ultimatevietnamcambodia2015: Sunday 18th October

What can you say about the Sao Mai Hotel other than the fact that Trip Advisor got it right. The place is about the best on offer in the remote town of Bac Ha but it is suffering a severe maintenance problem as all of us found out in one way or another. The most interesting was the plumbing with some shower heads not working, some showers having no enclosures so water cascaded over the whole bathroom etc. We only had breakfast there but as a positive they had the best fresh bread rolls so far on the trip. Other than that the breakfast was basic at best.

We were there for the markets and they didn't disappoint. It was in full swing by 8.30am and it was great to see a traditional market that had very little tourist orientation other than the ubiquitous Hmong embroidery and trinket stalls. I really felt invisible (difficult for me) standing in the meat market watching the various transactions over fatty pork and the skillful preparation of the meat, particularly in relation to the removal of a pig's face and tongue from its skull. The fish market with mainly carp was also a hive of activity and the preparation of a fish for sale wasn't for the faint hearted.

There were many water buffalo for sale and watching a sale was fascinating with the haggling over the animal. Likewise with the puppies (for pets, not food), poultry and pigs but the animal liberationists would not be impressed. What is difficult to describe is the wafting of aromas from the food areas that also give this market its unique characteristics. We left the markets around 10 and checked out of the Sao Mai Hotel for the drive to Lao Cai for lunch and then on to Hanoi.

The drive to Hanoi took about 5 hours and the road was good for most of the journey. The recent dry weather has been good for drying rice and the paddy fields on the terraces and the flat areas still have vast stands of sticky rice with shades of green and gold that provide a patchwork kaleidoscope. However, this is also good weather for burning the stubble and there was a pall of smoke held near the ground because of an inversion layer as we came near the international airport. This pollution is an issue that the government will have to deal with in the future.

Dinner was at Al Frescoes and the change from the usual Vietnamese banquet was welcomed. This was followed by a pleasant walk around the lake with its colorful lighting display. To get to the lake however, we had to negotiate crossing the main road with the greatest concentration of motor bikes that I've ever seen in Vietnam. Apparently Sunday evening is the day to go cruisin'.