Back in 'Nam!

   How do you prefer to travel? By plane? Bus? Train? Planes are nice because they get you from point A to point B incredibly fast, but on the other hand, trains and busses allow you to look out the window and see the countryside roll by. Five years ago I flew from Hue to Hanoi, Vietnam, however today I am about to get on a 12 hour night-train from Hanoi to Hue. I will be able to solve once and for all which I prefer. I am looking forward to the gentle rock of the train, and waking up blurry-eyed occasionally to look out and watch the night-shrouded countryside flow by.

  After arriving in Vietnam I hopped straight onto the night-train up to Sapa. The steady creaking of the cabins, and the rock of the train might normally lull one to sleep, however the fact that 4 group-mates shared each cabin turned the ride into a wild affair, reminiscent of what you might expect a 9^th Grader’s sleep-over to look like.. Sapa, however, was a spectacular journey through terraced mountains, verdant valleys, and rivers dotted with swimming children (often with not a stitch of clothing).

   Sapa has grown quite a bit since I last visited, and soon a highway will be built connecting Hanoi to Sapa, opening up even more tourism. Already Sapa is becoming crowded with hotels, not to mention countless stores selling tourist trinkets and knock-off The North Face backpacks. Nonetheless, Sapa views are breathtaking, and the two-day trek through the countryside and surrounding villages provided great perspective on the lives of ethnic minorities in northern Vietnam. This time of year, all the fields are unplanted, leaving the people to make money through other means, which I am sure include getting tourists to buy their wares, bringing tourists on treks, and also dying textiles with indigo. The village women dye all their own clothes (in the more rural villages) and you seldom see a woman who does not have her hands slightly purple from the process.

  After Sapa, we hopped back down to Hanoi, and then over to Halong Bay for a 2 day boat trip. The ship meandered its way through pillars and cliffs of rock that dot the Bay, with stops for kayaking and cave exploration. There are numerous floating villages in the bay as well, so at every major stop in Halong Bay, the ship was rapidly surrounded by boats filled with drinks and snacks, which village women excitedly tried to sell. Often we found them to be overzealous in their attempts, and some of the members of my trip took to hiding behind the walls of the ship whenever the boats approached.

  This trip has been incredible thus far, however it certainly contains much less service work than I expected. The service opportunities are coming up during our period in Cambodia. Nonetheless, the trip has abounded in opportunities to engage in the local culture, and there are many free days, allowing me to structure my own schedule independently. It has been great and somewhat strange to visit the same places I traveled to with my family 5 years ago, and I have also taken the occasion to snap some before and after shots of myself in the exact same spots (including one of me hanging upside-down from the same tree in Hanoi). These pictures may, or may not, be posted.. Anyway, I have a train-ride awaiting! On to the Forbidden City in Hue, and then to the beautiful town of Hoi An. Till next time!

Will, looking majestic..

Lunch in Luang Prabang, overlooking the river

My mode of Transport, (looking mean on a flower-design bike..)

Sunset over the Mekong River 

View from my balcony of the sunrise and clouds filling the Valley below in Sapa, Vietnam. 

Terraced mountains and rice fields in Sapa

The ship parked in Halong Bay

Budding Nat Geo photographer (my trip guide Kevin) taking a photo of a gorgeous Arab lady (Brendon)

Vista over Halong Bay!

I didn't take a picture of the boat ladies on this trip, however here is a picture from 5 years depicting the same scene!