Among the clouds

Back in Hanoi after a wonderful few days in Sapa. It's a different country in everything but name to the capital; the views really are as good as the pic above (not mine, unfortunately - like a complete 'tard I left my camera battery here in Hanoi so will have to wait for the pics from my crappy disposable to be developed before I can see whether I've fluked any half-decent ones), albeit a lot foggier and vaster - the distance from the top of Tram Ton Pass, 15km from Sapa, to the valley floor is dizzying. The ride's a bit hairy as a result (the trucks caning it up and down the narrow, winding road don't help either when you're on the back of a scooter), but if you're going to risk certain death it might as well be for something like this.

Another highlight were the locals; the ones you meet in Sapa are mostly from the H'Mong or Dzao minority groups (there are another 52 minorities, quite bewildering), splendidly kitted out in traditional garb (see Flower H'Mong below). As a fellow visitor observed, you don't have to take acid to trip out here, just go to the market! My trek guide, Mimi, was a fantastically fun Black H'Mong woman: fierce-tempered but sweet, occasionally stern but genuine and as honest as the day's long. We stayed overnight with a bunch of American tourists at a lady's house in one of the local villages, eating a vast banquet cooked by the tour guides before getting ratted on rice wine drinking games and singing along to Backstreet Boys on Mimi's mobile (one of the unexpected features of the local kids is their savviness with mobiles and the internet - Mimi's phone is better than mine and she's even on Facebook! Welcome to the 21st Century).

After the tour finished I got invited to the wedding reception of a local H'Mong couple; wowee, I have never in all my years seen so many people get so drunk so quickly - with firewater toasts to the happy couple literally every 30 seconds we barely had time to shovel any food in our mouths before another friend or relative (the groom's cousin fresh from a motorbike accident but unbothered) is at our table and we're shouting 'Mot, Hai, Mai, Yo!' ('1-2-3-4') again and downing another shot. Everyone was smashed by 8 and staggering home, in my case just about remaining vertical. Needless to say, a great time was had by all.

Off with a bit of luck to Halong Bay tomorrow for cruising the waters in a junk, doing some kayaking and seeing some caves. If it's half as fun as Sapa was it'll be a treat. Bye for now.