Monday, 1 January 2007 - Ta Van & Sapa

Breakfast outside the homestay - pancakes with banana, lime juice and sugar, and Vietnamese tea. Quite a few other people around this morning, and in the daylight, you notice just how close the other houses are, reflecting on the communal living of the Giay community.  After breakfast, we were off down the track through the rice paddies to the river. Oh no! From a distance, the bridge looked very scary, but as we got closer, there was another bridge beside it, much wider and sturdier (for motorbikes), and there was Mr Long, the bus driver, waiting for us on the other side. 

Back to Sapa, we booked into the Golden Sea Hotel - well, actually, we ended up going next door at the Golden Sea II Hotel. This is a huge improvement on Bac Ha.  The bed even has an electric blanket. Just as well, it's very cold here with Sapa, at the moment, covered in cloud. We did see the sun this morning, briefly, as we left the homestay at Ta Van, but by the time we got to Sapa, it had gone. Sapa is about 1500 metres above sea level. The main ethnic group here are the Black Hmong, and they approach us as soon as we leave the hotel, wanting to sell us blankets. Not liking the cold, Jill actually bought one (140,000 VND). It doesn't seem to make much difference if you buy something, though they still want to sell you another!  And "không mua" (Not buy) doesn't seem to have much effect.  There are also some people of the Red Hmong group, and one lady was very keen to have her photo with Richard after he had purchased something from him. 

After lunch at the Mimosa, a fairly good tourist restaurant, we had a bit of a rest at the hotel before we went for a walk up Dragon Mountain - more steps.  This area was like a botanical garden and lookout with lots of souvenir stores all the way up. You could even buy some snake wine if you so desired.  We didn't.  At the top was a stilt house, and upstairs was a dance performance focusing on the different dances of the ethnic minorities. This was very entertaining, and it ended with the audience being invited to join in the dance.  Quite challenging, actually, as one had to dance through tapping bamboo poles.  Downstairs, Jill purchased a wind-up toy ferris wheel for 25,000 VND - about $2.50. 

Back down the mountain, and Sapa is now completely covered in cloud - hard to see across the street.  We found "Baguette & Chocolat " (a cafe/mini hotel) mentioned in the "Rough Guide" for coffee and hot chocolate.  And wow! The hot chocolate was to die for - just liquid chocolate. Jill even needed help to finish it. And we shared French chocolate delicacies. 

Back on the street, Alex and Richard bought long, quick-dry pants at the market.  Not overly cheap - 200,000 VND (about $20). 

Dinner at the Mimosa - the beef curry was delicious, the potato soup was good too, as were the other six dishes. 

Schnapps in our room, in tea cups.  This hotel is very fancy - even has an electric jug, coffee, and tea.