by Debra Corbeil

Created on: April 13, 2009

The night is cool and crisp and we are boarding our train from Hanoi, Vietnam to the northern mountain town of Sapa. Our train is a modern overnight sleeper; clean, comfortable, and sparkling white. The rest of the station is like stepping back in time. Ancient boxcars darkened by time, are parked in the yard, and steam is rising in the air. People donning conical hats are huddled around open fires. Some squat on small plastic stools eating noodle soup with chopsticks. As I look out the window I feel as though it is 1969.

We are led to our bunks by a petite and quiet women from ODC Travel. The company based in Hanoi where we booked our four-day, three-night excursion. For $75 each, all meals accommodation and transportation are included in our trip to see the magnificent rice terraces and to experience the traditional lives of the hill tribes of Sapa.

It is not long until I am peacefully sleeping. Rocking with the rhythm of the train I dream of the adventure ahead. 4:30 am arrives quickly however and I awake famished and thankful for the complimentary sweet bread and bottled water.

We have arrived in Lao Cao, a small town on the Chinese border. As I step onto the platform a brisk, cold wind awakens my senses. Luckily, a van is waiting to take us the rest of the way, so we don't have to wait in the morning chill for long.

It is a harrowing journey up the winding mountain road. We put our lives in the hands of our speeding driver who dodges herds of water buffalo, oncoming traffic and local villagers herding their oxen. Whizzing around each corner, we are thankful to not have plunged off of a vertical cliff into the deep valley below.

We arrive a little shaken but all in one piece to our hotel where we meet our guide, Xin. He is a friendly young man who grew up in the area and as we will soon learn, enjoys singing and playing the guitar. We will be spending the next two days with him as he takes us through the mountains to visit the Hmong and Dzai People who live among the rice terraces.

The morning is beautiful. The sun in shining, the chill is gone and the blue sky is full of fluffy white clouds. After some tea and a hot breakfast we shed our layers and begin our journey into the hills.

The scenery is magnificent and as we venture farther from the town, my breath is taken away by the incredible view unfolding. Thousands of rice terraces filled with water glisten in the sun for as far as the eye can see. Every turn becomes more overwhelming and I am struck with awe

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>