2nd day of trek: approx 14 k's (Yesterday was 17k's).
For breakfast we were presented with a high stack of perfectly delicious pancakes served with lime, sugar, honey, bannas and chocolate. A snotty boy in rags hung around. Gave him a banana- happy. Gave him a pancake - unsure. Asked if he wanted another pancake - not happy. Gave him another banana- happy! Walked to a Grandmother's house and had look around. My favourite thing in her house was the corn grinder for the pigs' food. We then walked to a school where "everybody was kung fu fighting - ha!" (sing it) The kids looked poor and the classrooms were very basic. We then walked (or slid ) down the steepest hill in my entire life. We the refreshed ourselves in some freezing cold water. We then got very hot on an exposed new road. We were relieved by the shade as we entered the forest although it was a steep ascent. It was fun walking along the maze-like edges of the rice paddies. The last village wetrekked through had a "combo deal" with three minority groups in one. One hut had a branch of leaves hanging from the pattio wihch meant, "Do Not Enter because somebody inside is ill." Abovethis village was a main road and a cfe where we had a lunch of soup and fruit. We waiyed for a while as the Isuzu Highlander was a little late at picking us up. The unusually safe young driver took us around to Sapa. Along the way we crossed a stream in the car and luckily our driver was cautious - otherwise we would have run over a little boy skipping in a dadream in the middle of the road. Back in Sapa- went for a walk and got dinner. Mum and Dad ordered curries that tasted yuk. Nim and I shared a woodfired pizza which was yum. I was glad to go to sleep after 32 kilometres of walking over 2 days.
