Drive to Sa Pa

After a warm breakfast we were on the road again, 200km to Sa Pa in the Mountains. It was the first time it rained, but not long or hard so we felt comfortable to ride. The weather forecast says most days it will rain and one can often see lightening in the clouds, but nothing actually happens. So a case of ignore the forecast and walk outside. We drove through many small villages and past pastures, it’s really special to be able to see the way most people really live. Some streets are better than others, some potholes coming a big unexpected. We even saw a couple water buffalos by the road. A lot of people stare and children wave, overall a positive reception. Charly is feeling more confident with the bike, and had some fun riding through the sloping curves going up and down hills. It was a long time in the “saddle” so our bums did need some blood flow and stretching breaks occasionally. The scenery completely makes up for it, lush green hills and a big river we were following. You still see the communist influence even in the smallest villages, with Vietnamese and sickle hammer flags everywhere, and posters.
Unfortunately google led us astray a bit in the last town before Sa Pa, so we lost some time and it was already tight to make it before dusk. So we had to drive up the winding mountain road to Sa Pa (1500m) in fading light and dark. Probably not what any mother wants to picture (sorry) but we just went slow and steady. We were very relieved when we made it into town and our hotel. Sa Pa looks like a mix of Hanoi and a Alpine village, with a million “Christmas lights”. After a well deserved shower we had dinner and treated ourselves to a massage.Read more