We briefly returned to Hanoi after Sapa for just 1 night before heading out again…this time to Saigon. The plan was to stay in Saigon just for 1 night, and then leave on Sunday, March 30 to Mui Ne. Our time in Hanoi and Saigon was brief, but there are still pictures worth posting here. We arrived in Hanoi early on Saturday morning, at about 6:30am. After killing some time at Hoan Kiem Lake, we were fortunate to be able to do a super early check-in into our hotel at around 8.  We then ventured out into the streets in search…

The picture below pretty much sums up our entire experience at Sapa, especially after the trek we did from March 25-26: Mao showed up in front of our hotel at 9:30am, as promised. She told us that we would trek a total of 15 km to Lao Chai and Tan Van, sleep overnight in a H’mong home, and then trek back the next day. Photos below show the beginning of our trek: After lunch, Mao pointed out her house to us when we walked through the village of Lao Chai. She was born and raised in this village, and now…

Our first full day in Sapa was spent exploring Ham Rong (Dragon Jaw) Mountain and nearby Cat Cat Village. Ham Rong Mountain was part of a larger park and included a steep, rocky climb to the top with views that made the trek worthwhile. Below are pictures of our hike to the top of Ham Rong Mountain. From the top were spectacular views of the town of Sapa, the mountains, and rolling fog. On our way to Ham Rong, H’mong girls were already lined up on sidewalks, stitching away: Ham Rong Mountain: There were some super tacky statues on the…

After our lovely dinner with Bao and his family, Chris and I got dropped off at the Ha Noi Train Station via scooter, thanks to Bao and his dad. Despite it being dark and drizzly, we made it safely. We took the overnight sleeper train to Lao Cai, located in the far north-western region of Vietnam just about a mile south of the Chinese border, which took about 10.5 hours. The time table said it should have taken 8 hours (10pm-6am), but it arrived closer to 8:30am local time. It wasn’t surprising to learn later that the trains here run on “Vietnamese…

Our first week in Hanoi was spent settling in, getting accustomed to the time zone, hanging out with friends, and most importantly, eating the best Vietnamese food in the world. Below is a quick summary. Tuesday, March 18: First meal of Hanoi: Xôi xéo lạp sườn (sticky rice with mung bean, Chinese sausage, and fried shallots). One of our favorite comfort food dishes. We later met my cousin Bao and his friends Kim and Quan for some French fried (that’s how French Fries are written on menus here), beer, gin tonic, and trà chanh. Hanging out on the sidewalk and…