Catching the night train from Hanoi to the Sa Pa area in the north west of Vietnam. The 8 hour journey was sometimes slow, sometimes sort of fast and then slow again.
You had to fare for yourself as there appeared little interest from the station personnel to assist.
The small four person cabins were a challenge. The other two Vietnamese people sharing the cabin with us then tried to sneak their mates in. This meant there would have been six inside a cabin the size of a refrigerator. We objected strongly in the best sign language we could muster - you know the one; where you point a pretend gun at your head and pull a pretend trigger. Remember that one? Well that one didn't work and seemed to agitate the Vietnamese chappies.
Anyway peace prevailed and we resumed our journey with only four in the cabin.
The Sa Pa valley was nothing short of spectacular and is home to some of the most remarkable agricultural landscaping imaginable. The tiered rice paddies that flow from the mountain peaks into the valley below defy belief - how did they do it?
The valley is home to the Hmong people, one of the many tribes that inhabit the mountains of Vietnam.
It was people from this tribal group that Clint Eastwood used in his movie "Grand Torino."
The women work hard for little return but always offered us a smile and a conversation in excellent english. It was surprising to hear them converse this way in such a remote area.
The clothing of the women was as intricate as it was beautiful.
The valley had a wonderful sense of peace to it.
Weaving
Rice paddies that seemingly go on forever winding their way around mountain peaks and valleys.
This little guy was happy playing beside the road showing little indifference to the passing tourist trade. What is not showing is the immense drop into the valley that lays at his feet.
Post card picture beautiful.
It was only since 1993 that the Sa Pa valley was again opened to international tourism.
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