I’ve always said, if there was only one place that I was able to return to in Vietnam, Sapa would be it. This is why:

Sapa is set in a Northern Vietnamese mountain range almost to the Chinese border.The tiered rice paddy fields cut into the mountainside,the bamboo forests and the ever present shrouds of mist leave you in constant awe.

We took an overnight train from Hanoi to Lao Cai and then went the last 35km to Sapa by minibus. We arrived in Sapa early in the morning amidst the chaos of the weekly Sunday market. It wasn’t quite the serene place that I had been describing to JB.

After navigating our way through that, we set off to the place that we would spend the next couple of days. We splurged for one night and stayed at the Topas Ecolodge, an environmentally conscious lodge on the top of a mountain, 20km outside of the town of Sapa. Each bungalow was powered by solar panels, the water was supplied by a nearby mountain spring and all of the materials and labor were local.

 

Not only that, but their restaurant was supplied by their own organic farm that was located on the grounds.  

The next day we awoke to mist rolling over the mountains that surrounded our bungalow.

After spending the previous day just soaking up the beauty, I convinced JB to hop back onto a mountain bike and ride the 20km back into town. It proved to be yet another one of our epic rides. About a half hour in, it started to sprinkle and then about 15 minutes later, it just plain poured. Yet, somehow, that didn’t really matter given our surroundings.

By the time we got to town, our shoes squelched and our clothes created puddles below us. When we went to a restaurant for lunch, we were “asked” if we might like to sit outside to eat.

We made the very cold ride back to our lodge just in time to have a hot shower and get the minibus to the train station for our overnight ride back to Hanoi. JB, just as I had last time I visited Sapa, vowed to return.

After spending the last couple of weeks in remote countryside, we were thrust into this:

I didn’t mention renting a motorbike once.

Needless to say, Hanoi was a little bit of an adjustment for the both of us, but Meg was excited to be back on somewhat familiar territory. As some of you have commented on, we picked an interesting week to be in the city. Hanoi was hosting APEC and so there was much hype around so many world leaders being in town at once. No Dubya sightings to speak of.

Meg played tour guide for the first couple of days, taking me to all of her favorite spots around the city. Our hotel was in the Old Quarter, a section of town that has markets that have been selling the same things for 500 years and so the streets are named accordingly.

Many side streets and alleys hold things that speak to the ancient charm of the city.

 

From one of our hotels, we could see over the rooftops of Hanoi.

 

At night the streets would glow with activity.

The food in hanoi is amazing, and we certainly enjoyed it. From Vietnamese Pho noodles on the side of the street to funky expat sanctuaries to French restraunts with balconies overlooking the bustling streets.

Hanoi is at crossroads between it communist past and its economic future.  Meg sees the city as having changed since she was here last, and no doubt it will be different when we return in a few years. 

Meg on the bridge to the temple in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake, the heart of the city.