Good Morning Vietnam!

 

Country Number 7

We arrived at the border and had to carry our bags across to be scanned and our passports checked and stamped for arrival. With a UK passport you don't need a Visa, and this is the only country, so far, where an entry card isn't needed either.

The Bus 'attendant' had a racket going, selling Vietnamese dong for kip, which Kat made use of. I left with only 59,000 so not too badly judged

At Dien Bien Pho bus station, the driver knew of a bus going to Sapa (of course) - we thought we would have to get the night bus - for 310,000 Dong which sounded OK, so we went for it.

At this point I had no money but the driver said we could pay later and get the money from an atm in Sapa. The toilet attendant lady wanted 3000 dong but she let me pay in kip at an inflated rate - 10, 000 - but we settled on the 9 I had in change so I have my 50,000 note as a keepsake.

The bus was almost full (or so we thought) but I managed to get a seat by the window. My first views were of the town and then green rice fields with people in their conical hats working hard in the fields and people selling vegetables in the streets

I was excited and happy to be in Vietnam and although the journey was tiring I didn't mind too much. Poor Kat was not so lucky with her seat, especially as they piled in more and more people, including two guys who she said stank of alcohol and were a little 'over friendly'. 

We made a few stops and at one, two men on scooters arrived with two huge sacks which also had to be squeezed in. What made me laugh was every time we set off again, the driver never bothered to shut the sliding door, it just swung away open until the motion of the bus would slip it back shut at some point.

There was some pretty scenery as the bus drove past the river through the mountains. It was quite dry in places and a lot of the rice fields were at the end of season I think and they were burning stuff in places. I was listening to music to while away the time, and this was the first song that came on in Vietnam.

There were plenty of the hammer & sickle flags about - Vietnam also being a one party communist state - and below, a poster with - I think - Ho Chi Minh. He is on every bank note too. 

https://alphahistory.com/vietnamwar/ho-chi-minh/

We could at least re-fuel as the bus took diesel. The petrol pump was empty.

We arrived in Sapa town after dark, but it was bustling and lively. We used Grab to get to the home-stay we had booked. It was very far out of town, but hopefully, will have some nice views when it gets light. The owners were very kind and made dinner for us and we all went to bed early as we were shattered.

It was a bit funny, the lady offered me a room on the ground floor so I wouldn't have to use the stairs!

I said I'd be happier to be up on the first floor with the others - I must have looked pretty old to her 😆