Vietnam – Page 2 – Live Life Epic

December 1, 2017

Day 31: Ghost Riders In The Sky

Today we rode from Xin Man to Ha Giang. The first 100 km from Xinman to Tan Quảng on TL177/178 (heading NE from Xinman) was slow going. It took 3 hrs and 45 minutes. The first third of the ride to Hoàng Su Phi follows along the Chay River. This offers a close encounter with the rice paddies that to date had been admired from afar, across valleys and high up on mountainsides. Rice paddies step out of the river on both sides. It feels like you can reach out across the narrow river and dip your hand into the dark pools of mud as you glide along the lowest terraces. A welcome change in scenery from the mountain passes.

Riding along the Chay River we passed countless roadside waterfalls, cascading down steep slopes and draining under the road before finding their ultimate home in the muddy river. The waterfalls almost become annoying if you want to take a picture at each one – a plan we quickly abandoned as the going was slow as it was.

The road is paved but some areas are in poor condition with deep potholes and extremely muddy and slick areas from recent landslides. This combined with the unrelenting twists and turns made progress slow.

After Hoàng Su Phi the road twisted and climbed into the clouds once again. A missed turn meant being forever lost to the clouds and the unseen valley below. The road itself wasn’t foggy. The cloud seemed to start where the road ended. It was weird driving straight towards a cloud, making a sudden turn at the last moment before riding across the sky.

Unfortunately the cloud once again obscured our views. The riding was cool and wet until dropping into Tan Quảng, where the air becomes warm and humid. Lunch was Pho at a popular roadside eatery with good beef Pho. The last 45 km to Ha Giang is boring freeway, but a nice, fast shot. It took only an hour of dodging trucks and scooters.

After driving through Ha Giang, a large and unwelcoming city with uninspiring hotels, we decided to stay at the highly rated Homestay Bui Ty. Outside of town by 6 km in a quiet, rural neighbourhood this Homestay was a welcome change from scooter horns and truck rumblings. We got the entire 8 room dorm to ourselves and a wonderful dinner. At $8 per person for the room and another $6 each for a filling and delicious authentic meal, this was a score.

November 30, 2017November 30, 2017

Day 30: Curious Vietnam

Before leaving our guesthouse in Pho Rang, Nha Nghi Ha Thánh, we left a note for our dinner guests from the previous evening, An and Mai. The note asked that they email us for further English lessons.

Last night as we left our guesthouse in search of dinner, a young girl ran down the street to stop us. She introduced herself as thirteen year old An. She was wearing a Taekwondo Gi. She asked if she could practice her English with us. After a few minutes of awkward small talk (awkward for me, she handled the situation with class), a young man of fourteen, Quan, asked if he too could practice his English with us. We learned that both An and Quan’s parents were teachers at the local school. They were encouraged to practice their English with tourists. An had been in her Taekwondo class when our hotel called to let her know that two English speaking tourists had checked in. She ditched her Taekwondo class, rode her bicycle to our hotel where she ditched her bike to look for us on foot. Quan was bicycling by with his girlfriend, who was too shy to meet us. As we spoke with Quan and An, two adults hid in the darkness with beaming smiles of pride, taking pictures of us. We assumed these were An’s parents. They were. We asked if they would all like to join us for dinner. The parents declined but gave us permission to take the two children. We walked to a nearby rice house and with An’s assistance we ordered fried rice for dinner. Not long after starting our meal, a sweet young girl of 6 and also in a Taekwondo Gi joined us. This was Mai, An’s younger sister who was driven to the rice house on dad’s scooter. We enjoyed our meal with our three new young friends, talking about our hobbies, what makes Canada and Vietnam wonderful and the dreams and aspirations of our dinner guests. After a short walk after dinner, we bid farewell to our new friends.

After filling up Shawn’s rear tire with air, it had managed to deflate overnight with no obvious sign of damage, we left Pho Rang by 10:30 am. We were headed to Xin Man. If anyone has cared to plot our path, you will note there are several more direct routes to travel east to west. We are zigzagging North – South – North, avoiding highways and primary roads, in search of the road less traveled.

The first part of the drive out of Pho Rang was glorious. We rode alongside a muddy river that snaked across the valley floor, passing palm trees and thatched roof houses. Corn dried in the sun. Back in the relative South (still far North of Hanoi) it was hot and tropical. As we rode we could see the mountains looming in the North. Cloud covered mountaintops beckoned us.

We began to climb.

As a sign welcomed us to Ha Giang province the road suddenly changed from smooth asphalt to rocky, pothole covered track. What a welcome indeed! We rode the bumpy, narrow dirt track along a ridge line that offered incredible views into the valley below. It wasn’t long before the crazy, bumpy ride descended into the town of Yen Binh. It took an hour and fifteen minutes to travel the 42 km to Yen Binh.

From Yen Bing we turned left at the sign for Na Tri. This would take us another 62 km North to Xin Man. The road was in slightly better shape, having been paved at some point, but the road itself was far more treacherous. Only wide enough for a single vehicle, never ending blind corners and many sections of road long gone from the mountainside crumbling into the valley. We climbed to incredible heights through “first gear hairpins”, cringing through every corner in fear of an oncoming vehicle. If there were views, and I’m certain there were, I was oblivious to them.

After cresting a hill with magnificent lake views below us, we made our way back down. At the base was a small village, Na Chi. I pulled over to catch my breath. Shawn pulled up in front of me. “Umm, your tire is looking kinda low.”

Shawn’s rear tire was looking more than a little low. Luckily in Vietnam you are never far from a motorcycle mechanic. When a country runs on scooters, over 30 million of them, you are never far from someone who makes a living fixing them. Sure enough after showing Shawn’s tire to a few people we were directed to the local bike mechanic. Within minutes we were surrounded by curious young boys. At least a dozen stood in silence watching us, with a dozen more watching from the slope across the street. For the entire 45 minutes it took to remove the wheel, swap tubes and replace the wheel, we were watched. If we looked at the children above us, they would run away laughing. Those near us just stared. The only laugh I could get from them was when I re-enacted the nail going into the tire, exploding air into the sky. Otherwise they just watched, and as they got more comfortable- moved closer to me. I imagine the presence of a Caucasian man is rare, but not completely unheard of. A blue eyed, blond haired woman seemed to completely overwhelm these young boys who live totally off the typical tourist track.

The young boys weren’t the only ones who were curious. Watching village life always intrigues me. The goat being half dragged, half running behind a scooter. A man carrying four young boys, the oldest no more than 5, on his scooter. The scooter supply chain – people delivering mind boggling loads by scooter. Huge bags of rice, 6 car tires, propane tanks, livestock, 8 foot bamboo beams, stacks of bricks. You name it, there is a scooter delivering it. No matter how remote the customer, or how life threatening the road conditions, it will get delivered. By scooter.

After paying 50,000 dong ($3) for the tube change and another 25,000 Đông as a tip, we were on our way. It was 1:30 pm and we were hungry. We stopped at a clearing in the shade to enjoy our picnic lunch. Buns with canned tuna, mandarin oranges and chocolate filled cookies. As we ate our lunch on the roadside, people would roll by on their scooters. First seeing the “real” motorcycles, they would turn their heads and strain to see who was driving them. Sitting in the grass, hidden by the bikes, they had to turn their entire bodies to get a glimpse. This would distract the driver. This would distract the driver as they headed into a blind corner. I was certain we were going to be the cause of a head on collision.

Back on the road we continued our journey. After more cringe worthy curves with steep drops best ignored, we came upon the 500 year old tree and Thac Tien waterfall. The waterfall was deserted and we enjoyed the moment of respite before continuing on our harrowing journey into Xin Man.

As we got closer to Xin Man the curiosity of the Vietnamese grew once again. I could hear “Hello!” being yelled out of the forest, without ever seeing the person yelling it. As oncoming scooters drove past Shawn, their drivers would whip their bodies around to see who was driving. This would invariably cause them to swerve directly into my path.

We arrived in Xin Man at 4:15 pm. It took almost 6 hours (including pit stops and a tire swap) to travel 105 km.

We checked into the Xinman Hotel and enjoyed street food for dinner. BBQ pork belly, coal roasted sweet potato and steamed buns filled with corn. Washed down with a Halida beer and Choco Pies.

November 29, 2017

Day 29: Why you should f@cking love rice!

Not much to say about today’s ride. The pictures tell the story. Rode from Muong Khuong to Pho Rang, a total distance of 150 km. Took all day (6 hrs including a stop for Pho and a 10 km detour) mostly because we couldn’t drive more than 5 minutes without stopping to admire the incredible views.

Is Northern Vietnam worthy of the title Epic? After riding from Sa Pa to Muong Khuong to Pho Rang it would be hard to find another word more fitting. The paved roads are constantly twisting up and down through incredible and ever changing mind blowing scenery. The obstacles along the way offer amusement, horror and incredulity. A scooter accident, children screaming and waving in delight, ever present wildlife on the roads, evidence of rock slides and the daily life of the kind and curious people who call the mountains of Northern Vietnam their home.

So why does Northern Vietnam offer such incredible two wheel fun? Rice.

High in the mountains villages dot the landscape. The homes of the rice farmers who turn the mountain side into massive stairs of rice paddies. For trucks to supply these villages and access this important crop, paved roads wind their up to the highest mountain tops. From these paved roads, dirt roads snake down into the valleys to provide access to other crops – corn and a myriad of vegetables and fruit. You could spend a week just exploring the incredible roads around Muong Khuong, and in hindsight this is what we would have done. It’s reminiscent of the incredible back roads of Western Canada, often built by the logging industry to access timber.

Thank you rice.

November 29, 2017

Day 28: This Untraveled Road

Woke up to a beautiful blue sky day. Our first blue sky in Vietnam. It was going to be an awesome day.

First things first. Check out Mount Fansipan. We rode the couple of km’s to the base of Mount Fansipan to admire the long ridge line that is IndoChina’s highest mountain. Covered in lush, green jungle to its tip, it was nothing like the jagged rock of the Canadian Rockies. The valley bellow looked pristine. You couldn’t pick a better day for the next portion of our ride.

Today’s ride would take us North to Lao Cai, a border city with China about 38 km / 1 hour ride away. From here we would ride QL4D even further North to Muong Khương, a French outpost in 1949 and a non existent stop for tourists, hard to find on any map unless you know of its existence.

The ride out of Sa Pa and down into the valley below was wonderful. Ever winding, paved road with views across the valley to the waterfalls and rice paddies that climbed down the mountain face as if as one. At the bottom of the valley, the city of Lao Cai which borders China. A visit to the border gate to peer across into China was a somber reminder of our time in China. Decrepit, half built cement apartment buildings and lifeless streets. A stark contrast to the modern, colourful and lively city of Lao Cai, only a few hundred feet away, and across a narrow river.

Lunch was at Nhan Phuc Vu Khach Doan, chosen for its proximity to our turn towards Muong Khương and for its parking on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant. Shawn had beef Pho. I had a platter of whatever they were cooking up – potato, tofu, spinach, roasted peanuts, broth, rice and pork. Meant to be a meal for two, I devoured it all. It was delicious. Likely the best road side restaurant we’ve hit.

After lunch it was on to Muong Khương. Having little to no information on this town, we weren’t entirely sure what was in store for us.

What was in store was the best day of riding we’ve had in Vietnam and some of the most incredible views we’ve had in our life. Riding along a ridge line at 1,000 meters, past pineapple plantations and waterfalls, the scenery was outstanding. Unlike Fansipan, a single, long ridge line, the mountains surrounding Muong Khuong resemble the humps of a camel.

Arriving in Muong Khuong at 2:00 pm there was only one thing to do. Drop off our bags at the first half decent looking Nha Nghi (guesthouse), and keep riding.

After selecting Nha Nghi 386 for its parking (yes, parking Groot and Rambo indoors comes before a bathroom that has been cleaned this century), off we went. We found a road that seemed to head towards China, on the opposite side of the valley we rode in on. The views were even more incredible, winding up and down over mountain tops, through never ending banana plantations. It wasn’t long before the sun was setting and we turned back. As we drove back through the villages of banana farmers, people yelled “Hello” and waved. In one such village, a group of a dozen or so teenaged boys watched as we approached. They were on our left. As Shawn drove past, three massive, male water buffalo came charging down an 8 foot slope from the right, and onto the road in front of me. In the instant I saw them crash onto the road, they turned on me and came racing forwards. I slammed on the breaks, with three very large, horned beasts crashing past me. As I stood on the road wondering what just happened, I saw the stunned look on the faces of the teenagers. I gave them my best “Xin Chao” to much laughter in return. I caught up to Shawn who had watched with dread in his rear view mirror. He had seen the massive animals charging down the slope out of his peripheral vision, and had cringed as they thundered onto the road. “I thought we were having buffalo for dinner?” he grinned with relief. “I thought the buffalo were having Christine for dinner”.

With the sun setting and the weather quickly cooling off, it was dinner time.

We found a bakery close to our Guesthouse, Mai Danh Bakery. In a small, glass box filled with condensation, we thought we could see steamed buns. Sure enough a young girl came over, popped the door open, and grabbed a large, fluffy bun. With a smile she said “hello” and scurried away. We ordered one. A light, sweet bun, filled with minced pork, noodles and quail eggs. Incredible. Sweet and savoury, light yet satisfying. We ordered two more. At 10,000 dong each, our cheapest dinner to date.

After dinner it was time for a walk. Shawn wanted some sandals to wear in hotel rooms to protect his feet from the filth of never washed bathroom floors. He had another motive to buy cheap sandals. My dad started a family competition a few years ago to find the cheapest sandals you could. Pretty sure Shawn is the winner with his 30,000 dong sandals.

November 27, 2017

Day 27: Fansipan and Tram Ton Pass

The day started with pockets of sunshine so we decided to give Tram Ton Pass another go. It wasn’t long before thick cloud enveloped us, offering no chance to see anything other than the odd headlight of an oncoming scooter. Cold, damp and dejected, we turned back towards Sa Pa and decided to hit Silver Waterfall. Named because the water reflects silver from a distance. The waterfall was nice, and the market at the base offered traditional lunch options. We enjoyed traditional Sa Pa BBQ, including coal roasted sweet potato, bamboo rice and pork skewers. The cost? $3.80 for the two of us.

After lunch we took the cable car to the top of Mount Fansipan. At 6,292 meters long and 1410 meters high, this cable car ride is truly spectacular. First crossing the Muong Hoa Valley before rising above the Hoàng Liên Son Mountain range, on a clear day you are offered majestic views of the valley before a thrilling ride, scraping along the mountainside. Although Mount Fansipan itself was hidden in cloud, we enjoyed stunning views of the valley far below us.

Once at the base of Fansipan again the valley had cleared up considerably. Tram Ton Pass looked like it might be worth another go…

Sure enough we had incredible views of the valley as we rode back towards the pass. We made it all the way to the viewpoint, about 14 km from Sa Pa, before we were once again lost to the cloud. It was well worth the trip as we finally had the pleasure of snaking our way down from the highest mountain pass in Vietnam with clear views and dry pavement. Fun!!

Having finally accomplished what we came to Sa Pa to enjoy, we decided to make this our last night in Sa Pa before continuing on our motorcycle adventure. This meant dinner had to include more of the Sa Pa dishes that can only be found here. Hanged Armpit pork in particular was something we hadn’t yet enjoyed. Armpit pigs are small pigs that roam freely in the valley around Sa Pa. After catching one, you must hold it tightly under your armpits to carry it to the local market to sell. The entire pig is cooked over an open fire until the skin is crispy and the meat is juicy. Served with a delicious dipping sauce, it is definitely a treat to enjoy at least once in Sa Pa. We chose Nha Hang Co Lich, a few doors down from Sa Pa Sisters. Always busy with locals and always friendly when we walk past. It didn’t disappoint. Taro cakes, sweet corn cakes, oyster mushrooms, armpit pork, zucchini, spinach, pork skewers and bamboo sticky rice with peanuts. Topped off with a Hanoi beer, delightful!

November 26, 2017November 27, 2017

Day 26: Sa Pa Sisters

Today the rain let up, and we decided to head out on a trekking tour of the local villages to see how the various different ethnic groups have maintained their way of life, weaving beautiful textiles and wearing the traditional clothes and colours of their heritage.

We had decided to join a group tour from our hotel. This quickly proved to be a terrible mistake. A group of 14 people, we spent the first hour just walking from hotel to hotel to pick up the group. Alex, a nice Italian man staying at our hotel, and I were not impressed. When we got close to the Sa Pa Sisters office that we had scouted out the day before when searching for trekking tours, we ditched the group and made a break for Sa Pa Sisters.

Sa Pa Sisters is a popular trekking company that is owned by local women. They only employ local women as guides, and so you are guaranteed a truly local experience while also helping support the women of the surrounding villages. They were able to find the three of us, (Shawn, Alex and I), a guide on short notice and off we went. A late start, but we knew we would make up this time with a quicker group.

Sure enough within two hours we had caught up with and passed all the other tours on our route, including the group we ditched. We were also able to choose the type of route we wanted. Easy (paved road), medium (muddy, steep dirt track), or the buffalo trail. We chose medium and it was perfect. The trail was slippery and treacherous at times, but the trek was interesting, not crowded and we learned a lot on the way. Pie, our guide, was from the Black H’Mong group. She wore the traditional black leg wraps with green ties. Her rainbow coloured skirt was from the Flower H’Mong group. Our “follower”, Sue, was also Black H’Mong but she wore the traditional black with green embroidery on the collar.

The Followers. Along the trekking routes local women will tag along with each tour group. They may ask a few questions, “where are you from? what is your name?”, but mostly keep a small distance between the group. At lunch, it’s their work time. Opening the bamboo baskets they carry on their backs, they each present one person from the group with their wares. Purses, pillow cases, table runners and fabrics are presented. Each person is expected to buy one article from their follower. I liked Sue, my follower. She held my hand on steep slopes, was young and wasn’t as pushy as the other women. So we bought a wall hanging from her. Shawn’s follower was not happy. She felt she also deserved our business. Shawn was polite and declined many, many times before lunch was served and they took off in search of an afternoon trekking party to join.

Lunch was in the home of a Black H’Mong family. A little boy slept in his bed while his mother cooked us ginger pork, chayote, spinach and soup over open charcoals set into the floor of the home. The two daughters were at school. A dog roamed around but never begged. It was wonderful to be invited into the home of a local family for lunch.

After lunch we continued our trek to Ta Phin village, the home of the Red Dao and H’Mong. Here we walked across a wooden bridge that resembled a ships plank. One misstep and you were in for quite a plunge into the river. For some reason Shawn and I were the only two tourists to try it.

After this a bus took us the 12 km back to Sapa where we had started our trek 5.5 hrs earlier.

All in all a wonderful day. We finally got to enjoy the views that has made Sa Pa a popular tourist destination for trekkers and motorcyclists.

Dinner at The Hill Station. A Frenchman owned restaurant that features the best in local Sapa fares, including customary dishes from the local groups. Water buffalo, rainbow trout, banana leaf salad and a rice wine tasting. Plum, green chilli, pineapple and honey / cinnamon rice wine. Delicious! I mean really really good. Then off to Le Petite Gecko for dessert and wifi.

Footnote: Last night was Saturday night. There was a dance in the main square. We thought nothing of it. Today we learned that every Saturday night there is a dance in preparation for Sunday’s Love Market, where children come from the surrounding villages to meet one another and express their affection in hopes of finding their future spouse. The origins of speed dating!

We also learned the origins of the popular pain relief therapy of cupping. While walking we came upon a young girl with a horrid, purple bruise dead centre of her forehead. Pie explained that for pain relief, the local people will use heated water buffalo horns. They make a small fire in a water buffalo horn and then place the warmed horn on the affected area. In our young girls case, she had a headache. They placed the horn on her forehead and “sucked” the pain out of her.

November 26, 2017November 26, 2017

Day 25: Tram Ton Pass and Sa Pa

We decided to make a run for Sa Pa today. The steady rain had turned to drizzle and we had had enough of Lai Chau.

By 11:15 am we had on every layer of clothing we could manage, as well as plastic shopping bags over our feet and hands – a trick the locals taught us. A lovely woman at the Hotel helped me suit up and patiently watched as we loaded up our bikes so that she could bid us farewell on our journey. She did so while freezing in the rain, but with an ever constant smile.

The ride out of Lai Chau, cold, miserable and cloudy as it was, was beautiful. We rode through a lush, green valley, then began to slowly climb up from the valley floor. As we rose, we rode alongside a never ending waterfall that stepped down from the mountain like the terraced rice paddies around it.

We continued to climb until we were enshrouded by cloud and cold rain. We had the odd and very brief clearing which allowed us to almost see the valley deep below us, but these glimpses were fleeting and only served to remind us that a miscalculation through a corner could be disastrous.

Safely in Sapa by 1:30 pm (68 km ride from Lai Chau), we ventured out for Bun Cha at Bun Cha 432. The Bun Cha was good and the owner was conscious of cleanliness. After lunch we walked around Sapa. We checked out the local market (featuring dog meat and a kidney cleanse that included a dried lizard), enjoyed H’Mong tea and in general enjoyed the charm of Sa Pa. Sa Pa is touristy, but with a glitz and character we appreciated. The buildings are French colonial style, the streets are lively and grime filled and the sidewalk vendors offer street meat BBQ’d over open flame. The streets are abuzz with the excitement of a new tourist season. It’s nothing like the empty, soulless, cement city of Lai Chau. With its neon lights and cafes enveloped in fog, Sa Pa felt like a winter wonderland.

Back at Charming Hotel, things were less charming. Although the hosts are very friendly, the room is cold. It’s 7 degrees outside, and the odd, sun shaped electric heater lacks the oomph to ward off the winter cold.

No rain in the forecast for tomorrow, so likely a day of trekking to the local villages.

November 24, 2017November 24, 2017

Day 24: Hammer Time

We got used to waking up to roosters and the morning news being bellowed through loudspeakers. Today was new. Jackhammers pounding away at the gash in the brick exterior of the building, 50 feet away from our room. Ugh. Not a good morning, Vietnam.

The downpour continued. An unrelenting stream of water from the clouds we enjoyed riding through only a couple of days ago.

With nothing better to do, and still feeling sick, we took the opportunity to catch up on emails, watch a movie (we found an English movie channel) and relax. By 1:00 pm we were hungry. The hotel breakfast left much to be desired, especially for a high end hotel. We put on our rain gear, borrowed some hotel umbrellas and headed out into the onslaught of water.

Within 5 minutes our Goretex shoes were soaked through. In another 5 minutes we were too.

Walking along a deserted street something familiar caught my eye. A Christmas tree! It was the first sign of Christmas we have seen. I was about to smile when movement and howling distracted me. Next to the tree was a howling Shepard like dog in a cage. It reminded me of the two monkeys in a tiny cage we saw in Muong Khua. They seemed to be going crazy, fighting each other restlessly in their boredom. I hoped this dogs fate was better.

It wasn’t long before we came upon Thành Nam French Bakery. It looked inviting enough and dry. We were the only ones in the bakery, but after a few minutes a young man popped out of the back with menus and an inviting smile. The menu lacked English and no pictures. After several frustrating minutes of Google translate letting us down, we ordered what we thought would be sweet potato dumplings and beef curry. Sure enough that’s what we got. It wasn’t quite as we expected, but our translation had been accurate. The beef curry was a grisly steak, smothered in a pepper sauce, served with fries, a dressing laden green salad and egg. A welcome change from pho.

After lunch the rain let up and we went for a walk to check out the modern city of Lai Chau. As we walked along the lake the women tending to the gardens along the sidewalk stopped and watched us. We did what any Canadian would do. We waved and yelled “Xin Chao” (hello). We got our typical response. Roaring laughter followed by excited chatter and waves in return. We still aren’t sure if the laughter is from our horrid accents or shy embarrassment on their part. Either way, it makes us chuckle every time.

Our next adventure was a supermarket. We had been searching for a supermarket for weeks so that we could resupply our emergency food stash. We had brought numerous protein bars and energy bars with us from Canada, but these were long eaten. We had also been missing Western food – yoghurt, cheese and chocolate. We finally found what we had been craving for weeks. Chocolate bars, chocolate sandwich cookies, mango candy, “The Laughing Cow” cheese and some sort of dessert cheese, as well as cans of tuna in oil and “tasty tasty”, yoghurt and vitamin enriched milk. Score!

A further score was dinner. Dreamy Bakery for veggie pizza. Really good pizza! The crust was doughy, the cheese was gooey and the oregano sprinkled on top gave it a nice authentic flavour.

Off to Sapa tomorrow. We’ve had our fill of sitting around. Hopefully the weather cooperates and we get some decent views.

November 23, 2017November 23, 2017

Day 23: Rain. Decision time.

After raining most of the night in Sin Ho, we woke up to thick fog and alternating drizzle and downpour. We waited to see what would happen. By 10:00 am it was a light drizzle and we decided to head out. Waiting it out could take days, which would mean the roads would just get worse and the chance of a landslide would increase. Groot seemed grumpy about the decision and didn’t want to start. After some sweet talk he was ready, and so were we. On the road for 10:30 am, headed to Lai Chau on DT128. Given the fog and rain, we failed to see any of the stunning landscape we had come for. The first 15-20 km was treacherous riding. Poor visibility, a strong side wind driving the rain into us, horrid roads and slick as ice mud. Luckily the last 40 km of the ride was brand new and paved. Waterfalls created by the now pouring rain gushed along the road, and we were happy the new road allowed these to drain somewhere other than directly onto the road. Disappointed at missing the scenery, soaked to the bone despite our rain gear and freezing cold we decided to stop in Lai Chau for the night to consider our options. We arrived at 12:15 pm – not bad at all given the conditions.

The Decision:

The road from Lai Chau to Sapa, the next leg of our trip, would take us through Tram Tom Pass aka Heaven’s Gate, the highest mountain road in Vietnam (1,900m). The pass should provide incredible views of Mount Fansipan, Indochina’s highest peak at 3,143m. It will also be cold on the best of days, near 0 degrees given the current cold snap. This could mean the rain will turn to snow and ice. It seems ridiculous to continue on in such dangerous conditions if we aren’t going to be rewarded with the views we came for.

So, decision time. Do we hunker down in Lai Chau and wait it out – or abandon the Sapa leg of our trip altogether? If we abandon Sapa, where do we go instead?

To make such a decision, creature comforts were in order. Having not splurged on accommodation to date, we decided it was the time and place to spend a little more than the $10 – $20 per night we have been paying to date. After a freezing night in Sin Ho we had two main criteria. The room had to have heat and hot water. We splurged on the Muong Thánh Hotel. At 830,000 dong / $50 CAD, this was expensive. We slightly made up for this expense by having our leftover Taro and Chocolate buns from breakfast this morning for our lunch. The Hotel also brought us a huge plate of fresh watermelon and the ladies at the front desk took pity on me as I stood shaking and dripping in the lobby, and gave me a lovely cup of hot tea.

The Hotel itself is being renovated. In Canada, this would mean that there might be some distant noise, maybe a few areas or floors that are closed off. Here? There are gaping holes in the exterior of the building- on our floor no less. These have no safety barriers whatsoever. It seems as though the entire hotel is under construction, except our one room. We appear to be the only guests, there is construction right outside our door and the hotel is freezing as it has no exterior walls or windows in many places. I’m sure in its day, this hotel was spectacular with beautiful gardens, a moat and inviting, if tacky, flashing neon lights. Today it’s nothing more than piles of construction material and garbage, an abandoned security station and a bare, sawdust strewn lobby. Way to splurge!

To shake off the cold we enjoyed a good workout listening to our favourite hard rock songs. Followed by a steaming hot shower, we felt human again.

Checking the forecast it appeared this cold, wet front was hitting much of Northern Lao and Vietnam. It is supposed to remain for another 3-5 days.

I wonder what there is to do in Lai Chau? Not much from the look if it. Another cave. At least there are Western food options here, including a decent bakery. What I would give for my mom’s incredible lasagne or pot roast. A decent plate of spaghetti would definitely do.

Off to Dreamy Bakery for spaghetti bolognese (more like spaghetti with french fries and cheap steak). No beer or wine on the menu, but they have dessert! We haven’t had anything close to dessert since the carrot cake and banana bread we bought at Many Coffees back in Sam Neua. Dessert in Lao was sticky rice, pancakes or fruit. There hasn’t even been ice cream!

While walking back to our hotel after dinner, we came upon an incredibly sad sight. A beautiful pony, tied to the exterior of a house. We are no longer in the small mountain villages where animals roamed freely, but are in a modern, cement city with no parks or green spaces. Why this poor, sad creature is here I have no idea. When I try to approach it, I see sheer terror in its eyes. It has obvious wounds to its legs and flanks. The tether it’s tied to is so short, it can barely move its head. The people inside the house see me, and fail to recognize my horror. They wave excitedly and yell “hello, hello” in their sing song way. I sadly move away from the house, for once not returning the cheerful greetings.

Back at the hotel, it’s time for a decision. There is no point in going anywhere tomorrow. Rain and cold in the forecast for the entire day. We will wait it out here in Lai Chau another day and see what happens. If anything we might move to a hotel that is, well…”open”!

November 22, 2017November 22, 2017

Day 22: The Sky is a Neighbourhood

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.