Ha Giang loop pt. 3

Leaving the house, I didn't realize the impact the scorching sun would have on my skin. After four endless hours of riding, I could feel my arms turning red, and my neck was tingling with the onset of a sunburn. Regrettably, I didn't pack any sunscreen or long-sleeved shirts and had no choice but to muscle through it. Despite the discomfort, we rode on for another hour, and the villages we passed through were truly remarkable. One thing that stood out was the immense pride displayed in these towns. Almost every house had a Vietnam flag waving out front, and the streets would have thousands of small red and gold Vietnam flags hanging over the roads, creating a beautiful tapestry of colors that was truly awe-inspiring.

We continued the rest of day one with three more stops. One of them was a roadside market with beautiful views of the valley. We stopped to take in the scenery and snap some photos. The fresh mountain air was refreshing, and the peaceful atmosphere was welcome. We browsed through the market's colorful array of goods and enjoyed a moment of tranquility amidst our ride.

Our next stop on the trip was a historic fortress in northern Vietnam. The fort was initially built to defend against French invaders, and Vàng shared exciting insights about its history. Surprisingly, the fortress has only recently been opened up to tourists by the family of the man who built it. They aim to generate funds to renovate the fortress and preserve its historical significance. As we explored the fortress, we saw pictures of the man and his wives. Vàng filled us in on a fascinating cultural practice of the time - it was customary for men not to take photos with wives who had not borne them a son. As a result, there were no pictures of the man's second wife in the fortress. Although all the signs were in Vietnamese without English translations, Vàng's detailed explanations made the experience all the more engaging and unforgettable.

Vàng told us stories of the family that lived in the fortress we had just visited. One intriguing bit of information Vàng shared was that the family would hang differently colored papers above their doors to ward off evil spirits. As we were about to leave, a group of kids playing hacky sack caught our attention, and a few of the guys in our group joined in. The sun was beginning to set, and we had covered a significant distance on our first day. We all felt a bit exhausted but excited about what was yet to come. Our second to last stop before reaching our homestay for the night was a brief break on the side of the road. Here, we bonded with our tour guides, who even posed for pictures with us. This was a perfect opportunity to unwind and connect with the people who would be our companions for the next few days.

Before arriving at the homestay, we made a quick and final stop at a gas station at the edge of a small town. The station was quiet and peaceful, a far cry from the hectic pace of the city. We used the opportunity to refuel and stretch our legs before continuing our journey. Finally, we arrived at the homestay, where the owner greeted us warmly and politely requested that we remove our shoes before entering the home. As we made our way up to our bedroom, we were delighted to find that it was furnished with nothing but comfortable mattresses draped with delicate mosquito nets and surrounded by refreshing open air. This unique and charming experience allowed us to connect with nature and immerse ourselves in the local culture.

After settling into our beds, we took turns showering before heading downstairs for dinner. The meal was a mouth-watering spread of stir-fried beef, chicken, and tofu, accompanied by French fries and a medley of vegetables. To complement the delicious meal, we were served a bowl of "happy water," a rice wine beverage that we were guided through a Vietnamese chant before taking a shot. The customary chant in Vietnamese is "Mot, hai, ba, yo!" which translates to "One, two, three, cheers!"

We shared stories about our hometowns, travels, and aspirations as we ate. The lively conversation was a testament to the homestay's ability to unite people from different corners of the world.

After dinner, a group of French guys started drinking beer and doing shots of happy water while playing cards. Meanwhile, my group did a couple of shots and continued to talk about our life experiences. As the night progressed, people slowly trickled towards their beds and went to sleep, leaving the serene surroundings to the peaceful sounds of nature.

The following day, I woke up early and found the homestay owner awake. Although he spoke very little English, he understood my request for coffee. He brought me a cup and a 3-in-1 coffee packet while he put a kettle of water on to boil. As I waited, I took the opportunity to explore my surroundings. I noticed a beautiful koi pond with vibrant flowers nearby, and the sound of the dew dripping into the pond and the roosters crowing in the distance created a peaceful ambiance.

After enjoying my cup of coffee, I took the opportunity to capture some breathtaking photos of the sunrise and the front of the homestay. The tranquil setting left a great memory that will not be soon forgotten, and it was a highlight of my trip to Vietnam.

As I headed back inside, I prepared a second cup of coffee. The women, who worked as cooks, had arrived and were busy preparing pancakes for everyone. Vietnamese pancakes are thin, like crepes, and are topped with banana slices and honey.

As more group members woke up, they joined us downstairs and sat at one of the tables. The owner would bring a plate for everyone, while one of the ladies would place a plate full of pancakes and bananas in the center of the table. We helped ourselves to the pancakes, enjoying the flavorful combination of sweet bananas and honey with the thin pancakes. It was a communal and enjoyable breakfast that brought us together while we talked about the quality of sleep we got and made jokes about what was in store for today. By 8:30 am, everyone was up, had eaten, and packed up to hit the road again.

One of the French guys mentioned he had sunscreen, and one of the German guys, Lenz, and I made it a point to apply some on the spots that were burnt the worst. I could immediately feel my sunburns tingling once the sun hit those spots, and I was worried about it getting worse. It didn't take us long to get ready, and by 9 am, we were back on the road.

The first leg of the trip was short, and around 9:30 am, we made it to our first roadside stop. The stop was a refreshing break and allowed us to appreciate the beauty of the surroundings. We were delighted to find some fantastic photo opportunities and took advantage of them to capture the stunning scenery.

After our little photo shoot, we made a quick 10-minute ride around the mountain and stopped again, overlooking a river that had a turquoise color to it, with a small village close to the river bank. The view was breathtaking, and we took a few moments to appreciate it and take pictures before continuing our journey.

After the river bank, it was a one-hour ride on dirt roads. The rough terrain made the journey feel much longer, but the stunning scenery and the sense of adventure kept us going. I began to feel like the motorbike I was on would make this ride a lot more challenging. The suspension felt weak, and I could feel it sometimes bottoming out with the bumps on the road. The street tires on the motorbike made it slide across the dirt and gravel, making it difficult to maintain control.

Despite the ride only being 1-hour long, it felt like I had been riding for hours because of the limitations of the motorbike. The ride was bumpy and uncomfortable, making me more aware of the importance of having a reliable and sturdy motorcycle for such trips. However, the experience was still enjoyable, and the stunning scenery made up for the challenging ride. Upon reaching our next stop, a couple of the guides and other riders laughed and told me that my beard looked gray from the dust that had built up on it from riding on the dirt roads. It was a humorous moment that lightened the mood.

Riding through the rugged roads for hours took a toll on us, making every minute feel like an exhausting challenge. The lunch break brought a temporary recess, although my fatigue made me forget about capturing those moments in photographs. As we resumed our journey, fate struck when one of our group members got a flat tire. Splitting into two groups, some stayed behind while others ventured to the nearby town for assistance. The group that stayed was Lenz, a woman from Mexico, Fernanda, and myself. Little did we know that this detour would lead us to an unforgettable and potentially dangerous encounter.

From a distance, we heard lively music and laughter resonating from a nearby house where Vietnamese locals were enjoying karaoke and beer. Their warm and inviting atmosphere beckoned us to join the festivities. With a mix of excitement and curiosity, we decided to embrace the moment, thinking it would be a brief diversion while waiting for the tire to be fixed.

Stepping into the vibrant atmosphere on the first floor, we were welcomed with bowls of beer, their hospitality overwhelming us. Despite our polite refusal to sing karaoke, one of the locals started a Vietnamese song, and we found ourselves swaying to the rhythm, even if our moves were far from perfect. As minutes turned into moments, Lenz and I stepped outside for a breath of fresh air, accompanied by Fernanda.

However, what started as a casual conversation soon took an unsettling turn. Vietnamese women emerged from the house, their determined hands grasping at us, insistent on pulling us back into the house to dance more. We attempted to resist, voicing our dissent, but their persistence seemed impervious to our objections. Their relentless grip on my hands began to break the skin, and I couldn't help but notice the dirt buildup under their nails, a stark reminder of the unfamiliar surroundings and lack of clean water and soap nearby.

Lenz, amid his laughter, found himself caught between two women tugging at his shirt, stretching it as they tried to drag him back inside. Meanwhile, Fernanda faced an even more uncomfortable situation, with one of the local women grabbing her breasts during their dance, followed by the woman pulling up her own shirt. I glanced at the tour guides, who seemed amused from a distance; we sensed the urgency to escape the escalating intensity. It was then that we realized this gathering had spiraled out of control.

Despite our attempts to express gratitude and bid farewell, the locals refused to let us go, eagerly dragging us back inside. In an effort to protect herself, Fernanda hastily took charge of the karaoke machine, searching for a song to divert attention. Outside, I stood with Lenz, resolute in our decision to leave, despite the relentless tugs on our shirts. Fernanda finally found a song just as our fixed bike arrived. Lenz and I ventured back inside momentarily to secure our freedom, and as soon as we were released, we sprinted to our motorbikes, eager to escape the whirlwind we had unwittingly stumbled into.

As we got on our bikes, a sense of relief washed over us, but it was short-lived. The woman who had exposed herself earlier tried to pull Fernanda back towards the house, prolonging the tension. Thankfully, one of the guys intervened, rescuing Fernanda from the woman's grasp. Finally free, we rode away from the chaos, the mix of emotions lingering within us. It was an utterly wild experience, one that left us with tales to tell, and while we laughed about it later, we couldn't deny the lasting impact it had on us.

As we made our way to the following stops, we continued to see the fantastic sights. I wish that I could have included more pictures. Still, between driving the motorcycle on extreme roads, dodging traffic, and the limited space on my phone memory, I had to limit the pictures to exceptionally amazing sights. We made our way to another old fort which was much less maintained, but one of the sights near this fort that caught our attention was the hemp field located next to the fort ruins.

This was the second to last stop before we got to the homestay that night. The next stop just being a half home, half drink, and bathroom stop rest area. They were playing loud music, and we didn't stop for long. The tour guides had plans to take us to a waterfall once we got to the next homestay. So we pushed on with the goal of going for a swim.

The ride between this stop and the homestay was only about 40 minutes. It still took a toll on us; These motorbikes were relentlessly painful at this point.

Once we had finally got to the homestay, we set our belongings down on the bed we chose and quickly got back on our bikes to head to the waterfall.

It felt a bit rushed to get to the waterfall, but it was well worth it. With how late it was in the day, we were not left with much time for daylight before we would have to get back to the homestay. I spent my time at the waterfall getting pictures and, at one point, had a little kid come up to me and try to sell me some drinks from the drink stand there. I asked if his family owned the drink stand, and he told me yea. I explained that I wasn't interested in the drinks, so he dropped it and asked about me taking pictures. I explained that I was taking pictures to be able to share on my website, and he wanted me to get a picture of him. Of course, I would never say no. After about an hour at the waterfall, we left to head back. Since we were taking the same route back, a group of us on motorbikes sort of turned it into a race to get back. It was me, 2 of the tour guides, and one of the German guys. I was in front until I made a wrong turn, and the tour guides laughed as they went past me, but I was able to catch up and pass them since they had an extra person on their bike. I only just barely got ahead of them, and the German guy got slowed down by some rough patches in the road. That he had struggled to navigate.

Once we got back to the homestay, we had about an hour before dinner, so Lenz and I walked into the town to see what was going on. As we walked towards the town, we passed the school, which had a loudspeaker speaking in Vietnamese. Not much past that, we saw a lady that had walked her buffalo on a lead to the river for a dip, and we asked if we could get a picture, and she was happy to say yes. We thanked her for allowing the picture, but that was the extent of being able to communicate with her. Once we were in the town, we realized that it was very small, and with the time of day, most businesses were closed already. I had noticed that there were about 5 kids riding bikes around the street, and there was a sugarcane drink stand next to the only open store in the town. One of the littlest kids got a piece of glass stuck in his foot and was crying very loud. I felt bad and decided to buy one drink for each of the kids. Lenz asked what I was buying, and I explained that it was a sugarcane drink. I asked Lenz if he had tried one yet in Vietnam, to which he said no, so I went ahead and ordered us both one each as well. All the kids thanked me. The mother of the child with the glass in his foot was saying "cảm ơn," which is thank you in Vietnamese, and told her son to thank me as well. I didn't know how to you are welcome in Vietnamese, but I smiled and said you're welcome in English, a bunch. I think she understood. The little boy, with his eyes and nose still red from crying, seemed to be happy while he was sipping on his sugarcane drink.

After our trip to town, we got back just in time for a little karaoke before dinner. Once dinner was served, Lenz asked what the loudspeaker was saying to which our tour guide explained that it says it's a long message that basically said, "Be proud to be Vietnamese and be proud of your culture." Lenz and the rest of the dinner table looked at each other and, after he stepped away, confirmed that its propaganda on repeat. During dinner, we were served more "happy water." We all went to sleep shortly after dinner. I think most of us were exhausted from the long ride of that day.

The next morning we were served pancakes for breakfast, and by this point, I was getting pretty tired of pancakes and noticed one of the other tour guides eating noodles. I asked if I could have that, and they brought me out a very delicious bowl of noodles.

When we got packed and ready for the ride back to Ha Giang, we set off with a level of determination that I don't think anyone was prepared for. We had a time limit, and it showed this was survival of the fittest type of riding. We only made a couple of stops, and with the pace we were moving, it made pictures basically impossible. One of the best highlights of this part of the trip was as we drove through one of the towns, there was a kid, probably about 10 years old, happily waving his middle finger at us. I laughed out loud at that moment because this was so obviously a misunderstanding of greetings. One person probably showed him the finger, and so he repeated it, and I would be willing to bet most people laugh when they see it, and thus he has continued to show everyone he sees the middle finger.

We left at 10 am and got to Ha Giang around 1 pm. Once we were there, I noticed a  where they took us to another Italian restaurant, but thankfully, this one was much better than the last one.

We left at 10 am and got to Ha Giang around 1 pm. Once we were there, they took us to another Italian restaurant for lunch, but thankfully, this one was much better than the last one. Afterward, we got back to the hotel, where they allowed us to shower before getting on the bus back to Hanoi. Overall this was maybe the biggest highlight of my trip to Vietnam, and I will absolutely be doing this again.

Thank you for reading, and comments should be allowed for members. Please let me know what you think.