Ha Giang to Meo Vac

We spent the first night of our mountain riding in a Dao hill tribe village homestay. Once again the rice wine flowed freely with chant of 'Mot,Hai, Ba, Yooo!' and followed by the tribal thank you 'Homaduum' with handshakes all around. We were able to take a nice, long soak in a Dao herbal bath infused with tobacco leaves. The view across the valley was gorgeous.

People in these hills live long laborious lives. We saw children as young as six and adults well onto their 90s engaged in the efforts of day to day survival. I guess letting go with a cheap rice wine every night helps to make it a little more worthwhile. In several villages we passed gatherings of villagers dressed to the nines in brightly colored clothing.

The riding has been spectacular. Each new pass leads to another idyllic valley. Some villages look unreal and more like like demonstration models of feng shui. The riding has also been busy. There are tons of twenty and thirty year olds plying this landscape. Some solo, but most in tours of 30 or 40 motorbikes. It is zooey.
We did get off on some nice roads. Here's a video: https://photos.app.goo.gl/QTLnYRtvo4wvpFni6

Not so the larger towns. They seem more like wild west boomtowns with the tourist money flowing in. Meo Vac is one such town. Busy and a bit overpriced. We landed in a circle of newly built and newly opened homestay houses constructed around a central courtyard. Unfortunately for us our quiet was interrupted by a group of 45 riders who proved themselves to be the worst of travelers. Party music thumped into the night leaving us with little rest and more than a little annoyed.Read more