Crossing the Laos-Vietnam border proved surprisingly smooth, and I was soon peddling towards Dien Bien Phu, a city etched with the scars of the First Indochina War. The A1 hill and its battlegrounds, alongside the monumental relics, offered a poignant glimpse into the historic conflict that led to France relinquishing its hold on Indochina. It was fascinating to be able to explore the scene of the battle, walking through the tunnels and trenches that cut into the hill.
I enjoyed a large lunch at an all you can eat restaurant, which I’d later go on to regret waking up that night with bad stomach cramps.
The following day became quite a struggle, as persistent stomach pain resulted in me not eating enough. After cycling through some beautiful landscapes, but not taking much of it in that afternoon I crashed in a hotel room allowed me a much-needed reprieve.
The following morning I was feeling better and continued north enjoying my first bowl of pho, despite some uncertainty about its contents.
Venturing over the O Qui Ho pass, famed as one of Southeast Asia’s most spectacular roads, I found myself enveloped in clouds, missing out on the promised scenic rewards. I passed through the town of Sa Pa not stopping as I just wanted to get out of the fog. The town has a cable car which takes you up to the highest peak in South East Asia something I’d considered doing however, dismissed the idea, reluctant to pay for a trip through the mist. The descent on the other side of the pass was a nerve-wracking ordeal. I had to remove my glasses as they would get covered in water droplets through the cloud and with the thick fog I had very little vision.
Emerging from the clouds was quite a relief, a perfectly paved toll road (which I dodged the barriers of) offered chance to enjoy the downhill stretch. Lao Cai greeted me and after a lunch stop, I searched for some much needed new brake pads. I managed to find a proper bike shop, not just somewhere selling kids bikes for the first time since Chiang Mai and secured two pairs remarkably costing less than £2.
The next couple days we’re spent cycling through farmland and small towns towards Ha Giang. This made finding somewhere to sleep quite a challenge, and each time I asked if I could camp on farmland I was refused. I think this may have been due to me communicating poorly as camping isn’t common in Vietnam. Each night I’d eventually find a spot, often in cutouts in the rock from which the roads had been built or one time on a football pitch. Furthermore, now I’m into December the days are noticeably shorter with it becoming dark at 17:30 reducing the amount of time I have to find somewhere.
I found a hostel in Ha Giang for £2 a night including breakfast and ended up having the entire dorm room to myself. There wasn’t much to explore in the town as it’s on the backpacking map for being the starting point for the infamous motorbike loop around the most northern part of Vietnam.
Embarking on the Ha Giang loop, I faced more mountain passes in the clouds on the first day however, I still could enjoy some spectacular views once out of the fog. Now into the mountains there were far more options for camping, and I spent the night in a quite forest clearing.
Finally, the cloud cover disappeared the next day revealing amazing landscapes of the valleys full of rice fields and tea plantations. After 6 grey days, I was beginning to really struggle and wonder how I ever made it through 22 British winters. The roads was incredible too, weaving up the valleys and cutting along the mountain sides. Despite the challenging cycling, I was loving it.
I found another good camp spot amidst the jungle and had a big climb the next morning up an inspiring mountain pass. The shape of the mountains rising up from the valley were so different to anything I’ve seen before.
At the top I was greeted to one of the best views I’ve ever seen. It was a huge panorama and looking down at how the river cut through the rock was mesmerizing. It was also one of the few places I’ve been where I could truly feel how high up I was, maybe because of the huge drop off the edge or the sight of the tiny boats on the river.
What followed was a fantastic descent navigating a thrilling road with a huge drop off the edge. I stopped on the way down to chat to Mark, an American cyclist going the other way. We chatted about how we felt we truly earnt the view and shared a laugh about the swarms of tourists on motorbikes being driven around the loop by locals. I then continued down the road leaving the loop and heading east following a river past some impressive dams.
The next two days were spent heading for Cao Bang on more mountain roads enjoying the sights of untouched landscapes and captivating sunsets.
I’ve had a great start to my journey through Vietnam. The roads have taken some getting used to and have felt the most unsafe of anywhere so far. The city traffic is chaeos with motorbike drivers always pulling out and turning in front of me, making me swerve or brake. Then the vans in the mountains will be driving far too quick round the winding roads sounding their horn into the bends, taking up the entire road and expecting me to get out their way.
I’ve really enjoyed the food and the great Vietnamese snack offerings. From very cheap packets of crisps usually prawn flavour to deep-fried bread and Mung bean pastrys: a scone like snack full of a marzipan textured filling.
Now, my journey continues east through the northern landscapes, as I pedal toward the enticing coastline. Then, after 2 months of traveling north east, I’ll actually be heading towards Australia again.
Will Scam 