Great Outdoors | GRRRL TRAVELER

Trekking Sapa via the mud trail

Filed under Great Outdoors, Trekking in Sapa by Christine Ka'aloa on September 8, 2010 at 5:58 pm {3 comments}

Day #8:
Falling asleep last night, to the sound of nature’s bugs and crickets felt relaxing. Nature noisy, but completely devoid of urban sounds. My rest was good, my mosquito net bedding was comfy and I was out the moment my head hit the pillow. Next morning we all gathered for breakfast– it came as a generous mound of pancakes, bananas and fruit!

By 10:30AM, a new wave of Hmong women and girls were perched, sewing, waiting, guarding their usual stake out… our guesthouse entrance. This was (more…)

Unforgettable Sapa: Hill Tribes & Homestays

Filed under Great Outdoors, Trekking in Sapa by Christine Ka'aloa on September 6, 2010 at 6:41 pm {7 comments}

Day #7

There must be a mistake, I thought. I went to the front desk of Emotion Hotel (aka Trekker’s Central) and asked why I would have another overnight stay in Sapa. While I really enjoyed Sapa, I was eager to experience the trekker’s high and unadulterated mountain-village life…

When push comes to shove and I fear I might not get my just way, I pull out “the New Yorker” in me (8 years in NYC taught me the degrees of “firm” to “jerk” I could be). I couldn’t claim a printed itinerary for proof (I (more…)

Trekking to a small but touristy Cat Cat Village, Sapa

Filed under Great Outdoors, Photo Essays by Christine Ka'aloa on September 4, 2010 at 4:03 pm {4 comments}

First day of my Sapa trekking tour: trek to Cat Cat Village and a free day to sightsee Sapa on our own. But my 3 hour hike down through Cat Cat Village to the waterfall and back was something I hardly needed a guide for. While the hike is a soft trek, the stone path walkway can feel steep for some. An elderly couple on our tour had some trouble with this trail, but for the rest (more…)

Solo Vietnam: Exploring Sapa…Alone

Filed under Great Outdoors, SOLO TRAVEL by Christine Ka'aloa on September 2, 2010 at 12:32 pm {8 comments}

Day #6:
My train lurched in Lao Cai Station at 6 AM. I woke up from my deep sleep at around 5:55 AM! Wham! Just in time to stick a toothbrush in my mouth, while cramming my silk liner hurriedly into my day pack. Being a solo traveler separated from my trekking group, the last thing I wanted was to be the last one off the train and left! My Swiss roommates were further behind schedule than me, though. No one was prepared for a quick evacuation. Sleep was good, despite the violent rocking and intermittent screeching of wheels against the tracks.

The #1 disadvantage of solo travel:
Duh, I was alone. Filing off the train in a backpacker’s fog, I searched the sea of backpackers for “familiar” faces. Nothing. No one (more…)

Nepal Trekking Day 2: Nagarkot to Sankhu Village

Filed under Great Outdoors, Nepal by Christine Ka'aloa on October 4, 2008 at 2:52 am {no comments}

: sunrise in Nepal

Day #2:

Bacchu wakes me up so I can see the sun rise.

5AM. It’s not easy for me to get out of bed, but I’m certain it’ll be worth it. I am not normally a ”Sunrise” type of person, but it certainly was gorgeous one and I’m glad he woke me up for it. We ate some breakfast and then we were off!

: sunrise in nepal

Trekking through villages in the early morning has a wonderfully tranquil feel to it.

The view is shrouded in mist and fog to make its mountain valley presence even more-so mystical. Animals are awake as farming life begins to stir (more…)