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This year things were a little more last minute than I normally like, my passport was again in the VISA office and there were no guarantees that I would get it back before the holiday started so I couldn't book anything just in case. My plan was to go and visit Tom and Karina in Cambodia but by the time I did get my passport back prices for flights were stupidly high (I could almost get home for the same price) so plan B it was. Back to Vietnam but this time by bus.
From Kunming it only take 7 hours to get to HeKou (which is the China side town on the border) and from there you just walk across a bridge into Vietnam. Passport checks took forever on both sides so the whole process took close to an hour. Once in Lao Cai (Vietnam side of the border) I headed for Sapa. After a lot of walking about aimlessly I spotted a bus with Sapa written on the back. Fairly certain that was the bus I wanted I ran for it but missed it by only a few seconds. A little post van pulled up and said he was going to the same place and he could give me a ride. 10,000 dong later (about £1.50) and an hours terrifying roller coaster ride of a journey I was in Sapa.
Sapa has become a popular place for tourists who want to experience rural Vietnam and see some very impressive rice paddy scenery. Most hotels offer guided treks and motor bike tours for rock bottom prices, huge competition has kept the prices low. Sadly the town itself is just one huge tourist trap; every restaurant sells western food and street sellers swarm all over the roads trying to get you to buy little "handmade" bags and wallets. I got out of the town as fast as I could and went down into the valley to recommended Cat Cat village. Its only a 3km walk but the roads and steep and hard going, half way down I stopped for breakfast and a photo break. 
The village itself is (as I soon found out) a purpose built "rural experience" at the beginning of a trail through the bottom of the valley. Its 40,000 dong entry (about £1.20) and takes close to two hours at a slow and chilled pace. The trail starts by going though a little shopping area and then calms down to a steep path heading for a river and waterfall area. I blasted past the shops not really interested in filling my bag so early in my trip and went straight to the waterfall. I have a real soft spot for rivers, lakes waterfalls anything with water really and so sat there perfectly content, with a beer naturally, for close to half an hour. I had been told the remainder of the trail was a little uneventful so I didn't really see much need to rush. 
Having finished my drink I carried on. The rest of the trail followed a small river and was a little uneventful. The bridges were impressive, especially given how old they were but other than that not loads to do or see so I made my way back up the now horribly steep valley side back to Sapa. The walk nearly killed my in the heat and I managed (despite wearing factor 50) to burn my shoulders. Nearly on my hands and knees I crawled back to the main square of Sapa, I must have looked as knackered as i felt because motorbike drivers from all over the square ran to offer me a lift. Annoyingly at the bottom of the hill these smug looking gits were nowhere to be seen! I hired one to drive me out to the silver waterfall I had been told about that was close to 12km away and off we set.
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