I arrived in Hanoi about a week ago and have been staying in the Old Quarter. A fellow traveler likened Hanoi to Saigon, and I have to disagree. The feel of the city is certainly milder than Saigon, and it’s easier to navigate.

One word of advice to new travelers: believing that everyone will speak English is a bit of a naive assumption to make. Many people do, but don’t always count on it. What has saved me is carrying around a notebook with basic phrases and words. A more seasoned traveler said, “oh, you’ll be fine! Practically everyone speaks English!” The key word there is “practically,” but still. I had enough sense to know otherwise.

I booked two tours during my stay in northern Vietnam. One was a Halong Bay cruise, and the other was trekking through Sapa. Although Halong Bay was beautiful, I wish we had more time for swimming and kayaking, because we spent more time on the cruise boat than anything.

Instead, I will elaborate more on the Sapa tour–it may well be my favorite part of Vietnam.

The area around Sapa is occupied by mostly the Hmong people, one of Vietnam’s minority groups. They took good care of us with their guidance and kindness as we trekked 12 km along the lush, emerald-green tiered rice paddies, conversing the entire way.

The traditional clothing for women and girls is made of hemp and comes in a spectrum of florescent colors. Shown here, the youngest one on the right calls herself Li, and she’s 14. She’s charming and easy-going, but sharp as a tack and misses nothing. Of all the women here, I connected with her the most.

It didn’t rain during our stay, but some parts were muddy and slippery anyway. The Hmong people have such impeccable balance, like an anchor. They made sure we were getting by safely, as some parts were a little questionable.

Getting a glimpse of rural life among the Hmong locals was fascinating. The locals use a minimal amount of electric machinery; most of the work done is manual.

For example, cutting the tea leaves involves manually cutting them with a large blade.

There’s also the weaving loom that’s used to make clothes out of hemp fiber. And every little stitch making those intricate patterns is done by hand.

There is a kind of stillness that being out in nature offers, a kind of nourishment to the soul that many people know and understand so well. I thought that Hoi An was my favorite part of Vietnam; it looks like Sapa takes the cake here. (Still much respect, Hoi An!)

My stay in Vietnam was a week longer than intended, if the reasons weren’t obvious. Tomorrow I leave for Laos. My visa has already been obtained, just in case there are any hiccups at the overland border. Stories of border officials wanting bribes for visas are rampant. Then again, they might make something up anyway. So much for getting a visa in advance.

I have been traveling for five weeks now. It seems like forever ago, when my anxieties swept over me about how the whole journey would be pulled off. And to tell you the truth, it’s not that bad at all. The journey is best taken one day at a time, while keeping in mind the bigger picture and plan. There are still some challenges. Sometimes I still get apprehensive on how to go about one place to the next, but as a friend reassured, “Don’t worry. Things have a way of working out in the end.”

Take a deep breath and enjoy the 24 hour bus ride to Laos.