Sa Pa, village at the roof of Indochina.
Sa Pa was once a frontier mountain village in northwestern Vietnam, not on any maps and not seen by any outsiders until 1909 – Surprising, considering the French had already been settling in Vietnam and Indochina for over 200 years by that time! By the 1920s, several wealthy Frenchmen had permanently settled in Sa Pa, driven here by its scenery. Sa Pa is a physical beauty.
Sa Pa, and it’s tallest peak, Mt Fansipan, is said to be “the roof of Indochina” today. It is accessible from Hanoi by overnight train and a winding bus ride up to its tremendous elevation. Sa Pa has become a market village for surrounding small villages, groups of ethnic minorities, and an access point for outsiders to the cultural and scenery of northern Vietnam.
I’ve added a few pictures and some reflection on my feelings of powerlessness with the child poverty I encountered in Vietnam. Head here to learn more and here to donate to UNICEF, because I didn’t know what else to do.
Click here for the Sa Pa Gallery. An amazing place.
A city of islands
Approximately two thousand islands packed together, like buildings in a city, bring travelers to see Ha Long Bay. What’s more impressive than the sheer number of islands, is the geology of them: hundred foot rock faced cliffs staring down at the water in all directions. Seawater (and ice) carved stone walls, like art pieces, from millions of years of erosion. This is the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the decsending dragon of northern Vietnam. Ha Long. Click here.
In Hanoi, pictures will speak louder than words.
Hanoi is a city probably best described in pictures. It’s a chaos that one might fall in love with, or might drive one crazy. It’s streets are quite the bizarre mix of those that are wide and tree lined, and others are cramped and frenzied. After a few days in Hanoi, you stop being surprised by anything here the capital of Vietnam. You’ll find wildlife downtown, much as you would on a farm, only this is in a city of almost 6 million people. You’ll eat the best meal you’ve had in weeks while sitting on a plastic chair in a restaurant just barely as wide as the span of your arms. It’s quite surprising, really, the first time you try to walk these streets, with the impassable sidewalks full of motorbikes, restaurant seating, street vendors and often even burning waste.
But enough in writing. Pictures will speak louder than words. Click here for the gallery of Hanoi.
