July 17th, 2017
The ride to Sapa
On the bus….
9:06am
We stopped at shortly after 9 for a 30 minute rest stop. I suppose this is because the rest of the passengers have been in this bus since 7 or 7:30 when it left the city? Regardless I was happy bcz a trip to the bathroom that was not the bus bathroom seemed like a good idea. It was probably a wash after seeing the washrooms in the rest stop, I felt like maybe I could use the bus bathrooms! Plus the toilet paper mafia were there. Lurking. Waiting. Staring. I am prepared though, have my own, so don’t pay. Besides, are they going to make change for my 200,000 dong note? No, they aren’t-she’s not happy, but is a little distracted by the Chinese lady she has forced to dig through her bag for some money. She Seems like a much bigger whale than me.
9:26am…..they turned the bus back on, thank you Buddha! Getting a little stuffy in here. Pretty sure we are sitting at 99% humidity and 80+ degrees. The girl across from me is wondering where the English speaking guys went because she wants them to translate for her inside the rest stop. She wants vegetarian bones? WHAT?? Is that a thing???? I’d say don’t be too picky girl. And good luck. I went in there and found not a single thing with English on it, and jo one that speaks English. I guess that’s why she needs English speaking Vietnamese help.
9:38am the girl and her friend came back on with a steamed bun. No vegetarian bones. She lol’d. Her and her friend are SpEd teachers from New York. So we have some stuff to chat about don’t we!!
12:17
I’ve been awake from my nap for about an hour now. Most terrifying hour of my life. Not sure why anyone thought this was a good idea. Taking a huge Bus through the mountains of Vietnam. Only one serious head on collision avoided as our driver was trying to pass a fuel truck on a corner and boom. There was a truck! All I can think of is I have to do this again in four days to get back. Obviously if you are reading this I made it through safe and sound and it’s all a mute point but I’m seriously considering my options. Maybe I should go back to sleep….
1:17pm
At hotel- it’s amazing!!!!!!! Kissed the ground when I got off that bus and I will worry about the ride back later.
$1 taxi ride to get us from bus station to the Freesia hotel. I would have paid triple just to get us away from the hill tribe girls – the were 20 swarmed all around Troy then I. They made Troy pinky swear he would shop from them later….not sure if he actually legit pinky swore, but they were sure trying….
Troy just told me that he saw on the news there was a typhoon here! Good to know we missed that somehow. We were even in a Hanoi yesterday night!
Off to explore and eat I suppose. Not sure what I think I’m going to eat exactly, but I see the hotel has affordable western food if need be.
