Sapa

I'm not gonna lie to you all - this has been a real disappointment. Sapa wasn't on my initial itinerary but after recommendations from a number of different travellers about how good it is and how spectacular the scenery is, I decided to come here for a day.

When I got back to Hanoi, I booked an overnight bus to Sapa for that same evening. I'm still playing catch-up in Vietnam a little bit so decided to shoot straight up there. Sapa is northwest from Hanoi and I was told it might be cold - I guess I'm used to that. Bus picked me up at 7pm.

Day 1: Arrived in Sapa at 7am. Managed to get some sleep on the bus and my plan was to spend the whole day exploring here and then get another overnight bus back to Hanoi, from which, I can head south.

The fog here is unbelievable and it's absolutely freezing. Sapa is usually misty apparently but you can get above the mist and there are supposedly some breathtaking views in every direction. It's a small town on the edge of a mountain and it's apparently surrounded by rice fields and other mountains. Unfortunately, I can't see more than 3 feet in front of me outside and I couldn't tell you how good the views are.

After finding my bearings this morning, I took a walk up to a high-up radio tower to see if there was any view at all. There wasn't and unfortunately, there wasn't a great deal to see on the way there either. After that, I took a freezing cold ride on the back of a moped to an even higher vantage point. The view was still non-existent and I need a meal by the fire at a local restaurant to thaw me out afterwards. Since then, I've been in an internet cafe (which is why the blog is now so up to date). Freezing cold and dense fog still outside. Nothing going on in the town.

A real shame because Sapa is meant to be one of the most scenic places in Northern Vietnam, which is why I was keen to incorporate it into my trip. Nothing that can be done though - I could hang around until tomorrow but the locals tell me they are expecting worse and I want to head south. Overnight bus back to Hanoi tonight, FINALLY check out Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum tomorrow morning and then I'm heading south to either Nimh Binh or Hue. I need some sunshine. Hoping to catch up with the others at some point too.

Disappointing but that's life. Been pretty smooth up to this point so was gonna happen sometime. Still loving the experience.

I'll blog again when I next get the chance

Love

Chris / Buttsy