairy 3. First lunch break 4. Hmong women 5. Path up Fansipan Mountain 6. It was cold on Fansipan 6. Fansipan summit 7. Hiking through Sin Chai Village 8. Hmong lanterns Sa Pa
Prayer & Praise Points:
I praise God for our safe journey thus far as we travelled through the north west of Vietnam.
Please pray for Vi-Lay and myself; for safety as we continue to travel through Vietnam, especially on the roads. Pray also for ongoing good health and protection against disease.
Please pray that Vi-Lay’s flights home on the 24th will not be delayed or cancelled and that she will get home safely. Pray also that the remainder of my time (leaving on the 31st July) in Vietnam will be productive.
Please continue to pray for Gayle’s ongoing health concerns, especially her eyes and for Elsie and Ross Winchester as they continue their cancer treatment. Please also pray for my good friend Anthony Higgs who is needing a shoulder operation. Believe with me for the Lord’s intervention and total healing for them all.
Continue to pray with me for world peace both in the Middle East, Ukraine and Russia, South Brazil, PNG and all countries dealing with major disasters, wars and the unbelievable hardships they cause. Pray for all those caught up in the suffering these events have caused. Pray that God’s peace may be known by all people especially for those who live in despair, that they will find hope in Christ Jesus.
Please keep my sisters, Tricia, Jen and Kat, in your prayers. Pray that they will come to know the love of Jesus.
Beautiful photos.