A Birthday Celebration @ Baguette & Chocolat Cafe in Sapa, Vietnam

Continuation from Day 2 - Trekking to Cat Cat Village ....

The town square amidst Sapa town .... I'm seeing Stars ....

The updates may come slower than usual, as I'm still nursing a sore throat after so long. Since before Hanoi, to be exact. Probably the cold, dry air in Hanoi and Sapa, plus the extraordinarily dusty town of Lao Cai and Hanoi, resulted in worsening of my respiratory tract. Good to know that I'm not the only one feeling under the weather post-Hanoi trip. Hahahah .... ;)

The old church in Sapa town

After the trek, the nap, and the early dinner, we decided to explore Sapa town for a bit, as the weather's cool, but not freezing cold. A stroll around the town revealed such diversity in cultures, peppered with commercialization here and there, street food lining up the roadside beckoning you over with the enticing aroma, and a serene surrounding in general. It felt like Cameron Highlands at times.

Sights around the town .... as usual, I'm snapping while not giving in to temptations

Classic carving ya? It's embedded onto a monument in the middle of the town



Seriously, walking around town for miles net you NOT even a bead of sweat ....


Felt as though it's spring, though it was just past winter .....


Roasting suckling pig by the roadside .... Looks tempting, yet the hygiene factor put us off .... To imagine vehicles zooming by every few seconds, adding extra zest to the meat!



A tranquil scene at the lake in Sapa ..... we spent a good half hour or more camwhoring here!



Business must be booming. Wondering whether the economic turmoil affects the people here? Or maybe there's the 'stimulus package' in the forms of tourism from all over?


A cheery lady selling yummy stuff by the sidewalk

I'm being nice, and recapped as short as possible for this post. It's a 3 days holidays after all, and dun feel like burdening your souls with my endless ramblings. =P

A short note here : There are a lot of roadside makeshift stalls selling street food to warm the tummy, from a variety of grilled meat on sticks, to roasted suckling pig and DOG's MEAT !!! (It's called Thit Cho, if you're wondering, hence avoid like the plague!), as well as sweet potatoes on grill.

I swear it was smoky when consuming! Lovely snack to have amidst the cool weather .....

The grilled sweet potato was priced at 5000 Dong/RM1/USD0.30 if I'm not mistaken. It was smoking hot when served fresh from the grill, so be careful. Though the temperature quickly dropped due to the overall cooling weather.

You've gotta choose your preferred stall. As the whole sidewalk was lined by similar stalls, selling EXACTLY the same food. Talk about united.

Rolled beef with herbs/vege ... Pre-grilled

Baguette & Chocolat @ Sapa .... a quaint little cafe-cum-bakery in a French style bungalow setting.

For supper, (you can't skip supper, as dinner was served at about 5pm!) we proceeded to Baguette & Chocolat, a cafe-cum-bakery located at a corner of the street, within walking distance from our hotel.

A tantalizing variety of cakes/muffins/puddings are available for your viewing and choosing pleasure at the glass display counter ... POINT AWAY!

Baguette & Chocolat is not your average bakery, mind you. All the food and drinks are prepared by students trained by Hoa Sua school, a non-profit organization established in 1994 by retired Vietnamese teacher. After their training ends, the school helps the students to find jobs in different hotels and restaurants all over Vietnam.

The more the reason to binge without guilt.

Carrot Cake (20,000 Dong/RM4/USD1.20)

The carrot cake was nothing spectacular, but a slice at only RM4, it was reasonably divine. Hahahaha ..... It was not too sweet either, and rather fluffy.

Crepe Suzette Flambees (30,000 Dong/RM6/USD1.70)

The crepe suzette was far from flaming, and not served/flamed on site, or on a pan. Ahem .... tasted like normal pancake drizzled with orange sauce, without liquor. Redemption point? The homemade pancake batter was passable, soft and not bland.

Eclat Orange (24,000 Dong/RM4.80/USD1.40)

The chocolate eclair with coconut shavings on top, was filled with orange centre, a tad sweet, but was a perfect complement to the beverages we had. What did I guzzle?

Vietnamese Drip Coffee (22,000 Dong/RM4.40/USD1.30)

Ca Phe Viet Nam ... aka the incomparable Vietnamese Drip Coffee. Served in a stainless steel strainer atop a dainty porcelain cup, the coffee IS strong. Definitely not a cuppa to have before a good night's sleep if you're not a caffeine junkie. But after repeated doses of 'poisons' over the years, I'm sorta immune to the caffeine onslaught. Have it with or without milk. Equally potent, equally satisfying.

A toast to the B'day Gal, Min !!!!

Other desserts and beverages we had : Spring Apple (Apple Crumble) @ 16000 Dong/RM4/USD0.90), Creme Brulee a la Vanille (Vanilla-flavoured creme Brulee - EXCELLENT!) @ 26,000 Dong/RM5.20/USD1.50), Hot Chocolate @ 36,000 Dong/RM7.20/USD2, and Mocha Coffee @ 32,000 Dong/RM6.40/USD1.80.

An excellent place to hangout, as you can choose to sit on the outside, soaking in the sun (opens day and night) and having the cool breeze stroking against your cheeks. Or a hot cuppa coffee/chocolate at night, beside the fireplace (yup, there IS one) while reading your favourite book. The icing on the cake? You're doing charity to the organization, and your tummy. =)

Location : Baguette & Chocolat Sapa @ Thac Bac Street, Sapa, Vietnam.

Next Post? MORE trekking, to not one, not two, but THREE villages (!) spanning 12 km (!!!) and the homecooked meal at the village ... plus the journey back to Hanoi)