Operation S.A.P.A

Sa Pa District is located in Lao Cai Province, north-west Vietnam, and 350 km north-west of Hanoi, close to the border with China. The Hoang Lien Son range of mountains dominates the district, which is at the eastern extremity of the Himalayas. This range includes Vietnam's highest mountain, Fan si pan, at a height of 3142m above sea level. The town of Sa Pa lies at an altitude of about 1600 m. The climate is moderate and rainy in summer (May—August), and foggy and cold with occasional snowfalls in winter.

SAPA

(Source:Wikipedia)

S.A.P.A

Operation Duration : 3 Nights 2 Days.

Night 1

2000

Van pick up at our hotel and transport us to the Hanoi train staion.

       Hanoi train station 

2200

Train depart from Hanoi to Lao Cai Station approx. 400km and the journey took 9 HOURS!

      train platform

  train cabin,4 in a cabin.

          superb,toilet with paddle

Day1

0615

Arrived at Lao Cai Train Station.Weather was Ccooldd. 8-9 degrees.Wait for the Van to transport us to Sapa Summit Hotel.Journey again took 1hour.Very foggy condition,with visibility 100m.

     look at the fog

0720

Arrived at Sapa Summit Hotel.Meet up with our tour guide,Ker.Breakfast at the hotel and briefing from Ker about our activities for the day.

    hotel side

    planning for the day.

0900

Begun.Tracking to a tribe village ,about 7km from the hotel.Winding road.

    buy for me please?

            those people sat there for...

       national park map

  look at those face

       chocolate brownies,freshly bake daily.

1000

Arrived at the Tribe village.Visit the rice wine making facility.Everything is powered by Water.Thats environmental friendly!.Hang aorund the village for a while and head to the so called french Hydroelectric.

         the cultural village after 7km walk

corn for flour

ducky

  paddy field 

      the jump

  the french style hydroelectric

          kids jumping around the waterfall

 poser!

     waterflow

1130

Its time to track back to the hotel.The journey back is 3 times harder!!K.O.We need to hike 3 hills!!and then the guide told us there's a shortcut.Yes ,shortcut...!! 3 times energy needed.What a shortcut.

1230

At last we reached.Luncheon.Leg Condition: 60%.After lunch check-in to our rooms.Bath and Zzzzz.Super tired!.

             hotel gigantic key chain

   U.F.O shower head.favourite!

1600

Walk around the town.You could find a lot of restaurant and tribes people selling their handmade craft on the streets.Those tribe people,can speak very fluent english!.

   don't mess with my KITTY!

   SAPA town

   french style architecture

  thats roots

      zzzzz

    sunset

1800

Meet up with our tour guide,suppose there is a so called "Wedding" of one of the friends.So we attend the "Wedding" dinner.Non-stop drinking rice wine..from the start.

    the newly wed couple

    the banquet

1930

We left 1hour later."Tak boleh tahan".Together with the bunch of tour guide we went to the nearby bar for a drink and pool.Those tribe people are very good at pool!don't mess with them.

  pro-pool

  beer cans

       don't mess with my sheep!

2100

Back to hotel.Sleepp!.

Day 2

0700

Went the nearby market for a walk and head back to hotel for breakfast before the big activity of the day begins.

           the white sun

       rose valley

0900

Hike to the Tribes Hometown.That journey took 3.5hours ,around 12km of roads,4km of off roads,4 hills, a few streams.

   SAPA town view

  petrol station

1230

Arrived at the tribes village.Had lunch,we ate bread with cucumber tomato and bacon.

1300

Walk around the village.Scenery was Wow!.Just point your camera,anywhere!

        paddy field all around

    got surrounded 

 ducky again

      joss stick

                                           

  power ranger pose.

 Warning!

     Rules and regulation.

  quack.

                                                             

1545

Left the village by bus.Luckily by bus!..

1630

Walk back to the Sapa Market for one last time.Grab as many item as possible.

1700

Dinner at hotel.

1800

Head down hill to the train station by bus.

 Lao Cai Train Station

2100

Left Lao Cai Station.Arrived Hanoi at 5am in the morning.Back to work at 9am.

K.O's