Might try the Kunming Skin Disease Hospital (name? not far before Erhuan, on the left on Renminxilu), I think they may do this kind of thing.

Note that meeting tonight at The Park will proceed as scheduled, despite the lack of entry on the calendar, as no posting possible there at this late date. Next meeting's book, place and time will be chosen by attendees at this one.

To be honest, I agree that SaPa is not what it once was, but the views are still quite nice and you can still hike around, preferably on your own. Yeah - too many tourists, too much construction for them. However, if you have to do a border run for a visa, going to Hekou is the cheapest and simplest, and if you're going to bother to go all that way you might as well hang out for a few days, and SaPa is there. Note that there are many fewer tourists during the week than on weekends - most tourists, at least on weekends, are Vietnamese, mostly from, I'd guess, Hanoi.

One good reason to cross the border at Hekou is to go to SaPa, in mountains about an hour from the border by public bus, costs approx. 30,000 dong, or US$1.30. Overnight train to Hekou around 7 hours, arrives 6AM, costs around 100rmb for hard sleeper. Cheaper than a taxi to the Kunming airport.

@Napoleon: I doubt that has anything to do with the visa situation in Viet Nam these days. I would perhaps have thought it did before I first went to Hanoi about 10 years ago, but found absolutely no indication of any open resentment of US individuals. Surprised me - Americans seem as welcome as anybody else. Have been 2 more times, total of 2&1/2 months altogether. In my experienced, resentment over the horrors of war, including invasions, generally lasts longer in countries that have been defeated.