Boutique Sapa Hotel

Word to the wise, the minibuses from Lao Cai to Sapa are only 30,000 VND. Woken up just before 6 am by the coffee vendor, hopping off the night train, don't let anyone con you into paying more than 30,000 VND for a minibus ticket to Lao Cai. It's an onslaught and, flustered and half-asleep, the experience can be more chaotic than taking a baseball bat to a bee hive. And don't, under any circumstances, pay anyone any amount in US dollars!

One girl in our group got charged $30, over 20 times the actual price. And when we all hopped on our minibus together, the culprit tried to prevent Sarah from getting on the same bus as us, given that she had bought a ticket from a different company. He held on to her luggage and tried to separate her from the rest of us. I wasn't having it. I loaded her stuff on the van and made her get in. He could have me, but not Sarah. Something about living in New York makes you quicker to get in someone's face in the midst of confrontation, especially when you know someone's taken advantage. Luckily, a woman was loading the people in our van and organizing tickets. I looked at her and knew that she knew what had happened. She held onto Sarah's ticket and yelled at the man, as if to say, "Fine! You made your money off this girl, but now I have the ticket you sold her. Pay me half the money you charged her, go away, the girl stays with us and I'll return the ticket to you later." I'm guessing they have to account for every ticket sold.

As well, they run another racket once you get to Sapa. You may find yourself dropped off at a hotel, not necessarily the one you've chosen and named for the driver. So be polite, but be specific and be firm. You may see a few hotels before you reach the one you have reserved. As if often the case in traveling, the driver gets a commission if you stay at any of the random first stops taken.

At the first hotel we were shown, Ernesto called the hotel he'd already contacted. He reached the owner and she sent three motorbikes to gather us and our things. They showed up within minutes and whisked us away. Do yourself a favor in Sapa. Stay at Boutique Sapa Hotel. Affordable prices, new rooms, an amazing view and rooftop terrace, it's all worth it! And the owners are delightful. We were met with warm towels and tea once in the lobby and cafe. I stumbled in with glass in my foot and before I knew it, the owner had tweezers and alcohol...ready for surgery! And, do not be mistaken, my feet were nowhere near the loveliest thing in the lobby. On to our room, the owners added a bed to our room at no added charge, and at total of $21 a night?!? And then, the view? Sa Pa is gorgeous.

In the evening, the owners set up moto rentals for all of us to visit a nearby waterfall and catch the sunset over the mountains. I'd never driven a scooter but I'm great on a bicycle! Turns out, I'm not too shabby on a moto either. Two wheels, hand controls, big whoop. Sarah, my partner in crime, drove at one point. Not such a good idea. Having lost control of the bike, she pretty much threw it to the ground with me still on it. And I nearly ended up with what seems to be the Southeast Asia traveler's initiation: a nasty, motorbike exhaust pipe burn on your right leg. They're as ubiquitous here as rice fields. Hopefully, I've met my quota with the gashed knee fiasco on Koh Phan Gan, the rusty nail scare on the Ton Le Sap and the glass shards from Cat Ba Island. All in all, if those are the most of my worries, how easy I've got it.