hi all back down under.... from way up the top of the world in Sapa .....
good grief ... so many experiences up here ... but just a short summary ... long one to come when we get back to Hoi An .... will get in as much as wel can, trying to type with thermal gloves on ...
We in thermals up here ... scarf, gloves, thermal socks and jacket ... in total white out on top of the hill ... maybe still way down from the top of the hill, but can't see much further than our noses ... waiting for bus to take us back to Lao Cau ... think pron. low cow ... then train back to Han oi overnight .... Hope trip back better for Cheryl oi, who on way up at 2 am decided it was time to hurl into plastic bag ... me not so sympathetic ... got giggles making sure i covered face well to protect from hurling noises and odour... before that ..... we had ....
Day in Hanoi ... transfer to train by bus little taxing on patience, and then wait at train station ... good grief what an experience that was with people sleeping on floor, vietnam playing international soccer match on TV, so all vietnamese watching .... then door open to ... train? .... no no no two huge green carriages on track .... door at station closes behind us ... Cheryl screams ... i getting nervous .... people herded together by way of ticket number ... me thinking we off to gas chambers ... No 1 go this way they say .... phew walk past green cattle carriages, and voila, there is a train .... it goes for miles ... we on carriage no 9 .... of course it starts with No 1 .... OH&S here ???... no no no .... we walk along train track towards our carriage ... for miles too, Finally arrive at number 9 ... BM is now thinking she not able to get up onto the bottom step, let alone climb up to the carriage, but with a shove from behind and a grunt from within, up BM makes it .... we settle in, some vietnamese man tries to join us in our carriage... Cheryl oi having none of that .... get out she says .... nicely ???... he goes ... we laugh ... then train slowly takes off ... Cheryl needs to wee ... toilet locked ... get someone to open ... she sit and wee ... no curtain on window ... we pass all traffic stopped at train gates .. Cheryl have to stay seated, if she stand up ... bum to the world .. so she sits on loo and waves to thousands of people waiting at boom gates.... she returns, BM needs to go loo too .... but only finds vietnamese loo .... so has to wee ... and uses shower head to both flush loo and wash feet .... then paddles back to our cabin ... we stretch out ... bed not long enough .... but fall asleeep quickly enough ... until 2 am when Cheryl decides she not well at all ... and all her mozzie bites are inflamed and itchy ... (BM bite free so far) ... Cheryl hot and cold .... Cheryl holds back for as long as she can ... but has to be sick ... has found plastic bag .... 1/2 full quickly ... I'm praying that there's no hole in bag .... then she feels a little better ... but not much ... then in early hours of morning - about 5.30 we arrive at end of the line to transfer to bus ... for the long ride up up up the mountain to Sapa .... lots of people on mini bus .. we get separated from our new german friends ... finally get to Sapa ... but taken to wrong hotel ... you wait madam .... Cheryl oi ... still green around the gills, and the air is much thinner up here .. and all is white ... fog so thick we get wet quickly, and also decided that we are totally unprepared for this climate ... the summer shorts and tops and sundress we brought are stupid idea ... we need warm clothes .... but we have to wait over 2 hours then get transferred to our hotel .... which is 3 star ???? .... no way ... UNDER CONSTRUCTION .... need room for Cheryl to sleep .. jackhammers going all round ... stair wells half done ... could fall to death any time ... and NO heating ... fog so bad, everything wet, streets so wet, that the gutters are running with water ....... but we get a room ... I go out looking for warm clothes, Cheryl goes to bed .... then BM meets our new best friends ... 3 Hmong ladies .... they our best friends for the next two days.
Did they pick me because of my beauty, personality, or perceived size of wallet ... I choose beauty .. and soon find out that it was the wrong choice ... more to come ... i've taken up my time on computer. and people behind glaring ... we still waiting for bus to go back down hill ...
love to all back home ...
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