Trekking in Sapa Day 2

We slept well but woke up early because nature was quite loud. There were cracks in the whole cabin, so we could lie under the covers and keep track of what was happening outside. The sounds of chickens, dogs, and the river woke us up. But that was fine because we were treated to a delicious breakfast of banana pancakes with chocolate. At 10 AM, we started our trek, constantly going up and down muddy paths. I had ditched my jungle shoes in favor of my sandals since my feet were completely wrecked from blisters. I could immediately feel that I didn’t have as good a grip, but thankfully, I managed to avoid falling into the mud. I had left my shoes with our host family so they could enjoy them. We also brought some sugar, which they were really happy to receive. Once again, our guide found a beautiful spot for lunch, and this time we ate by a waterfall. It was perfect because we could wash the mud off our legs and shoes. While Hieu prepared our lunch, we climbed about a kilometer up a mountain where the “Red Zao” tribe lived on the other side. Again, we were shown around to see how they lived. According to their culture, women shave half of their hair off because they think it looks very beautiful. Back by the river, we were served hot noodle soup that Hieu had prepared in a small hut close to the water. After lunch, we had to cross a river via a bridge that was far from finished. I was shaking with nerves as I stepped onto the bridge. It swayed, and it was hard to find something to hold onto the whole way across. If you fell, you’d drop a couple of meters before landing in the rushing river. We all made it across safely, and then we walked for four hours until we reached a road where a minivan was waiting to take us back to the hotel along a very bumpy road. We didn’t make it all the way to Sapa because a truck was blocking the road, which wasn’t wide enough for two vehicles. We had to get out and walk the last bit. Before dinner, we explored the town, which we hadn’t seen anything of yet. There were several shops, eateries, and small markets. It was a really cozy little town. We had dinner at the hotel, where we could choose between two or three courses – all included in the tour price.