Simmi, Mike & Naiya in SE Asia: Sapa

Hanoi’s Old Quarter

After Ninh Binh we returned to Hanoi where we had a couple of hours to experience some nightlife before boarding an overnight sleeper to Sapa.

Sleeper train to Sapa

We decided to go to Sapa to hike the mountains and check out the hill tribes because that’s what people do. We decided to go off the beaten track. 2 nights, 3 days. Little did we realize the physical hell we’d endure to do so.

Day 1 involved 8 hours of hiking either straight up or straight down. If we thought up was hard, we soon realized that down was far worse as it involved going over uneven slippery clay like steep terrain. The words of a fellow backpacker we encountered while hiking the Annapurna’s kept ringing through my mind, “I’m losing the will to live” And that’s exactly how I felt. This was much harder than any other hike we’ve been on. By the end of the day my knees were totally done and we were all sleeping by 9 pm. We were with a family from Belgium. So there were a total of 7 of us + guide. We saw no other backpackers in day 1. A testament to our off the beaten route.

Day 2 was more physically bearable although our bodies were beaten up from day 1. Our route was more common as we did bump into others. A bamboo forest and swim at some waterfalls awaited us. After lunch (which always consisted of a choice between noodle soup - pho, fried rice or fried noodles with chicken or pork) N and I decided we were done and opted to forgo the 3 hour hike to the next home stay for a motorcycle ride instead. Terrifyingly fun is how she described it. N did amazing on this hike. She was ahead of the pack the entire time, moving effortlessly like the locals. No complaints or whining. But she was physically spent like the rest of us and nursing a slight cold.

The motorcycle ride. Naiya is hidden in the middle

There were some positives to this trek. Watching women and children hike effortlessly up and down the mountain in rubber boots or flip flops.N befriended some girls on the first day and they bonded while picking flowers for one another. Nature transcends language.
The scenery was gorgeous but I was struck by how geared it was to tourists. The mountains are littered with more guesthouses than you can throw a stone at. Do they all get used? Who knows. But it was difficult to get a sense of real life. We got more exposure to how people live in the hills in Chiang Mi Thailand than Sapa. We also discovered that plastic (bottles and bags) are alive and well and littering the landscape.
We’re headed to Halong Bay Area next. I’ve tweaked my back so hoping a few days of relaxation will help.