Above: On the road from Sapa to Lao Cai.
We had a late departure at 2015 on the night train from Sapa back to Hanoi. We had considered doing a walk or a motorbike ride to another village but the weather wasn’t conducive. We did our morning in slow motion and checked out at midday.
That was followed by a massage each, a slow lunch and chats with other travellers. During lunch, the council staff came past the cafe with a lorry and picked up motorbikes parked illegally (by tourists who didn’t know better) on the roadside. They’re meant to be off the road on the raised parts (that look like the pavement).
Time went quickly and we were soon on board the Fanxipan Express back to Hanoi. The cabin was cool, unlike when we were in Hanoi (where the carriage had baked in the sun all day). The good news ended there; the downhill journey was less comfortable as the train rolled, rocked and bounced. Other travellers we met later on other trains confirmed that their similar experience; perhaps it had to do with downhill momentum and braking.