Well, not quite - perhaps Ed Hillary got a little higher. But over 2,000m up in the cool northern Vietnamese highlands in Sapa seems a million miles away from the noise, heat and humidity of Hanoi.
And Sapa really is a beautiful place. Misty mountains conjuring up images of Lord of the Rings, but with a very real Vietnamese flavour with terraced rice paddies, orange-tiled roofs and yet another market. Now that's probably a bit unkind to the Sapa market, which I'd rate as the best yet. All the same food produce you'd find in a city market, but the people are amazing - predominantly Black H'mong (from the indigo-dyed clothes they wear), but they're embroidered and adorned with incredibly vibrant colours - quite spectacular. Photos soon.
And this place is a biker's paradise - both motor and pedal. The road frol Lau Cai (where the Hanoi tran dumps you out at 5.30am) to Sapa is a neverending succession of curves winding there way up the side of a valley. Leith - I want the Raptor back! Of course the big problem is coping with Vietnamese drivers. Overtaking on blind corners is perfectly safe so long as you're leaning on the horn!
Went on a hike to Cat Cat falls this afternoon - very steep so my legs have got a thorough workout. Sitting beside the stream you'd almost think you were back in NZ - rocky stream bed, lush green vegetation and dark-skinned kids squealing as they leapt of a cliff into a pool. But I blinked again and remembered where I was!
Off on an all day tramp to a village homestay tomorrow, so next post in a couple of days.
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