Halong Bay in the Gulf of Tonkin is a relatively short bus drive from Hanoi. A little over six hours and we had arrived in Halong City. We rested and ate before making our way to the waterfront to charter a boat. Magnificent Halong Bay is comprised of over 3000 islands that upsurge steeply from the clear emerald waters of the South China Sea.
We certainly thought the magical landscape was some of the best in Vietnam, each island with its own array of wave borne beaches and grottoes. Our boat transported us casually through the endless labyrinth of waterways, stopping only when we reached an interesting grotto. Ancient stalactites and stalagmites hung majestically from the roof of the deep, limestone chasm, and eerie echoes were emitted as waves lapped against the rocky entrance. We swam in the warm emerald lagoons before floating off in the direction of Cat Ba Island.
Cat Ba is the largest island in Halong Bay and is sparsely inhabited with a spattering of small fishing villages. Its terrain is rocky and poor for agriculture, and as a result, subtropical evergreen forest still dominates much of the islands inland sections. The island also has freshwater swamps and coastal mangrove forests, and this diversity has led to the formation of Cat Ba National Park.
Our walk through the national park took place in the pouring rain. We were soaked to the skin, muddy and exhausted yet we persisted on our trek. Our reward was the grand spectacle when we eventually reached the mountain summit viewpoint. Deep valleys and tall peaks dominated the island, and we were surrounded by rainforest on all sides. It was another memorable scene, and one well worth all of our exertion.
From Cat Ba, we made our way to the mainland, and back to Hanoi. After another few days there, we were on the road again. This time we endured a hellish 12-hour train journey to Lao Cai City on our way to Sapa. The hard seats we opted for on the train are just as bad as they sound, but the views from the windows were breathtaking, and went some way to distract from the mounting discomfort.
It was on this epic train journey that we first met the mighty Peter Rosenboom. Pete was an independent traveller notable initially for his shear size. His 6’7″ frame made him a giant in comparison to us, never mind the locals! From Ubachsberg in the Netherlands, Pete was tremendously entertaining, and we had soon formed a friendship that was to last for the remainder of our trip.
Sapa is one of those mystical locations that you often hear travellers conversing about. It almost has an underground reputation as being one of those places that you just have to visit, and after spending three months in the town on my first trip to Vietnam, I could hardly disagree with that! We wearily arrived in Sapa with mixed feelings; hesitant to see what had changed in the year we had been absent.
The Muong Hoa Ho River wound and snaked its way down the valley, but this time with an extra hotel or two. Its cool, rocky waters still played the most soothing tune as they manoeuvred and eddied their way down the channel. The town has earned its mysterious reputation not only because of its immense beauty, but also its rich ethnic diversity. Over 12 minority groups live in the communes around the town, each with their own language, culture and traditional costume. This makes Sapa one of the most colourful and culturally diverse places in all of Asia. The Hmong tribal group is the largest in Sapa, but the Dao, Giay and Tay also visit the town in vast numbers on market days.
The great Mount Fansipan and the Muong Hoa Mountains tower above the town, their steep slopes providing an abrupt yet spectacular backdrop to Sapa’s swarming streets. Tiny mountain streams and the awesome Thac Bac waterfall coagulate to produce a meandering river that flows briskly down a narrow steep sided valley. Small huts are littered in sporadic fashion along its banks, and great swathes of rainforest lie under the clouds that carpet the peaks above.
The river at night takes on a mystical appearance, with glistening stars that blaze mightily in the black sky. Thousands of luminous fireflies flutter silently by, and shooting stars continually slice open the darkness. Gibbons shriek, and vast numbers of toads gurgle deeply on the banks. The river provides a wonderful place to relax, talk and think.
