The Mini-Inca Trail

No problem getting up in time this morning but Nina didn’t take any chances and knocked long and hard at my door.

Breakfast was an expansive smorgasbord and we dove in.

By eight o’clock we were ready for Ku and he herded us down the hill to pick up the Lithuanian couple who had joined us on yesterday’s shorter trek. To Ku’s dismay she again wore a dress and flat-soled canvas shoes. I’m really glad I bought my knock-offs because they had real grip. We trekked some very steep and rocky trails today. I have to hand it to the Lithuanian girl though – she never seemed to have a problem. Too bad I didn’t get their names. They were a lovely young couple who declared they were only friends who liked to travel together (as they held hands and cuddled).

The scenery was spectacular with terrace-laden mountainsides, deep valleys and rushing creeks.

Dave R and I heard a lot of interesting birds but rarely spotted them. The cicadas were out in full force and we did spot them. Their deafening chorus surrounded the hilltop rest stop where we had a delicious lunch and cold beer. There were beautiful cabanas there that could be rented for overnight stays with glass fronts facing the valley and mountains.

Near the end of the trek (which turned out to be more than 13 km) we spotted a bright green snake that certainly startled Ku. I think it may have been poisonous. We also saw a couple of geckos but that is about it for wildlife. We did pass a number of grazing water buffalos along the trail. I’m not sure I would get too close to them.

I was really glad when we finally met up with the bus that took us back to Sapa. Guess I’m not in quite the shape I was in for the Inca Trail.

We had little time to grab our bags and some goodies from the local bakery before we were loaded onto another mini-bus and headed back to Hanoi.

So now I am back at the Bonne Nuit. I’ve met our guide Bun and had a shower. I will finish packing my stuff for tomorrow’s overnight on a junk and head to bed. Looking forward to the horizontal.

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