Sa Pa, Vietnam (19 Mar 2006 - 20 Mar 2006)

Joe and I caught a sleeper train to the border town of Lao Cai, which abuts the Yunnan province of China. From there we were whisked away by minibus to the sleepy town of Sa Pa, which is nestled in the northwest highlands of Vietnam. The town's small size is exaggerated by the fact that it lies in the shadow of Fan Si Pan, Vietnam's highest peak. Although trips could be organized to trek to the summit, Joe and I lacked the time to do so. Instead, we took the easy route and hiked to the top of Ham Rong "Tourist" Mountain, which lies inside the town of Sa Pa.

The recurring theme of our stay in Vietnam was echoed in our experience on this mountain; that is, this is not the best time to be visiting the north of Vietnam. For instance, the mountain featured trails through an orchid garden and various other flower gardens that would have been spectacular if only they had been in bloom. The orchid garden alone boasted almost 200 different species of orchids. The mountain also featured a cactus garden and, curiously enough (as if a cactus garden in the mountains of Vietnam wasn't...) also included an ostrich farm. The mountain itself featured myriad volcanic rock formations that were quite spectacular. The trails weaved in and out of them, and in several locales the trail narrowed to less than three feet wide as it passed between two sheer rock faces. The view from the top, dubbed Cloud Nine, was amazing, although the view was predictably obscured by fog and smoke from slash burning.

Now we're back in Hanoi, set to catch a bus to Hue tonight.

The entrance to Sa Pa's famous market.

The central square in Sa Pa, with the Catholic cathedral and Ham Rong Mountain in the background.

A fantastic view of Sapa awaited us at the top of Ham Rong Mountain.

View of the European Garden from Cloud Nine.