My thirst for travelling can never be quenched. My latest journey was to Sapa in Vietnam. Sapa is a state in Northern Vietnam bordering China. This is a region of widely varying people and geography. Lao Cai is towards Southern Vietnam and this beautiful pastoral village is a transition zone from the Vietnam plains to the China where you can get Vietnam visa on arrival. Mother Nature has bestowed Sapa with certain distinctive features that are unique in only few alpine regions in the world. It is full of snow-clad mountains sharing a common boundary with China, Laos and Vietnam.
I opted to travel by train. Sapa has a 119 km (74 miles) long modern railway line that started in October 2009; which connects Sapa in the western part of Hanoi to Lao Cai. Travelling from Hanoi across Fanxipan mountains and through the national rail tunnel was awesome. Since it is mostly a mountainous area, our journey was not fast; this gave me the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful pastoral scenes and enjoy soothing air. It was not only soothing to my eyes but also for the troubled and weird mind and heart. On the way I could see many beautiful waterfalls; flowers in sprightly dance in competition with each other was a marvelous sight. It was really a natural herb for the eyes and a purification of sickened hearts. What a beautiful place to be away from the hectic world.
After a short, yet a soothing train journey, I reached my hotels in Sapa. The first sight that attracted me was the Hmong women; they adore themselves like dancers in a pageant. This costume adds to their natural beauty. Minority people have a very distinctive culture and cuisine. The first thing I did after reaching the cottage type hotel that I had booked the previous day was having a hot bath – I was yearning to bathe in the nearby rivulet, water of which was clear and light blue; it was really inviting me to sink in it. Since I felt a little chilly, I opted not to.
Wow! you should definitely taste the dum aloo (boiled potatoes with heavy amounts of spice) and noon Chai, or salt tea. It really makes your travel weirdness run away and makes you fresh and strong. I opted for the traditional menu for my dinner. Rogan josh, lamb cooked in heavy spices and tzaman (a solid cottage cheese) was sumptuous and the first of its kind I had ever tasted. Its aroma and taste still linger around me.
The early morning sun peeping through the white capped mountain peaks was an unforgettable scene. The golden rays of the sun mingled with the flowers and the butterflies. The lasses with their lambs seemed to enjoy the morning sun rays with their mischievous giggles. I wonder what the great Romantic Poet, William Wordsworth would have written, had he but saw these lasses and the pastoral serenity. Life is worth living and if you ever visit this part of the world, you will never die. And I will be there again!