The road from Sapa to Ha Giang is correct in the first half of the journey, but in the second half … there are 30 km impracticables … my mother! It was all potholes, without rest !!!

A labyrinth of holes, only needed to have a club and that moles were left. It really was exaggerated, it seemed like a detour, but instead of a mule, we had to tame the road.

Our beloved Vietnamese Dynamite behaved like a champion, it’s all agility, resistance, determination … until we puncture the rear wheel … we had to look for a mechanic … but surprise, it was to turn the head, and look where!! A mechanic!!!! Hahahaha … you can not have more filly …

We entered the farm and the grandfather took out cups and the teapot, so with the calm we were drinking tea while all the men of the house watched as one fixed the puncture, I also changed the bearings of the rear wheel that were already starting to make noises … Finally, the three of us came out victorious from the ride of the hardest 30 km that I’ve ever done on a motorbike … Tired and in pain, we continue to Ha Giang. The rest of the road was in good condition and did not present any problems.

Once in Ha Giang, we asked for prices in the hostels of the town. The best was Kiki’s Hostel, for 150,000 Dongs ($ 7) both with breakfast in a shared room. Clean and correct. In the evening we went to have dinner in the town, and we tried the Banh Cuon, a few rolls of rice pasta that makes the pasta at the moment as if it were a crepe, and is filled with minced meat and vegetables.

From Ha Giang, you start the loop that bears the same name, because not only is the name of the town also gives name to the region. In the hostels you can rent a motorbike and take the route. We made the following tour / stops: Ha Giang – Yirn Minh – Meo Vac and from there we continue south towards Ba be lake.

The landscape along the route is spectacular, probably the most beautiful mountain landscape we have seen … In the first section you start an ascent, until crowning a plain, between thunderstorms, with rays too close for our taste, that is why we climb relatively near a bus that made us to para-rays, just in case …

At the summit the view was spectacular … Further on, a breathtaking mountain gorge begins, like huge vertical guards, looking like otherworldly beings, reminding us how insignificant we are … accentuated by the ridiculous roar of the Vietnamese Dynamite engine , great friend but little intimidating …

The throat continues to open a little in Yem Minh. We spent the night at the 27A hostel, 150,000 Dongs for a room with two double beds for ourselves, and breakfast included. That night we enjoyed it in the company of some Israelite travelers and an Alaskeño … We ate, we drank and we laughed together, it was fun.

In the morning of the route, we came across a small town with a sign in the entrance, we went in and out … it turned out that the little town had been the location of a film about the ethnic groups of the place! In the town we found a place with a lot of people eating, they invited us to share a table … and we accepted with pleasure! A good time with wonderful people!

The next day we made the next stretch to Meo Vac. On the way there is a point on the road that is meters from the border of China, and you can cross it !!! Well, there is a triple wire fence, and next to it a little path that makes the barbed wire useless … As it was the first stop, we took the opportunity to go to China to piss !!!! Hahahahaha … With the fair respect I have towards China.

It was exciting to go down a few meters to a road, in China !! hehehe, pretty adventure …

We continue our way to a point where there is a viewpoint with a huge Vietnam flag. It is said that the flag is so big for them to see it in China. There we also met the group of Israelites and enjoyed tea with them. The truth is that we found many less backpackers doing the motorcycle loop than we expected …

Finally, the last section to Meo Vac, a road at the edge of the precipice, beautiful, but without any danger … First the black rock, steep, combining with the vegetation, intense green, giving way to a valley, very high, At our feet, the whole majestic mountain, greener, impressive, narrow, observing from the heights.

A spectacular view, the most beautiful and spectacular stretch of road we have seen to date … A pity that we caught the rain 10 km before arriving, and here when it rains it is not nonsense …

We arrived and asked at the first hotel, Khach San Meo Vac Hotel, for 180,000 Dongs room. Wet as chickens and cold, we were happy to find a great room.

The next day we continue to the last stop, Ba Be lake, before returning to Hanoi. The road was very curious. Most of them run on the correct road, like a provincial highway. However, suddenly we were diverted to a secondary road, between villages in the middle of the field, the asphalt was destroyed, we went first (march) and it seemed that we were doing enduro …

I thought about my colleagues Albert, Sergio, Antonio, Alex, who do enduro, they would have enjoyed it, I did it !!!! Prrrr prrrr prrrr … It was great … And the Vietnamese Dynamite … I still do not understand how it did not split in two … well … Finally, after a long walk, we arrived at the entrance to Ba Be lake, a natural park.

We were going behind a motorbike that entered directly, and we followed without thinking, then we found out that you have to pay entrance … sorry …

The road surrounds the lake, sporting a dense vegetation that tries to eat the road, very beautiful. Once in the village we had to choose homestay. The one they recommended was full, so we stayed at the one next door, Huynh Ha Homestay … Go for room shit … fullola walls with holes and a mattress on the floor.

Dinner too, very basic and nothing appetizing. Thanks to having no luck with the homestay and we were tired of so many kilometers in so few days, we decided that the next day we would not stay longer and we would go back to Hanoi … And so we did, we went back to Hanoi, skirting the lake by the way to be able to admire it even if it was only a little …

So we went back to Hanoi to do the scheduled volunteering, with Blue Dragon Foundation and Human Children Service Vietnam (see the Clown Science Dreams blog) and finish our trip to Vietnam …