A sleeper train through the night, awakening to traditional Vietnamese songs through the cabins at 6 am (so loud. SO LOUD.) A van ride up through winding mountain roads, edges overlooking terraced paddies. Trekking uphill, sliding downhill. Sometimes (most times) not entirely upright. So much mud. Cool wet air and foggy vistas for miles. Paths curving through rice and indigo plants. Tiny villages bustling with women and girls hocking vibrant scarves, skirts, bracelets in woven baskets. Yellow schools, bending rivers and water buffalos in the distance. An herbal bath in a wooden barrel, hard belly laughs, and a warm bed under a mosquito net. Truly magical days with the best company.
