Cat Ba Island ... home away from home

I got here in the afternoon after long travel on the night bus from Sapa. I optioned for this island instead of touristy Halong bay.

 Little town with colorful hotels hugging the bay, with little boats floating around. I got a room with a bay view and i can't get enough of it.

This little island is perfect for outdoors sports. With it's amazing kayaking around the limestone islands exploring little beaches  with caves, lagoons and arches that are just calling for you to go under them.
 It takes about 4 hours to bicycle around the island and the hills are offering good exercise with road going through jungle and than coast with deserted beaches. Locals from the small villages around the road are friendly and you often have children running after you. You get thumbs up from the passing scooter drivers too. It makes for a good day out.  Getting a traditional Vietnamese massage after you dinner is a must. Some of these guys have magic touch making your muscle just melt. 

Cat Ba is also great spot for climbing. I am happy to have met some of the Asia adventure company employees who are rather strong climbers making it fun just to watch.  It is great after so much time moving and traveling  to be able to stop and  make friends and just to  have someone to drink a beer or play a game of pool with in the evening.

I have been busy having adventures every day so far. 10 days went by fast.

There will be a festival at the end of the week and the town is getting all dressed up in lights and flags. It should be an interesting venue, with shows and dragon boats races.

Sapa and Bac Ha market... colors and more colors, Vietnam

Sapa
Let me tell you about Sapa. Charming little town set into the mountains. It has the a mountain town feel with it's chill air. The valley bellow fills up with fog and clouds for dramatic sunrise views. The hills are covered with rice paddies, which looks like perfect little steps up the mountain from far away. The mountain tribe women come into Sapa from the surrounding villages to sell hand made goods. The are beautiful, little women with perfect English ( note learned from tourists, as some of them can't read) and good humor.
Going to the market was one of my favorite times, they would let me sit with them,  chatting about their life, making fun , while they would show me all they had for sale. And I would buy, earrings hand made by Joans grandfather, or hand embroidered bag made by Mo's mom.

I found a nice room on the outside of the town, with lovely view from the window. when I discovered French restaurant that had amazing food for decent money, I was ready to stay for a while.

Me and my ladies..... look how tall I am !

Grilled eggplant.... so good!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Sapa is a perfect place to trek, you just hike down into the valley and you are in the world of rivers, rice patties, little villages, water buffaloes that look scary when you passing them, fat pigs dragging their bellies on the ground, piglets and locals always nice and helpful.

I can say I fell in love with this place. Come visit yourself and fall into the magic spell of Sapa.



Bac Ha market,
I took a tour to the 100 km distant village of Bac Ha which has  a famous Sunday market.  It is very near the Chinese boarder and with the 8 different minority groups living in the area, I was in for a treat. So many colors, so many different traditional dresses.

I am back in Hanoi now, for few hours, just waiting for my next bus to Cat Ba Island.