Leaving Sa Pa

We have the day to fill in before our train. We take a jeep ride around the villages. The roads are treacherous, from all the rain. Our driver attempts to kill us, on a muddy road that has been 3/4 covered in a land slide, when he goes to drive around the mountain of earth on the remaining four feet of road that is still visible, next to the sheer drop to the river below. We all scream out, No, no, no! and leap out of the car. Our reaction now is funny when I think about it.

We leave the mountainous beauty of Sa Pa and, of course, the sun finally comes out as we are driving out.

We catch the over night train to Hanoi, arriving 4am.

I take my last look at the pretty Mong boys in their traditional uniforms, peddling their wears at the street-side markets. Good bye persistent Mong girls, with their winning ways and their many languages, all learned form standing in the street trying to sell to the tourists. Good bye Sun the shoe shine boy, who could never understand why I didn't care that my shoes were dirty. You very handsome, you should have beautiful shoes - they know how to flatter the tourists, that's for sure. Good bye motor bike boys.

I wave good bye to Sa Pa.