Backdate: Vietnam Hanoi & Sa Pa Sep 2023 Day 2

11/9/23 Mon: The two ladies got ready by 6.45am at the entrance of our hotel to wait for the van pick-up to Sa Pa. We’d signed up for the 3D2N Exploring Sa Pa local village tour from Hanoi (S$186.20 per pax) on Klook, but did not get a chance to go up to Fansipan as it was closed for maintenance during the days we were in Sa Pa. *Random bread seller sold us a sesame bread for VND10,000 which tasted good.*

It was a six-hour ride to Sa Pa. Reached our first stop at 9.40am and PY wanted sausage, so we ate one each (VND20,000). *Had to pay VND3,000 each every time for entry to toilets at the pit-stops.* Had another 10-min stop at 10.45am before the driver drove us to our respective hotels and we were the last to be dropped at Sa Pa Unique Hotel at 1pm.

Lunch was included. The pineapple tomato and onion soup was sour and not bad. The sweet and sour pork was too tough for me and I don’t really like the beansprout with pork either. The spring rolls were salty but nice lol. We stayed in Room 107 on the third floor, facing the mountains! *It was a cooling afternoon and PY was just oogling at guys as she worked lol!*

At 2.30pm, we took a short shuttle with 12 others, including a big group of Taiwanese ladies, two Hong Kongers, two other Singaporeans and a Korean couple to the starting point where we’d be trekking to Lao Chai (4km) and Ta Van (7km). Our guide, Chai explained to us how they’d used indigo plants to make the dye of heavy-coloured traditional clothes of theirs at one part, then let us rubbed the leaves onto our hands and our palms turned green soon before turning blue some time later.

It was quite hot when the sun came out in the afternoon but we were glad it did not rain. Took some nice photos along the way and PY was all about creativity haha~ *She’s very helpful towards everyone in the group I feel!* We walked through a bamboo forest as well. When we came to the “bridge” which I supposed signalled the end of Lao Chai area, the guides began to hard sell their handmade pouches to us. *PY sure had a “love-hate” relationship with her guide, Zeze there lol.*

We continued our trek to Ta Van village I believe and saw buffaloes, roosters, piglets, dogs, cats, hens etc. I also smell smoke in the air which was bad. Finally, we got to the intersection of a primary and a secondary school in central Ta Van, where the van came to pick us back to the hotel at about 5.30pm. *I was not so tired doing the treks this time and walked a lot more compared to when I came here seven years ago!*

Had dinner at 6pm in the hotel. They served us gai miao soup, which the waiter said was only found in Sa Pa. The veggie was bitter but the soup and minced pork meat was not bad. We also ate tomato tofu, hotplate fish and bok choy. Went back to our room to rest for the night after an hour of dinner.