Windwalker's Mountain Post: Back from SaPa on to Ha Long Bay

Day 6 [05, Mar]: Lao Cai - Sapa
The overnight train was way different than we thought. Perhaps we were thinking of the Orient Express? Our impressions are colored by fatigue, I''m sure judging by the fact that we both fell asleep even before the train pulled out of the station. What we heard and felt was from a dream-like, half asleep, trance state. We had a small cabin with two platform beds (factual). The window was foggy, so we couldn't see out...no matter, it was dark, as this is, of course,the overnight train! There were noises as we rolled up into the mountains...something by our cabin sounded like a bocci ball rolling and banging against something metallic. I could also hear voices once in awhile. We stopped several times in the night to take people on and let them off, and of course, when conditions are least lovely, that is when I have to use the "toilette" at least four times during the night: come semi-awake, lurch my way down a swaying corridor (thank goodness the corridor was only shoulder wide), get to the common toilet (which is a squat toilet), try to hit the small bore opening without hitting my shoes (cause the train is still lurching and there is only one small handhold), heave myself to a standing position, grab my pants and fasten them before they drop to the floor in the, well even mutt would be preferable!), stagger back to our cabin, remove shoes and fall immediately to sleep. We tried to remember that Duc our guide, cautioned us about pickpockets, so keep the cabin door locked, don't get in crowds where people are pushing (no problem, I was the only person lurching to and from the toilet all those times) AND don't try to get off the train until Duc comes for us. Some passengers have been kidnapped to China (at my age, with an over-active bladder? Don't kid yourself, Duc!)

That day we take a long walk in the morning after a freshen up shower in our beautiful hotel...we see several markets, buffalo, kids, families, dogs, roosters, and pigs. We return to the hotel for a rest and then walk the gold of the afternoon through small villages where families tend the newly planted
or still under cultivation rice fields. The smoke from burning fields puts a haze over everything. We are accompanied everywhere by Hmong women.
If I drop behind to take a picture, they close in on me..."Hello, Miss. You buy from me?" "No, thank you." I hurry to catch up. They hang off my shoulder. "Hello. Your name?". "No," I say. "You buy this small purse?". "No" we both smile acknowledging the ridiculous game we play. "Where you from?". "No" I say, and they drop back resuming their walking gossip. I imagine they say: "Stupid, rich people. No buy. Don't know own names, don't know where they come from."

The next day we are awakened at 5:00 a.m. By the local communist committee's wake up and announcements to the village. The community is encouraged to work hard for the benefit of all. In the evening there is another announcement to say, stop working and to give a few highlights from the day. On this day we visit a distant, once a week market of Hmong. It is filled with people, food, goods, animals and families who are here to shop for the week and catch up with friends. After the market we take a river cruise on a long tail boat, then back to Hanoi on the overnight train (sit down toilets, very nice), a quick repack and now we await the bus that will take us to Ha Long Bay...and our two day luxury cruise. No more postings 'til we get back to land. If you want to say howdy, just send an email to our regular addresses. Also, when I have my head more together about the visit to Ho Chi Minh I will write about...Conflicting emotions, lots of good talk, and very interesting.
Ho Chi Minh Mauseleum