My hosts, Lu and Nu are so warm and friendly. They really go all out to make me feel at home in their homestay. Lu contacted me to arrange for the pickup from Sapa. It's a 2.5 hr drive in a comfortable 4x4 car and his uncle is a very safe and experienced driver. On arrival, I was shown to my cute Birdhouse.
It's basic but that's to be expected because one is actually atop a tree in the jungle. There's electricity, toilet bowl, sink, standing room shower and hot water. It's well-ventilated and it will get quite cold at night.
First activity was a leisurely hike to the 2 waterfalls, with a sumptuous picnic cooked by the lovely Nu. Scenery was beautiful. I missed the sunset back at the homestay because it was autumn (the sun sets early).
Soon, it was dinner time and I was treated to more delicious home cooked dishes prepared lovingly by my hosts. Lu discussed the wake up, breakfast and launch time for tomorrow. It has been a long day and I retired early for the night to prepare for the big hike tomorrow.
Day 2. I woke up early as discussed and breakfast was ready. It was yummy chicken porridge. Fueled up, we started the trek to the mountain shack. The mountain trail is literally in his backyard. Ok, I know Seek Sophie states it is a 4km challenging hike with complex terrain and steep inclines.....it didn't prepare me for the super grueling hike (i'm 50 years young btw). I took almost 6 hours (it sure didn't feel like 4km) and the steep inclines were relentless and never-ending. Also in terms of technical difficulty, this is for ADVANCED hikers with moderate to high level of fitness!
A big shout-out to Lu - he is so fit and familiar with the trail. He carried all the water and food supply. He was always there to look out for my safety as there were many perilous sections (i.e. slippery moss covered rocks).
Reaching the shack, we rested and had a simple energy-rich lunch of sticky rice, tofu, egg and peanut/dried shrimp toppings. As it was early afternoon, I decided to challenge myself to summit Ta Lien Son - another 3 hour grueling hike. Lu gave good advice to only bring minimal gear for the summit trek. I almost gave up at many occasions but seeing how Lu was so chill about it, I kept going. I reached the summit just before sunset to catch the amazing view. Then it was time to descend back to the shack. Another 3 hours. Although it's now dark, we had headlights and could gradually and safely make our way back. Reaching the shack, Lu wasted no time to cook dinner while I rested my tired body. I have spent almost 12 hours hiking!! Dinner was rice with boiled pork and poached chicken. There are mats and thick blankets in the shack. The outhouses have squatting pans and a manual water flush system (i.e. you scoop a ladle of water from a pail of water and pour it into the pan). Although the shack will protect you from the wind, it gets really cold at night in the mountain at that elevation. I had brought along a ultralight down jacket as well as a sleeping lining bag. It's so quiet and peaceful in the mountain at night. And you can see the Milky Way because it's pitch black.
Day 3. Dawn breaks and Lu is already preparing breakfast - instant coffee and hot and sour seafood flavor instant noodle with sausage. So yummy. We pack up and start the long trek back to the homestay. Although it's less strenuous going downhill, it's also more challenging because the ground is so slippery. I ended up taking just as long (another 5-6 hours) because I slipped/fell many times.
We finally made it back to the homestay by lunch. I skipped lunch as I had no appetite. I had my much desired shower, packed up and had a light snack. Lu made arrangements to bring me back to Sapa. I thanked him and his family for the wonderful memories and their kind hospitality. The Hmong people are truly wonderful hosts!
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