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| We took the Tram Ton 11 Km - a gradual climb up and up and up. |
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| The gradual slope up to the summit took 2 days ( lunch at 2200, overnight at 2800m ) |
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Found this good depiction of how to go summit from a) cable car with 600+ steps b) via the funicular train 100+ steps
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| Did the 2nd day in poor weather and heavy rain |
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| The height marker in this pyramid |
The key objective is to climb the 3143m Roof of the IndoChia - Mt Fansipan (Phang Xi Pang) and have a look at the rice terraces now ripening.
IF you come during April there will be no rice but water surface reflection on the sky instead.
With the availability of the cable car and funicular train, many will shun the 2 days climb and took the easy way in/out with a 20 minutes ride.
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| The street scene around our hourly rated hotel where we wash up and waited night transfer to train. WE took the 8 hrs train to Lao Chai. |
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| Custard apples were plentiful and not the altered gene large Australian type |
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| A heavy-duty setup for grilling chicken |
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| Start of the 11 km trail |
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| The trekking path and scenic spots. We didn't pay much attention and rely on our guide to point out. That's why we missed out the love waterfall and the famous pass? |
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| Our guide Mr. Singh leads the way |
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| We called this Singapore rhododendron back home. Here is a big swap of it |
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| The guide says reassuringly that there is no other wild animal except Buffalo |
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Short bamboo and wasteland vegetation dominated the mountain. |
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| The porters carry our backpacks also. No joke to carry 11 Km up-slope. |
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| Pit stop for a little rest and water |
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| IT was a relief when we saw our destination - the cable car station. Somewhere on the ascend I caught a glimpse of a giant buddha against the mists and rain We took a 700,000 Dong x2 pax funicular (pendulum) train up to the summit. It was cold as my trousers and trekking boots were soaked through and poor visibility. I was shivering like a reed, the 40,000 the piping hot soya bean drink help. We went out to the replicate x3 summit markers to take some pictures. The real summit is somewhere here. |
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| The 20 minutes cable car ride down uneventfully saved for a power interruption that delays the car. The carriage was huge as it can carry 10-20? persons. Our pick up driver couldn't find us and we lost our way and it was drizzling. A kind gentleman came and through google, translation pointed the right direction to the "large watch" 100 meters away from where we found our driver. |
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| Saba time - spend half a day walking on a paved road and admiring the now already yellow padi |
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| The green Padi only one crop per year. |
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| Travel light for the half-day Saba walk. The muddy and slippery road was my concern. |
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| Buffalo used for plowing the field |
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| Before dehusk here is how the 'rice' looks like. They are cut and left to dry in the sun before harvesting. |
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| Typical scenery in Saba |
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| Young shoots of the fern! In Borneo, we eat the Paku and Beling too |
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| Terrace view |
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| Dyed black the fabric was made from hemp. |
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| Indigo dyeing. |
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| On our Hanoi biking tour, we visited this narrow lane with table and chair on track when the train didn't pass. |
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| The alley nearly occupy all by the train |
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| On our bike tour, we also visited the Banana Island where you can find large plantation of Banana. |
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| I sat on the other bike and here we go again |
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| The same beer that Obama picked up here |
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| Obama and Anthony Bourdain had visited this restaurant |
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| They even framed up where they sat before. |
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| Cafe time |
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| In our bike tour, we visited one shop that makes this wedding sweet pandan flavor cakes |
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