After two days in Hanoi, our itinerary takes us north, to the mountain town of Sapa.  We boarded the overnight train from and headed out.

The overnight train was an interesting experience.  There are three trains each day to Sapa, each taking about eight hours to make the journey.  But each carriage on the train is owned by a different company, and they fit out the interior in their own style.

On our outbound journey, one thing became clear.  The carriage we were in certainly didn’t have much money spent on noise insulation or suspension.  We clicked and clattered all night, lurched back and forth and nearly flying out of bed every time the train came to a halt.  The best way to describe it was like sleeping in a tumble dryer.

But we made it, pulling into the station around 5am.  From there, it was another hour’s drive up the mountains to the hotel.  It was a beautiful drive, climbing the mountain just as the sun was coming up.  We finally arrived at our hotel – the Victoria Resort and Spa in Sapa.

Aude at the Victoria Resort & Hotel, Sapa

Aude outside the Victoria Hotel in Sapa

Matthew at the Victoria Resort & Hotel, Sapa

Matthew outside the Victoria Hotel in Sapa.  Wearing a jacket.  There was a big difference in temperature between Hanoi and Sapa, where it rarely got hotter than 20C.

Rice fields in the mountains of Sapa, Vietnam

‘Dry’ rice fields

Rice fields in the mountains of Sapa, Vietnam

Pictures don’t really do it justice, but there was an enormous feeling of space.  The mountain ranges just seem to go on and on.

Matthew & Aude in Sapa, Vietnam

A quick photo by the side of the road.

Rice fields in the mountains of Sapa, Vietnam

The rice fields here are difficult to maintain.  The Hmong people were some of the last to arrive in Vietnam and ended up withe least desirable, hardest-to-farm land in the mountains and hillsides.

Ox in the rice fields in the mountains of Sapa, Vietnam

Farming here is still done the traditional way — by hand and using oxen.

Bored ox in Vietnam

It’s tough work being an ox.

Brightly coloured rooster

Spectacular colours meant I couldn’t miss taking a photo of this rooster.

Rusty bridge in Vietnam

A bridge leading to one of the Hmong villages.

Aude with two Hmong girls in Vietnam

Our two Hmong shadows.  These two girls followed us for nearly an hour, trying to sell us their handicrafts.  You’ve got to give them credit for being persistent.

Matthew with two Hmong girls in Vietnam

Matthew with his two new Hmong friends.  One of them spoke exceptionally good English, all learned from her conversations with tourists.

Hmong school children playing

Children exercising at a local school.

Two puppies fighting over a toy

Two new puppies tussle over a toy.  Most dogs here start out as a combination of pets & garbage disposals (eating leftover table scraps).  And eventually, most end up as dinner, particularly in this part of the country.

Ox grazing in a rice field

Getting up-close and personal with an ox.

Hmong girl reflecting on a hillside

A young Hmong girl takes a minute to herself.

Aude in Sapa

Aude on our walk through the Hmong villages.

Jeep with flat tyre

Needless to say, the roads around these villages are pretty rough.  We came back from our walk to discover our driver changing the tyre.  He changed it very quickly – suggesting to me that this is something that happens pretty regularly.

Isolated building on mountainside

An old building built by the French, now being used as an ecology centre.  Perched by itself on the side of a mountain, it feels very isolated.

Hmong girl, from behind, as she stops for lunch

A Hmong girl stops for lunch on the side of the mountain.

Hmong Village Sign in Sapa

They’ve made a few concessions for the new-found groups of tourists that have arrived in their villages.  Like a gift shop.

Hmong child at play

A little Hmong girl playing.

Waterfall in Sapa

A waterfall, and a few minutes of unexpected calm.

Matthew and Aude by a waterfall in Sapa

Tourists!

Cheeky monkey

Cheeky monkey!