Rea View Searching for warmth and calm

Walked the bridge into Vietnam today to discover a country of quieter people.  Many more smiling faces than China and NO SPITTING!  Yayee!  There are also way fewer smokers here than China...but with the behemoth Chinese super-highway being built to the border, smoking tourists will soon fill the streets of Vietnam.  I fear the Hill Tribes lives will be changed forever soon.  The road up the mountain to Sapa is paved and smooth, a stark contrast to any rural roads in China, and the former hill station of Sapa perched on top keeps watch over the valley below.  Beautiful views from our fourth floor room, and probably most rooms in this town.  Absolutely gorgeous surroundings here, with Mount Fansipan stretching across the sky in front of us.  Within half a day we feel we could spend a month here.  Lovely buildings inspired by the French sit comfortably with eachother.  Black Hmong women fill the streets with their continuous hawking buzz but the small number of Red Dzao women are quieter and somewhat shy perhaps, so I bought a lovely tassled hat from them which brings a soft smile each time a Dzao woman sees it.  I feel I'm part of their tribe now.  Dodgy train station scene and we're off to Hanoi!