Hmong Women in Sapa

The hillside village of Sapa, in the Northwest corner of Vietnam, was another highlight of my sidetrips whilst I was volunteering in Cambodia 10 years ago.

I took an overnight train from Hanoi, spent the day there, and returned on the train the following night, which was all my time in the area allowed for. Just a taste of this area of Vietnam, where the border to China was so close.

The characters, interactions and dress of the women of this village captured my heart the most, walking through the main street and seeing school girls walking to school, and then watching the women at work as they tried to sell their homemade wares at the market stalls. These Hmong women were dressed in their distinctive hilltribe colours and fabric patterns, in vivid blues and reds, and carried much of their wares on their back.

After experiencing the heat and humidity of Cambodia for the months before, the cold of Sapa was a shock to me, and I was so ill-prepared. Towards the end of the afternoon, having wandered through the village, the market and the stores along the main street, one of the women of one of the stores took pity on me, and I remember spending time huddled near her pot-bellied heater in her store, trying to keep warm. I wonder what she must have thought of this silly Westerner suffering the cold, as she went about her job. There were cute and shy attempts at interaction through this time before I could return to the station and the train, and back to Hanoi and the humidity.

This post is part of a series marking 10 years since I travelled to Cambodia to work as a volunteer. Hanoi and Sapa was one of my side trips.

Lantern at the Temple of Literature

Trolling through old travel photos, and discovering that there has been a method in my disorganisation methods, I have come across this pic of a lantern in the Temple of Literature, on my brief visit to Hanoi in 2005.

Takes me back to that humidity, the bustle of Hanoi, and that little piece of tranquility in the middle of it all. And that crazy pop in on the way back to London from a dash home. Wow, the lighting here is pretty cool!


I actually caught up with Narelle last month, in her brief visit home, who told me of all the amazing post-Vietnam things she has been doing, which has included Vanuatu and now studying in The Hague...bloody impressive! The AYAD Program really sets up such a diverse and amazing path!

Beautiful Hanoi

After the usual procrastinating for the day before flying out, and then farewells at the airport - how many times do we need to do that!!?? - I flew to Hanoi on Tuesday.

I was met at the airport by the heat, and by Narelle! She is working in the city for a year on the AYAD Program (yes, the same one I was in Cambodia with), and has been here for almost 4 months now. Was so good, and so exciting to see her!

Arriving at Narelle's AYA mansion (it's a hard life, isn't it!!??), which was gorgeous, we got caught up on gossip, what we've been up to, etc. It seems the problems I had with AYAD have not really gone away - shame, really.

Narelle had taken a couple of days off to hang out with me, which actually coincided with a bump to the head and some stitches, so she was well due for some R and R! We brunched at one of her favourite hangouts, which was very yum, and then wandered around the Old Quarter for the rest of the afternoon.

Being in Vietnam, and finding myself on the back of a moto once more, wizzing through streets and weaving through traffic, brought all that I love about SEA back to me. The edge of getting around like that, with the very real reality of risk, not knowing where you are, knowing that you don't know the language nor the city - always such a rush. Just being back in Asia for a bit just brought home for me the silliness of all the worries we get ourselves into in the "developed world".

The next day saw more hanging out, yummy Vietnamese lunch, and coffee. I then went off to see the beautiful Temple of Literature, which I hadn't seen on my previous visit to the city. Inside the walls of the temple is a little pocket of tranquility, amid the madness, noise and bustle of Hanoi. Was so magical to be in there while the city carried on around it. (More photos.)

As a treat, Narelle and I then headed off to a little place called Bellisimo, around the corner from her house. Here we subitted to a 'Body Polish with Aromatic Salt' - which was absolutely divine!! I don't think I have managed to be that relaxed in my life! Two hours hours of massage with all this different stuff. Was gorgeous! My skin felt amazing!

The stress of rushing out to the airport, and the organised chaos that is any airport in Vietnam, may have erased some of all that relaxation! My flight was a late one, and now, after travelling all night inflight, I am back in London.

So that's it. My rush around the world for Katie's 21st all over! I am feeling a little dilerious, and out of it, but hopefully if I can manage to stay awake till a decent time tonight, I should be back to normal in no time.

Now the question remains - what the hell am I going to do with all that Dong!!?? I'm such an idiot, I didn't change it at the airport as I was leaving. And noone is that excited to change it here. Bugger!

Up, up, and away!

I am in the Cappadocia region of Turkey rıght now, and have just completed one of my top 5 all time favourite travel experiences. Hot Air Ballooning over the valleys of fairy chimneys...truely breath-taking and so beautiful.

We hit the jackpot by arriving just 10 minutes before the last overnight bus departed for the area of Cappadocia from Istanbul. However, we did get the final seats, which actually meant the middle seat on the back row for me and the dickie seat at the front door for poor Nat! A no sleep night, wıth eventual musıcal chaırs as the drıver trıed to makes us comfortable, and then dıscovered that the people that hadn't got on for the fırst couple of stops joıned the bus at a stop well ınto the nıght, and then movıng back agaın after they got off somewhere. Was a very long nıght.

After a little mix up about what town we were supposed to end up at, we checked into our gorgeous Gamirasu Cave Hotel in a little village just outside of Urgup. The owner sat down to chat wıth us, and told us that he had grown up in this village, his mother had washed the families clothes in the stream below where we were sittıng, and that he had had a vision to turn some of the cave ruins into a hotel. It was so beautiful. I can't imagine getting another chance to sleep in a cave!

We then hired a driver to explore the area for that day, and the following. There ıs so much to see here - although I think we did a pretty good job of it all. We visited the Underground City, stooping our way through the 6 storey structure that is available to be viewed. Reminded me of crawling through the Chu Chi Tunnels in Ho Chi Mıng, Vietnam - although this one didn't have the option of getting out when you wanted to! At one poınt we were 40 metres below the ground, looking at bedrooms, kitchens and the all important wine stores!

Bearly managıng to keep our eyes open during the drive between stops, we also saw the Monastery and other churches dotted around the region, all situated in the amazing tuff structures. Most dated back to the 9th and 12 centuries, the frescos are really mind blowing. Has almost given me pause about the validity of the whole Jesus story...I mean, if they were telling these stories back then.... Don't fear, I haven't found religon out here!!

Early morning wake up for our balloon flight, we were herded out the to launch site, and got to watch as the balloons were set up. So exciting! We flew with Goreme Balloons, and the view and experience was so amazing. Gliding over the valleys of the facinating fairy chimneys, floating on aır so high above the ground, or coming down to float inside the valley. Words can't describe.

We had the smoothest landing I have ever felt, and actually landed on the trailer for the basket. The customary glass of champagne upon landing ıs meant to be a thanks and cheers for a safe return back to earth.

(I will be needing to lift photos from Nat's site, at www.kuju.nu cos my camera did't work durıng the flight. My fully charged and rıght back up batteries were the thing I forgot to pack from London. Duh! Thanks Nat! Great photos - gıvıng credit where credit is due!)

After a nap, we were out again wıth our drıver, seeing the Goreme Open Air Museum, wıth more wow art frescos! Jessie, you would love this place! So amazing! (more photos)

I then made an obscence purchase at the pottery place we visited, a beautiful painted-for-me plate (this plate, but smaller!). It's just money, rıght! Shipping it home, I probably won't see it for years!! But I am thinking that perhaps if I start sending beautiful thıngs that I have fallen in love wıth from all over the world, I will one day have a home I love wıth memories of all the places I have been to.

Nat and I are now awaıtıng out overnıght bus back to the 'bul - our third no-sleep nıght in a couple of days. Have been very spoilt here wıth my time in Turkey, with two unforgetable experiences in a couple of days. The food has been lovely, too!