sapa

we're in sapa, staying at the hotel cat cat as usual - only now it's a swish place with a swanky reception area and a lift.  the prices are the same in the comforting restaurant and we're well known to the management.  right now i'm in the reception area, where there's a lovely half-vietnamese baby playing with his mummy.  We've had so much attention today my head is spinning:  everyone likes to say hello to the baby and not just sell us stuff as usual.  earlier i had two ethnic minority women running after me in the rain, all of us carrying babies and umbrellas!  we went to the botanic gardens and enjoyed the orchids glistening after the rainfall.