Breakfast at our hotel, Hồng Ki Boutique Hotel. Despite the staff that looked like they would rather be doing anything besides serve us, it landed up being the best breakfast we’ve had. Eggs scrambled with vegetables and fresh herbs, smothered in cheese and tomato sauce and served with Vietnamese style baguette. Vietnamese style baguettes are made with both wheat flour and rice flour, giving them a lighter, airier texture and a crispy outside. The black coffee was sweet and bitter, Vietnamese style. A perfect start to a day that was supposed to be nothing short of epic.
After spending a ridiculous amount of time looking for a working ATM we gave up and hit the road for 9:30 am.
The first 95 km of road exceeded our expectations. The first 70 km of road was in excellent shape, and the last 25 km only had patches of rough road. Again thankful for the dirt bikes, we hammered through these sections with grins of delight. This was nothing like the horror stories we had been told and mentally prepared for.
The road was again beautiful, but completely different from Laos. Terraced rice paddies covering the hills and villages inhabited by women with buns of hair high on their heads (Black Thái or more correctly Tay tribe we think), and women wearing brightly coloured skirts, striking oranges and bright pinks against jet black with black and pink leg wraps (likely H’Mong). Absolutely gorgeous. We stopped at a market where all the vendors were women from the various groups of ethnic minorities that call Northern Vietnam home. The Dao, H’Mong, Tay and Giay tribes all make up some of the over 50 distinct groups. Bought some pineapple, yum, and watched as the women sewed beautiful patterns of pink into wonderful textiles they will no doubt sell at the next Sunday market in Sin Ho.
Lunch was in Muong Lay (95 km from Dien Biên Phu, arrived at noon) at a restaurant on the highway. The rice and vegetables were plain and the chicken, although flavourful, was inedible. It was bone, skin and cartilage with no meat. Oh well, can’t win them all.
Back on the road for 1:10 pm for the final 62 km ride to Sin Ho.
There is a reason road DT128 has a reputation for being one of the best motorcycle roads in SE Asia. 62 km of winding and climbing into the clouds that hang over the mountains of North Vietnam. Incredible views of the steep mountainside of terraced rice paddies that look like a giants stairway from heaven itself. As we continued to wind and climb, higher and higher towards the sky, the scenery quickly turned to thick and soupy fog, ruining our views but offering an interesting ride. Villagers would appear out of the thick fog like apparitions, the odd child still waving at what could only be a dim outline of a large, motorized vehicle barreling out of the cloud. The last 20 km was slow going and cold. We were happy to make it to Sin Ho by 3:15 pm. Shortly after we arrived the fog turned to light rain. By 6:00 pm it was pouring. This could make tomorrow’s ride challenging, as landslides that completely cover the road is common following a heavy rain storm.
So why the blog title? I love music! Right now I’m really missing hanging out on the deck enjoying a bottle of wine, selection of cheeses and a big fruit plate, all while listening to music. Today I was humming one of my favourite tunes. Highwayman (Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson). A song I loved in my childhood and continue to love today, a song played by my parents on road trips. I’m homesick.
Once the fog hit as we climbed into the clouds, I thought of the song “The Sky Is A Neighbourhood” by Foo Fighters. If that doesn’t describe the mountaintops of Northern Vietnam, I don’t know what does. Villages literally in the sky, surrounded by and above the cloud. Neighbourhoods of villages, pigs, buffalo, dogs, chickens and the ever smiling children, harmonious in the clouds they call home. It was an amazing privilege to be a part of this days story for these mountaintops.
After our fill of soup and mystery meat, we opted for a picnic in our hotel room for dinner. The Phuc Tho Hotel is basic and marginally clean, but the host family are kind and welcoming, offering us umbrellas as we ventured out to tour the local market. We bought buns, canned fish with “tasty tasty” (Lao code word for MSG) and finished our pineapple. Try as we might, we just can’t find jam. Both craving a PB&J sandwich, the fish sandwiches were the best we could do.
Off to bed, hoping the unwavering, hammering rain lets up soon.
Live Life Epic 