Running from tailor to tailor--and then back again!--yesterday I managed to collect all my purchases, fill a big box with them, and ship it all home by airmail. Supposedly it will reach my Mom's home for Christmas; we'll see. Tired but happy I got on a moto (motorbike taxi--i.e., a guy with a motorbike and a spare helmet) with my backpack, to get to the bus that would take me to Huế and finally Hanoi--happily sleeping in a bed on the road! Well, that was the plan anyway, but as I'm sure you know--planning is highly overrated! The first bus arrived 1 hour after I was picked up and the moto driver hurried me for being late, as it was already 2 pm and 5 minutes past pick-up time! (They always pick you up 30 mins after pick-up time, so I delayed deliberately to get some fruit.) Then, at 3 pm this was, we left--and broke down within three blocks from the bus company's office. That is about 5 minutes of driving. Yet an hour or so later, we started rolling again, finally! Arriving in Huế I had to change to a sleeper bus, which was a sleeper bus alright. I got a bed at the very back, where you have five beds cramped together. Originally bunking me up with four local guys someone in the company thought a bit and by the time I was back from the toilet I was bunking with four other international girls. So far, so good! I even had a window bed, so fresh air could be abundant as well as a view if I couldn't sleep. All I needed was dinner, and they assured us--food stop is at 6.45 pm! Closer to 21 pm I got some sort of meal at the kind of roadside dinner the busses always stop by in Asia, and was finally ready to go to sleep like a little baby. That's when the driver decided we had delayed too much, and it was time to pick up some speed... You know those video games with car races? It looked like that from my point of view--and a grand view that was, at the very rear of the bus with a widow my own length, as I saw the lights of cars coming from the other direction, swerving a bit, honking! They honk a lot when they drive in Asia in general; most often just to say that "hi, I am here". Added with the zig-zag patern the driver took the bus in to advance on the other cars, the total amount of honking was coming close to unbearable... You'd think it would stop after a while, but as it turned out--I spent two solid hours awake, finaly gave in and took one of the valiums some other traveller had given med previously when I could not sleep, and dreamt that the bus was trapped in a traffic circle surrounded by angry elephants hinking and charging at us... and the I woke up in central Hanoi, it was 7.30 am and apart from the added sunlight--nothing had changed. The joy of Vietnamese busses is getting me to a point where I will be getting a train ticket for my next leg of independent journey--Sapa. Before that, however, I go on a small group tour to Halong Bay with my hostel. It's time for karst rock scenery from another world, kayaking, rock climbing and (jada, Jarle!) deep-water soloing! Woho! Don't expect to hear from me the next week, I'll be out having fun.
As the train pulled in to the station in Lao Cai, I realised that a few months of being tanned and wearing flip-flops had made me forget how cold the world can be. Freezing! The weather was treacherous like a Norwegian spring; warm and sweating in the sun, cold and pleasant in the shade, and then, all of a sudden, chilling you to your bones as the shades turned into evening. The sun rose as the minibus took myself, Holly, Jenny, Kirsty and Emma to the mountain city of Sapa; revealing a stunningly beautiful scenery of rice terraces along the sloped mountain sides.Stumbling into the first decent looking place for breakfast it turned out we were all set if we wanted to; the manager could organise a local guide for a home stay, with profits going back into the community. We decided to go for it--and had two amazing days with Chi, a woman of the Black H'mong tribe, originally from the Lao Chai village (not to be mistaken for the city with train station). 
We walked there with some of her friends and family, meeting the rest of her family along the way; or at least the women. I saw men every now and then, but in general Vietnam--both in the cities and in the mountains--is a country where I've found myself swarmed by women in most situations. Having a female guide was a pleasant change, and during the trip she answered questions we did not know we should ask, cooked amazing food and had the local hosts (of the Dzao tribe, in another village) serve us multiple shots of "happy water" to keep the the general mood happy. And it was! (Despite the cold...) 
I had booked a three-day trip, and the first day was a relaxing one; enjoying the scenery, spotting the kite birds that soared above us every now and then, kayaking, swimming and drinking beer. As the night arrived I got to feel some of the Vietnamese winter, though; freezing in my cabin on the junk (i.e. boat) and huddling up in my woolen long-sleeve! 
The second day arrived with more lovely, sunny weather--and a total of 5 amazing climbs up the karsts...absolutely amazing! The climbs were easy enought to start with, making it easy to enjoy the view--as the afternoon progressed I felt my fear of heights kick in a bit more as I traversed narrow ridges and lunged for the safe hold I could not see. In the end I fell down enough times to give up the last top, but it was still great fun. 
The night was spent on Cat Ba Island, before we slowly made our way back to Halong City and the bus to Hanoi the next morning. Feeling somewhat battered most people seemed to head for a bed or a beer--myself, Holly, Jenny and Kirsty found tickets for the sleeper train leaving for Lao Cai (Sapa) the very same night, and hit one of the lovely local reastaurants before catching our sleeping ride up in the mountains.
