Sapa

I've had somewhat of an exorcist episode the last week. I don't know whether it's the food or just my non-smoking immune system but hopefully it buggers off soon. I know, what the hell Vietnam. So, I hadn't been up to much but I couldn't stick around Hanoi forever so I took advantage of the only storm-free days in Sapa and headed there. Because what's better for a cold than trekking through hills for 2 days!

Check. Out. THAT. View.

I mean just as well after a 6 1/2 hour bus journey including the most sweat-inducing, tense 2 hours of my LIFE, up the mountains. Who needs skydiving?! 

We spent the two days trekking through the local villages, accompanied by local Hmong women who belong to an ethnic group living in the valleys. I know everyone says it but honestly the photos don't do the place justice. The sheer scale of this place is incredible. 

Don't Get Attached to the Local Food

This is Puppydog and she followed me for around 10miles through the villages surrounding Sapa. Stray dogs are pretty common in Vietnam but most of them pretend to look like they belong somewhere. Puppydog didn't seem to belong anywhere. 

Dog meat is really popular in Vietnam, normally eaten at the end of the month to bring good luck and fortune. Being a vegetarian myself for moral and ethical reasons, you'd maybe think I'd see all animals the same in that respect but truthfully, I found this much more difficult to come to terms with. She took a particular shining to me, maybe she could sense the crazy-animal-lady in me. She didn't look at me nor did I pet her but she kept very close and often brushed up against my leg if a larger dog was close-by. Then she watched as we drove away and it took every ounce of strength in me to not smuggle her wee skinny body away. 

Descending Dragon Bay- Halong Bay

I'm looking through my photos and I can't actually believe I've just been in Halong Bay, woooft! The trip wooshed by, beautiful friends made along the way. I went with a junk-boat cruise called Halong Dragon Cruise for a 2night/3day trip. After a hot and humid day kayaking and squid fishing, we drank the hours away on the deck in the floating city of boats.
 A struggle getting up for breakfast the next morning and then across to Monkey Island to see the monkeys and get our tan on. We made our way to Cat Ba island, the largest of the islands in Halong Bay, and cycled the 5km through the limestone mountains to our bungalow for the night which was in-credible! All the wildlife. David Attenborough eat your heart out. It was a pretty remote village and I wish we'd been able to stay longer. I mean b-jeezus look at those photos.
I'm off to the north-west next to a place called Sapa.
Lazing about Hanoi waiting for the lightening storms to end there. Crossing so many things of dat list!

24 Hours in Hanoi

I took photos all morning today before I sat to look through them to have my camera tell me there was no card in it. I don't know whyyyy it wasn't in there. What a bloomin idiot. I also got spectacularly lost which was especially upsetting because I've always prided myself on my inner map of the world. Something of a quiet talent. Hanoi, you beat me. 

I found a secret cafe, a little hidden treasure that looks out onto Hoan Kiem Lake and it was perfect timing as the sun was setting and I'd just un-lost myself. You have to navigate through a silk shop, a set of regular steps and then 2 floors of a steel spiral staircase. Traumatic for those of you with vertigo. Ahem. 

Louise 1-1 Hanoi. 

Then it was eating time. My mum reckons I need to be told to eat to keep my strength up. I don't know who she thinks she's talking to! I found a Vietnamese vegetarian restaurant called Cai Mam and made a friend in the waiter who told me that Scotland were "bad to vote no" and that I should eat more (kindred spirits I think!). 

I'm off to Halong Bay tomorrow morning on a junk-boat cruise. It's been top of my bucket list for a very very long time so here's hoping it lives up to my expectations! 

Happy Monday, folks!

And some more from Bangkok...