A destination unknown by many but not to miss while visiting Vietnam. Just make sure not to go in winter...as we did! The hotels there do not have any heaters or hot water and when the temperatures are below zero it can be a problem!

Well let's start by the beginning... Going to Sapa means that we must get a 12 hours night train. Nothing special as we did this many times! We decide to book the cheapest option, as we are on a tight budget, this will save us few pennies! We therefore got fabulous seats with the locals, which includes:
- every stop around 10 to 15 women come in and wake you up to sell you anything...:(
- windows open and no heater. We went from a ok 15 degree to a -2 around 2am...:((((
- terrible pain all over your body, as you cannot find a position you can hold more than 5 minutes before having cramps...:(((((
Anyway we finally arrived there around 5am after a good 14 hours journey! We are still very excited as we start our 1st trek on the mountains in few hours. We check in our hotel, hoping to get a good hot shower before going in the cold again... Well as you know, the hotel is colder than being outside! And forget about hot showers, only cold water. We take it as a challenge, smile and prefer to concentrate on the fabulous adventures coming! We layer as many clothes as we can find as we did not predict any of this weather through our all trip! We find some plastic bag that we place into our shoes to keep us dry! ( yes we only have trekking shoes for dry and hot weather!!) We are now prepared and ready to go. We start our 1st trek, pretty easy as only few kilometres, around few black Hmong' villages. We are extremely fascinated by there appearance, as all women wear traditional clothing. (so fascinated that we decided to bring back home the all outfit!) No men can be seen on the villages as they are all working on land.

We have the opportunity after few hours trekking, to enter one of their house to warm up around the fire...:) We feel a little bit silly as we are shaking because of the cold and the rain; and there playing around, children just wearing a t-shirt, with no pants and bare feet. You need to realise that when we say one of their house, it means few wooden planks with no isolation and more holes than planks! And a fire that could hold into my hand. Our guide Sissi explain us that it's the way children are growing up, and that they are use to it! Herself was actually naked up to 10 years old. Nothing unusual!



Few more villages and we get back to our amazing hotel! Next day we pack a little bag as we are doing an home stay at night. Anything warm will come with us as our home stay will be on the same type of house as describe previously! Our hotel and guide tell us that we are crazy to do a home stay with such a weather; but we thought that being in a cold hotel or out there would be the same! After another trekking day (around 14 kilometres) on mud, cold, rain, and many falls, we finally arrive at destination. The area is lovely and we decide to spend most of our evening in the kitchen (wooden barrack in the garden) as it's the only place with a tiny mini fire! We are the only one, until another couple arrive: French people. We laugh so much as our guide tell us that only French people are doing home stay this days. "The crazy ones" as they say!! We spent the night drinking local "happy water" (as they call it!) or "eau de vie" and sharing our travel good and bad experiences!


So tired and pretty drunk made us go to bed around 9pm! Bed including a very thin mattress and a tiny cover. Thankfully Cyril decide to get all covers he can find in the house and pill them up, which was more than needed! We survive the night!
But not my bag... Well, when going on trekking it's not unusual to get some energy bars. I suppose all the rats around the area smelled them from far!! Any trousers I may have had before were eaten! Of course I took all of them to make layer!! Thankfully I kept my leggings on to sleep!!



After this nice waking up, we are heading back to town. A small 2 hours trekking. But bit by bit I start feeling unwell. We decide with Cyril to try to find another hotel with at least heater. Few $ added and we manage to find an ok room with hot water and heater! Wouhou! By the end of the day, I finished on the bed with temperature. Next day, the pain is getting worse and worse, and unfortunately, we have to check out our room by 12. Cannot stay longer as we are taking back the train tonight. My body temperature is getting worse and I finish laying in the hotel reception' sofa. Cyril is dealing with the management to get some wood to make a fire. Even a Japanese woman came to see me to give me her medicine as I was crying like mad under the pain. Finally at 4 pm I manage to get up as we had to head to the train station. Again my prince Cyril managed to exchange our cheap ticket to get us a sleeping cabin with heater! I slept non-stop until arrival, and felt better. But Cyril was getting is turn. He started getting fever, and couldn't put a foot in front of the other! It's 5am and we manage to find an hotel to check in. We will be sleeping for the whole day sharing a good 38-40 degree body temperature! But it's time to get up as we have tonight a 24 hours bus to get to Vientiane in Laos...