Ha Giang Loop - Day 2

Today I vacillated between never feeling more alive in my life, to being sure that this was the day I was going to die. We started out in a rainstorm this morning and rode in the soft pouring rain through the hills in northern Vietnam. The scenery was stunning, the roads, narrow twisty, sometimes unpaved and often terrifying. We saw mountains, lakes, rivers, and the hills of China. We also saw the people that live in this area, how hard-working they are - their work ethic was humbling and clothing so vibrant and colorful.
We saw people carrying chickens on their scooters and oxen on the roads. The hills are covered with corn plantings, every square inch of these rugged steep mountains. It is so hard to visual it unless you were actually here.
I will confess that when we got up this morning in the pouring rain and the thunder and lightning, I wanted to bail on the trip. I was ready to rent a van and get out of there any other way than on the motorcycle. I am so grateful that I didn’t, as I would’ve missed one of the most exhilarating days I have ever experienced. I am so grateful for the kind and skillful drivers we had today. I won’t lie, it was very difficult, as I clung fiercely to the motorcycle, hoping I would not fall off, as it was so slippery in our rain gear.
Tonight we are staying at a homestay in a small village. We have a private room with insect netting, as there are open slats on the walls. Those that are not a couple are in an open room with beds on the floor.Read more