SaPa to Hanoi

Our last day in SaPa threatened rain but was forecast to be dry in the am so Elise, Ingrid and I proceeded with the plan to take a car, with driver out to the most atractive of the waterfalls. The road wound up into the hills and this time we were driving past the market gardens which provide SaPa's fresh produce. Oh how I wish that my vege garden looked as immaculate as those terraces. When we stepped out of our mini bus we were glad we had worn warm jackets and scarves. The path down to the falls was well laid stone but promised we would warm up coming back as it wound down to the falls. There was quite a crowd walking along with us, all obviously as impressed by the cold as we were. The falls were beautiful and worth the 2 mile return walk/climb. However we decided that we did not need a second stop and repeat performance on the way back.
We walked down to our favourite restaurant street when we had collected Bob and checked out. Elise and I had decided on BBQ for lunch and had delicious pork and chicken on skewers, some of it finely sliced and wrapped around thin little mushrooms or local herbs. These were cooked over charcoal fire in half 44 gal drums. The restarant was really just an unlined shed but the food was  as good as more salubrious surroundings. Bob and Ingrid settled for variations of noodles as usual.
The bus back to Hanoi was a sleeper bus again but seemed more spacious than our last effort partly because it wasn't full and we could put our belongings on some spare seats. Initially the road was the usual winding, s bend mountain road but then we reached the new toll road and the driver took off. . We arrived back in Hanoi at about 9-00 pm and off loaded in the lakeside area which was booming with Saturday night crowds. Fortunately our hotel was only a five minute walk away because we were told the reliable green or white taxis were impossible to get  at that time on a Saturday.
Yesterday Ingrid and Elise were repacked and ready to leave by 9-00am for their two night cruise out on Halong Bay. We heard from them in the evening that they are having a great time, kayaking and sipping cocktails.
Yesterday Bob and I had a leisurely stroll around the Lake watching the population of Hanoi at play. The roads in the vicinity are closed on Saturday and Sunday and people wander the area watching the impromptu  entertainment which is scattered around. It has wonderful vitality and the performances are well worth watching. After lunch I took myself off to a local salon for some pampering at 1/3 the price of home. Afterwards we once again went walking and decided on our dinner venue. A leisurely dinner and a walk through the huge Sunday Night Market concluded our day.