Killing time in Lao Cai

We reached Lao Cai at about 3++ pm. The train tonight at 9 pm. There isn't much in Lao Cai, besides we didnt want to wander to off anyway. The only option was walking around the area near the railway station.

We walked left from the railway station and found ourselves back to school in Lao Cai.

The classroom - taken through a broken window

As most part of the school is close, we can only walk on the compound. So to kill more time, we do this... taking loads of picture of flowers :P

However, there's just so much time you can spend in an empty school. A short walk across the road brought us back a back lane, probably would connect to the somewhere close to the train station.

Further left from the railway station is a flyover, probably leading further off. So we explored the other side instead. At that side, we stumble upon a market. Not too sure if it's daily though. I like to visit markets when travelling. It's a great place to see different foodstuff, people's action, fun and colourful place to capture photographs :)

See the "tortoise" helmet?

Grin... of course this wont keep us occupy till 9 pm. We spend the remaining time eating dinner very slowly, till the unexpected "crisis" at 7++ pm... but that's another story


Side note: I'm a bit restless... the brain starts to think too much again..

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Peaceful Sapa

Trains are punctual in Vietnam. One is required to be board the train earlier. Taking a cab from Old Quarter to the railway station (30,000 VND) after a tasty meal of Cha Ca La Vong (one of Hanoi's famous specialty) for dinner and cocktail for dessert, we found ourselves at another station, not the one where we bought our train tickets to Hue earlier of the day.

We took the 11pm train to Lao Cai

This is how narrow it is in the train. When I carry my backpack, I would've hog the whole alley. It's truly a Vietnamese train, for I doubt anybody a little on the *ahem* healthier side can cross it. 
(Read: Vietnamese all slim and lean)

After about 9 hours, we reached Lao Cai.

向左走向右走?

When we got down from the train, there are people turning left and there are people turning right. We wonder, how on earth they know which direction to go? It turns out either way is ok, depending on which side you are nearer to. We just picked a side and walk.

At this point of time, reading back KennySia's post on Sapa brings back fond memories rather than just a place that he went.

Sapa is the home to the H'mong and Dzao people, also has beautiful view of rice terraces. However view is cloaked in mist as especially during this time of the year, as March is consider one of the colder months in Northern Vietnam. We were told if we wish to climb Fansipan (the highest mountain in Indochina at 3 143 m, we could do it in August/September during summer.

Misty view from Cat Cat Guesthouse

Tourist usually travels to Sapa for the Saturday market.

Hence it is common to see H'mong people dressed in their traditional wear trying to make a sale.

A H'mong girl smile happily for my sis to take her pic after we bought the "pillow" from her

Right after that, we started our trek to Cat Cat Village.

Be it the beautiful scenery,

or watching the locals playing a game of footy,

or seeing the kid creatively producing a picture on the soil,

or this little boy sitting quietly by himself

or this cute dog

Cat Cat Village gives a quiet and serene feel despite being the nearest village to Sapa Town.
I'm glad we did not drop Sapa from the itinery.


Side note: Time seem to pass faster when I'm not working

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Honking Hanoi

The skinny buildings

and the low laying cables,

the busy crossroads, the lake in the middle of the town,

the walking peddlars

or the honking vehicles seems to have a funny way to welcome people to the Old Quarter.

Sleeping in one of the budget hostel or guesthouse would be woken up, not by any alarm clock but instead the honking of cars and motorcycles signifying that the town has woken up. Activities started early in the morning and the honking sound only starts to die off at around 9-10 pm.

Starting the day with a bowl of pho bo (pho = rice noodles, bo = beef) by the road side,

and trying to cross the road with non stop flow of motorcycles, we ended up joining the crowd and honk our way to the Ho Chi Minh Complex to pay respect to Uncle Ho.

Ok, the LP guide book says that the Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum opens on Tue-Thu, Sat and Sun Dec-Sept, last entry usually 10.15am. Notice what's missing? Absent-minded us has been seems to miss out the word "Fri" and "Mon". Unaware of the missing Friday, we decided to leave Old Quarter and visit Uncle Ho, we rented a EX5 Wave for a day and make our move to the west of Old Quarter.

Despite all our effort, it has already passed 11 am when we reached there, and still not noticing the very fact that HCM Mausoleum is not open every Fridays and Mondays till after a while. Nevertheless, grin, riding a motorcycle in Hanoi is an unbeatable experience :)


Side note: I find riding in Hanoi is not too bad, in fact may have been safer than riding in Malaysia along with so many cars. *Ponder

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Flight, train, bus...

It's getting a little late and I'm still having my post-holidays-syndrome but suddenly got the itch to blog, so this will be a short one.

Be it in the flight to Hanoi, or the train ride from Hue to Danang or even the bus ride from HCMC to Mekong Delta, there is this similarity. Just my luck of meeting the coincidence. Your seat is not truly your seat. You'll most probably need to share it with your neighbour who is occupying the seat behind you.

Like this...

On flight: The one "sharing" the seat is not me. I'm the one sitting next to the fella who is happily clipping his finger nails away. Beats me how he got that on board.

On train: This pair of feet was indeed "sharing" my seat. I asked my sister to take a pic of that...

Oh well... there was suppose to be another pic showing on the bus, but it was not really safe to grab that picture so... just imagine a bit lar ya. :P


Side note: Mental note to self not to go pasar malam or do grocery shopping when I'm hungry

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Over And Over - Three Days Grace

I feel it everyday it's all the same
It brings me down but I'm the one to blame
I've tried everything to get away
So here I go again
Chasing you down again
Why do I do this?

Over and over, over and over
I fall for you
Over and over, over and over
I try not to

It feels like everyday stays the same
It's dragging me down and I can't pull away
So here I go again
Chasing you down again
Why do I do this?

Over and over, over and over
I fall for you
Over and over, over and over
I try not to
Over and over, over and over
You make me fall for you
Over and over, over and over
You don't even try

So many thoughts that I can't get out of my head
I try to live without you, every time I do I feel dead
I know what's best for me
But I want you instead
I'll keep on wasting all my time

Over and over, over and over
I fall for you
Over and over, over and over
I try not to
Over and over, over and over
You make me fall for you
Over and over, over and over
You don't even try to

Source: www.lyrics007.com

Side note: An Italian & English speaking Vietnamese guy played the guitar and sang this song during his friend's birthday celebration in the train travelling from Lao Cai to Hanoi. :)

Which one to let go?

It was a little crazy. We wanted to go to a few places in Vietnam and not only go, we wanted to at least spend a night over, not wanting it to be too brief of a stop. Places in consideration was Hanoi, Sapa and visit the Bac Ha market as well, Halong Bay, Hue, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Mekong Delta & finally crossing over to Phnom Penh (PP), Cambodia for the flight home. Also that we missed Phnom Penh the last time when we visited the magnificent Angkor Complex in Siem Reap a couple of years ago.

When we booked the ticket to Hanoi in October last year, the only thing we had in mind was - not month end (cos I cant take leave during month ends) and not too near Chinese New Year as things would be expensive. It can only be 2 weeks cos sis can only take 3 weeks off and she has to stay in Malaysia for at least 1 week. I guess lady luck was smiling upon us seeing our determination to visit our neighbouring country up north. March is a great month to travel to Hanoi - not too cold in Sapa but cool enough weather in north of Vietnam and the rain wasn't pouring.

As we booked so early in advance without any planning, we opted for flying in and out from Hanoi but at later stages realise that going back to Hanoi is not very wise, hence taking advantage of the Air Asia promotion in February, we got the free tickets flying back to KL from PP.

With additional option of able to fly back either from Hanoi or PP, there's even more possibilities of itineries. So crazy us came out with not 1 or 2 possible itineries... but instead... SIX!! = ="

There were consideration to drop Sapa and go back another time, or drop Halong Bay (but I'm
reluctant) or drop the Mekong Delta, just take a bus from HCMC to PP. So many possibilities...

The differences of the itineries...

1. Include Sapa (but omit Bac Ha) and Halong Bay but only 1 day in Hanoi and 1 day in HCMC
   
2. Let go of Sapa, spend 2 days in Hanoi and HCMC respectively
   
3. Include Sapa, travels up to Hoi An and back to Hanoi for flight back
   
4. Bac Ha on Sunday but Sapa on Monday (edit: realised there is no market in Sapa on Monday later on = ="), take a bus to Saigon from Hoi An, stopping over at Nha Trang. To Halong Bay first before departing for Sapa, Bac Ha. Omit Danang
   
5. Sapa on Saturday, Bac Ha on Sunday. Travels to Halong Bay thereafter. Take a bus to Saigon from Hoi An, stopping over at Nha Trang. Omit Danang
   
6. Sapa on Saturday, Bac Ha on Sunday. Travels to Halong Bay thereafter. Take a train from Danang to HCMC, not stopping at Nha Trang.

We opted for itinery no 6. Reasons being the connecting bus from Hoi An to Nha Trang and Nha Trang to HCMC is too near, also that the possibility of motion sickness from travelling by bus should we attempt to read

Side note: Little P said I ought to blog it up, when I told her I was at itinery no 6 then :P

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Travelling March

Backdate to 16/3/2008

Note: Wrote this down in Lotteria, easiest to be the only fast food chain I've seen in Vietnam thus far. Both at railway stations - one up north in Hanoi and the other here in Saigon. (edit: saw KFC in Saigon town later on)

It is now 5.20 am in the morning. We have just arrived via train SE3, the Reunification line, at 4.30 am. The train ride was an experience - we were kept awake and handful by a little male monster and an old lady who seem to have dinner at 4.00 pm, went to sleep at 6.00 pm before waking up again at 10.00 to have another meal. Never mind about that, I'll leave that story to later.

Travelling March - this time a little venture up north to skinny Vietnam -- the skinny geographical area, the tall thin buildings, the lean slim Vietnamese :)


Side note: Upon boarding AK762 10 days ago in KL, the bet I made in January, the realignment recently in office, the not so happy encounters back home... miraculous left behind, at least temporarily.