This diary is written for people planning to visit Sapa. Indeed after coming back from Sapa, I still want to revisit it again. If you find any other interesting spots in Vietnam Sapa, please share as much as possible because I would like to go to this place one more time before telphers are set up to Fansipan.
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>>> Other: Top thing to do in hanoi Includes all the major sights and activities in and around Hanoi.
First night
This was the first time I had a chance to travel by sleeper train, so I felt really excited. Getting up after a deep sleep, I could see green cornfields outside through the window glasses. After getting off, I caught a bus to Sapa. At that moment, perhaps I looked amusing with smeared face and a big backpack.
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First day
After a long period pretending to contemplate the romantic nature along the road, I started to feel carsick. The small meandering road made me dazzled and dizzy. That’s why I decided to rest on the nearby handsome boy’s shoulder and slept more after seeing no reaction from him.
Coming Sapa, I felt emotionally dumbfounded due to the astonishing view (and also the cold weather). The first thing was visiting the hotel because we needed to have a comfortable resting place during the trip. Then I went to the church, taking some photos there and visited the market with the dull-headed face because I found everything so interesting and extraordinary. Sapa welcomed me with extremely sunny and fine weather.
After lunch, I started discovering Vietnam Sapa. The first destination was Cat Cat Village, impressing me with its terrible entrance road, which made me seem to be thrown out of the motorbike and reluctantly hugged the driver tightly. Although the entry way was thrilling, its view was so awesome that I had to take continuous photos and got some nice shots among them.
Old Church in Sapa
After visiting the village, I came back to the church, eating ice-cream and seeing Dao children kicking shuttlecock. Feeling tired, they took a rest and slid their smartphones. Some adolescents nearby were continuously taking photos by their phone. Until now, I have had a chance to see with my eyes the beauty of ethnic girls with colorful traditional costume; silver bracelets, anklets, and brown hair.
Grilled food that is very famous in Sapa
In the evening, I could enjoy grilled food – my favorite food, so I felt very enthusiastic. Before the trip, I imagined that I could eat even whole a cow. After a long time wandering, I came in a clean kiosk in the middle of the road near the church and ordered slanting food as well as a bottle of cat apple wine. But I felt a little disappointed about the food because the roasted food wasn’t hot enough and had a typical taste (even not delicious as the baked food I made myself). Especially, the meat cabbage roll was so spicy that I both ate and cried, making the nearby handsome boy dazed. Anyway, the wine was so sweet and soft to drink and my face turned red after just only some cups of wine. Getting out of the kiosk, I felt like walking on the cloud but I still found out a short cut road to the hotel.
The first-day summary: Sapa had numerous mountains that I couldn’t figure out the total number. The weather was beautiful and the roasted food was not yummy as talked. Ending a day of eating, laughing and walking a lot, I fell into a deep sleep to be ready for tomorrow.
The second day
Getting up early in the morning, opening the window and seeing the town sunk in thick fog, I felt really peaceful. This is the first time I had breakfast in a high place with surrounding clouds and romantic view.
Today I decided to rent a motorbike to drive to Silver Waterfall, Love Waterfall, and O Quy Ho mountain pass.
The motorcycle ran fast on a tortuous road with one side of crag cliffs and one side of spreading flower fields. I felt more and more surprised because nature was much more beautiful and imposing than what I could see in photos. I was so busy with contemplating the views that till coming back the hotel; I realized forgetting not to take any pictures of them.
Standing far away, I still could hear the sound of Silver Waterfall. The water from the mountain fell fast and thickly, making white foam to the land. Nature was much more beautiful than what I imagined. The most impressive experience here making us embarrassed was the toilet in the middle height of the mountain. Since then, I have promised that I would never let my friend have problems with toilet-paper.
Silver Waterfall
The next destination was O Quy Ho mountain pass. Standing from here, I could see rolling mountains and felt so tiny.
Leaving O Quy Ho mountain pass, I also visited Love Waterfall and Golden Spring. Seeing the signboard of walking 1.1 km, I felt rather discouraged but I still tried due to the high spirit of my friend. The sunny weather, as well as the weary legs, made me would like to come back the hotel, but I still kept going because I couldn’t leave my friend.
At last, I saw the Love Waterfall after passing along the entrance road. It’s said that lonely people visiting there can get a new happy relationship. That’s why I tried my best to take my boyfriend there. It’s not vain passing over forest roads, Love Waterfall was so much more beautiful and imposing than Silver Waterfall that I felt overwhelmed and couldn’t stop contemplating. On the way to come back the hotel, despite the tired legs, seeing the signboard to Fansipan, I still tried to take a photo with it to show to my friend. That’s the end of a not only happy but also tired morning. At noon, we visited a beef noodle restaurant and ordered 2 big bowls. After finishing, both of us felt better and kept going. The plan for this afternoon was climbing Ham Rong Mountain, Muong Hoa Valley, and Ta Van Village.
There weren’t any particular things in Ham Rong except that when you climb to Cloud Yard you could feel like Sapa lying in your eyes. One more time, I forgot to take the photos because I couldn’t stop contemplating the nature.
Leaving Ham Rong, I continued the trip. The entrance road to Muong Hoa impressed me with extremely peaceful views. Kitchen smoke spread from tiny houses. The rice terraces lay endlessly. The paddy was so green and the flowers were so white. A picture didn’t have so many colors but still got stunning beauty. I could hear sweet melodious flute sound far away and felt like I was staying in the dream land.
Muong Hoa valley
Having just stopped the motorbike at Sapa ancient rock field and Ta Van Village, a group of indigenous children came to greet us warmly, asking us about our names and addresses, taking us to a big rock with some symbols on its face and letting us take photos. I felt a little bit disappointed because there were only some natural rocks, not like what I thought. After going around discovering, I came back the entrance because there weren’t any particular things to see. And then I didn’t know from where more than 10 children were joining the group, surrounding us and canvassing souvenirs. All of them said a lot and my boyfriend had been going. Even a child whispered to me (but like warning me) that If I didn’t buy for them, they wouldn’t let me leave. I felt a little scared. After a long time trying to get away from them, I had to buy 3 colorful bracelets made from threads but they really matched with my style. Going for long distance, both of us felt less scared and laughed a lot about this. So the experience to Sapa was preparing a fighting spirit, never be compliant like me.
I came back to the town in the late afternoon with rather a cold atmosphere. This weather made people would like to be closer.
After a long day visiting a lot, I started to feel sleepy and went to bed until night.
The night here was really fantastic. I wore a coat then went for a walk. The church became twinkling and the café, as well as the bar, also turned crowded. I decided to come in a roasting shop along the road. Sitting there made me feel exciting because I could both eat and see the people wandering. Sometimes I had to hug myself due to the cold winds and smelt the roasted food on the table. The food in this kiosk was so delicious that I had a different thought of Sapa roasted food and would try to eat more tomorrow. The second day ended more successfully than I expected.
The third day
Today I got up early; the town still seemed to be sunk in thick fog so I decided to sleep more. After the breakfast, I rented a motorbike to travel to Ta Phin Village. The deeper we went to the village, the foggier weather was. The first destination in this morning was Ta Phin monastery.
The next destination was Ta Phin Village of Red Dao People. They were really friendly and cute. They took me to visit the village and told me some stories that made me love the people and the life here more.
I also visited Ta Phin Cave. On the way coming back, it rained heavily. Poor my boyfriend!
Being backed Vietnam Sapa, we came in a small restaurant near the church, enjoying my favorite food and a little cat apple wine. Then I went to the hotel with light might.
Sapa at night became colder. We found a beautiful corner on the second floor of a bar on Cau May Street. This is the first time I drank a glass of cocktail having special meaning with a special person. I was so happy that I couldn’t say in words.
The last night in Sapa I felt a little bit regretful because I had good feelings about this place just in few days. I liked the atmosphere here. Although the weather was cold, I always felt warm.
The fourth day
Today we had to get up early and traveled nearly 40 km of mountainous roads by bus to come back Lao Cai. According to our plan, we visited China until the afternoon we came back Lao Cai to get the train to Hanoi.
The final night
Perhaps this night was my most memorable night. I has never got such happiness, such moments and such feelings like that before. I closed my eyes, tried to feel and stored all those wonderful things by heart. There were some short moments but having a long-lasting position in our heart. Outside the window, everything was being sunk in the dark and let behind forever.
P/S: The trip were really meaningful to me. There were numerous experiences for a trip.
