quick apology before you start reading...this is going to be a long one! we hope you don't get bored by the end. we just had the most epic journey through the northwest of vietnam on an ancient russian motorcycle, the "minsk" (a 125cc, 2 stroke beast), through winding mountain roads, gorgeous valleys, and hundreds of what the vietnamese call "ethinic minority" villages with their fluorescent colors and warm smiles. it was the journey we had been waiting for this enitre trip, getting away from it all, freedom to stop, meander and explore. so here goes...
day 1: hanoi to mai chau. we set off early in the morning on the minsk, heading west out of the gloom of hanoi into the wet and soggy highlands. almost immediately we began to wonder if we had made the right decision, january being one of the coldest months in spite of being the "dry season." by lunchtime we were soaked and freezing, so we stopped at a roadside stand for some warm pho. the people were very kind and friendly and did not speak a word of english, so we are not sure what we ended up eating but it was not pho. we pushed on over the pass, with fog so thick we could barely see each other on the same bike. finally, as we descended in to the valley of mai chau the clouds lifted and the air warmed, our damp clothes quickly dried. we pulled off into the village and found a guesthouse: an authentic "white thai" house on stilts overlooking the rice paddies, with bamboo split floors and satellite tv. we enjoyed the evening with some dutch fellows, an austrian couple and our vietnamese hosts drinking what they call "rice wine" which is absolutely not wine at all but an alcohol so strong it can ignite.
day 2: mai chau to son la. the next morning we again set off in the damp and cold, headed deeper into the region. within the first few hours we were so cold and wet we were stiff and shivering, so we stopped at a roadside coffee house in mot chau. it turned out to be a true blessing, as the woman there took pity on us and built us a fire in the middle of her cafe. we lingered until our clothes were mostly dry, the coffee had warmed our bellies, and our enthusiasm was renewed. such kindness to strangers, we are forever grateful to that little place. after that it was smooth sailing into son la, the sun actually came out and we got a little color on our cheeks.
we were famished when we arrived at our hotel, and set off to eat noodles and vegetables at a local dive. as we were leaving, i heard a crash behind me and saw the men on the corner pointing and laughing. i turned around to see that stin had bonked his head on the corner of a street sign, funny enough until he started gushing blood. i ran back to the restraunt to get some napkins, meanwhile the men on the corner rushed to his aid and dumped a wad of tobacco on the wound. we bandaged him up okay and then took him back to the hotel to get a better look. after a wash, trim and shave it looked like he probably should have gotten stitches, but now has a scar souveir and a second bald spot.
day 3: son la to lai chau. THE BEST DAY EVER!! the road got pretty wild leaving son la, no longer the wide paved highway we had seen so far, but a motorcross adventure only a minsk could love. we had a blast flying through the mud and whooping it up with the locals. we passed through one incredible valley after another, with picturesque rice paddies and colorfully dressed ethnic minority people, waving and smiling at everyone we passed. all the kids screamed and laughed and waved, and it never got old. we felt so forntunate to have this freedom to experience this country as few are able to.
day 4: lai chau to sapa. the next day we pushed on to the major destination of the northwest, sapa. on the way we stopped by a river to eat some oranges and jackfruit chips before tackling the epic tram ton pass. the weather was delightful until we began to near sapa, where we sank back into fog and cold. we were stopped by some road construction and enjoyed our first taste of bamboo sticky rice which is literally a stick of bamboo filled with sticky rice and grilled to perfection over an open fire, then peeled open and served with crushed peanuts, an unbelievable treat on a cold day. then we made the final descent into sapa, running out of gas on the way (so much for a "reserve tank"). its a good thing there are people selling petrol out of coke bottles every few houses along the road. as we neared sapa we were hounded by young locals on motorbikes, trying to get us to go to their hotel. it was like diana and the paparazzi, it was almost scary and quite dangerous. it did nothing to improve our first impressions of the place, and between that and the dense fog, we were determined to leave as soon as possible.
day 5: sapa to bac ha. after a cold nights sleep in sapa, we took off early for the village of bac ha, known for its colorful sunday market frequented by the flower hmong tribe. we passed one tour bus after another on the ride there, again soggy and cold to the core. after a scalding shower at our hotel we set off for the market, which was a marvelous experience. in spite of the many tour busses, there were very few tourists (each bus tends to carry only 2-4 people) and we were able to immerse ourselve in the scene. of course we tried a few market foods, not sure what they were but they were pretty good! stin got some great pics too. we spent the next two days in bac ha, taking a few walks but mostly snuggled up under the comforters--it was freeeeezing. we had to wait at least a day for our passports to catch up to us that we left in sapa, and it was a welcome rest for our backsides after 5 days of motorcycle.
day 7: bac ha to hanoi. not much to say about our last day except that we survived it. no longer in the peaceful mountain air, we booked it through one crazy town after another back to the capitol city, anxious to escape the sogginess and cold that had seeped into our bones. stin drove like a true vietnamese, navigating the cows and trucks and wires-trying-to-clothesline-us like a pro. we must have been quite a sight arriving back into the city, covered with mud head to toe and aboslutely giddy from the experience. this is the only way to travel.
well i hope you made it through this journey through the mountains with us. we are headed to halong bay for a couple of days to do some kayaking and exploring, and then it is off to thailand for some much needed sun, sand and friends. stay tuned!!
