The Night Train, A Reckless Ride

Off to Sapa

Jordan, Graham and I left the apartment and climbed into a taxi around 8:15pm. With train tickets in hand, back packs on our backs, we were off on a GREAT ADVENTURE!

From the back seat of the taxi we got a glimpse of Hanoi at night,...motorbikes everywhere, people on street corners, young and old alike. The city was alive and we were in the midst of the activity. 

Passengers waiting outside the train station.

Upon arriving to the train station we encountered our first hurdle..."Where do we go?" If you've traveled overseas, you know most airports are equipped with good signage (with English translation),...not so in the Hanoi train station. We had our tickets with specific instructions, but nothing on the signs seemed to match our tickets. After wandering around, then asking a couple of employees (who were no help), Jordan lucked up on a British couple who were heading to our train, they said "follow us", so we did. 


As we crossed the multitude of tracks, I couldn't help but notice that the train yard was very busy with people boarding and those disembarking from the arriving train. Men, women, children, trekkers, luggage, plastic bags filled with food, employees with carts, trash in piles,..and did I mention noisy?

So we, the Westerners, boarded the Sapa bound train and found our cabin a few feet down the narrow corridor. A very small space with 4 bunks. A strange man was lying in one of the bunks, I almost gasped. (Jama, you're not in Tennessee, anymore.) Oh boy, here we go. We all greeted him then began settling in for a hopeful night of peaceful slumber. I decided to sleep with my purse and camera up beside my head. Ok, maybe alittle paranoid,...better safe than sorry.


Sidebar: Did I mention there was a problem with our tickets post booking, something about maintenance of the train? They notified Michelle of the problem, apologized and bumped us up to first class for free! So, what does one get in first class? A warm cookie, glass of champagne,...? No, CLEAN SHEETS and FREE Hot Water! 

Good Morning, Sunshine

Sleeping on a train? I have never slept on a train. I'm  a pretty good sleeper but sleep did not come easy for this ole gal. Between the rail noises, the fluctuation of cabin temperature and the train movement I was ready to see the sun rise. Around 5AM mother nature began to call and I regretted drinking the complimentary bottle of water. The others were sleeping, so I decided to go find the "WC" (restroom). My face was oily, my teeth were gritty and my humidity-affected curly hair was out-of-control. So I put on my shoes, wrangled my hair, grabbed my toothbrush and off I went. I opened the loud door, stepped out into the narrow corridor and began moving towards what I hoped would be the WC. I knew immediately this was a bad idea. The movement of the train, coupled with the close proximity of the space, my inner ear began to send signals to my brain..."abort, abort." So, I returned to my cabin feeling frustrated.

The train pulled into the station. We quickly gathered our things and headed to the gate where we met our transportation to Sapa. Our van driver, Mr. Not-so-Happy was very abrupt, not very welcoming, but agreed to let me find the restroom. So, Graham and I made a bee-line to the station. To avoid the massive crowd of arriving passengers and taxi drivers we went into the deserted area of the station (reserved for departures). We were surprised to find a man positioned outside the restroom door wanting 4000 vnd. Oh good grief,...I gave him the money and took off. And what did I find?...a squat toilet. (Michelle had forewarned me.) Let's just say it was interesting....(Sorry, no photo.)

On to Sapa
When G and I returned to the van, it was evident they were waiting on us. After the remaining bags were loaded, we were off. Sapa was an hours drive--and what a ride it was. The roads were in good condition but as crooked and winding as they come. I'd never ridden up a mountain at such a high rate of speed or with such wild abandon. Mr. Not-so-Happy passed large trucks, tourist vans, water buffalo, motorbikes, walking villagers,...on hair pin turns with zero visibility. He even bumped a motorbike. He was "king of the road" and he wanted everyone to know it. It was frightening, some of the worst driving I've ever witnessed. I fluctuated between being nauseous, angry and afraid.

I was happy to arrive at our hotel, The Cat Cat View in one piece. I was not pleased to pay him for his services. (Later I complained to the hotel management, requesting a different driver for our return.)

SAPA

One of the many beautiful Sapa streets

Sapa is located in Vietnam's remote Hoang Lien Son mountains, near the Chinese border. Sapa is famous for both its fine, rugged scenery and also its rich cultural diversity. Sapa and its surrounding area is host to many hill tribes, as well as rice terraces and lush vegetation. However, as a result of a recent surge in popularity Sapa resembles a mini Gatlinburg.

The Cat Cat View Hotel
The Cat Cat View is a Vietnamese family-run hotel perched on side of a hill along side many shops, eateries and hotels on one of the many winding streets in Sapa. The Cat Cat is not a fancy hotel. There's no heat or air conditioning in the rooms. The showers are a nozzle in the corner of the bathroom. (Watch where you put your clothes or they'll get wet.) The towels are thin and practically useless.

View from the Cat Cat Restaurant

However, the Hotel is managed and run by a delightful Vietnamese family, a multi-generational family.  The family lives on the 6th floor. The hotel restaurant uses only fresh fruits and vegetables they raise in their own hotel garden (on the 6th floor). Everyone was so nice and accommodating. It was a special treat to watch this family interact, especially with their 3 young children.

So much for the view...

After a sleepless night on the train and a harrowing ride up the mountain, we decided to have a little breakfast and then rest. Our rooms were clean and offered a nice view.  For dinner we sought out a little restaurant down the street. The weather had turned, the mountains had disappeared behind the clouds. As we ate the fog rolled in,...actually rolling into the restaurant through the open windows. We began to wonder about the weather for the next morning... 

Tomorrow our adventure continues,...our Hmong guide, one of the Sapa Sisters, Lan will arrive at 9AM. Rain or shine,...we will be "on the move".

www.sapasisters.webs.com

The day ended with one of our favorites..