Riding a Motorbike in Northern Vietnam During Christmas - Hà Giang Loop Part II.

As we set off towards the remote villages of the Hà Giang province, I felt excitement through my bones. There are places and destinations of which you dream your entire life. That moment when you end up pinching you pinch yourself thinking if it's happening. This was not my case. I had only learned of Ha Gian loop and the possibility of riding a moto on it a couple of weeks back, but I was so hooked. I've never done anything like this before so the fear of the unknown has turned into excitement.

We have decided to do the Ha Giang loop in December. The temperatures up in Northern Vietnam can go pretty low. The entire group was dripping knock-off North Face from the markets of Hanoi. I was particularly thankful for my puffer, as I did not expect to be riding at around 5 degrees Celsius.

Most of us were on such a trip for the first time, so our guides took it easy on us. They made sure we had enough stops in the first few days. Lukas & I were getting used to how this semi-automatic bike works. While dealing with hectic traffic. One thing that I was very thankful for was the remoteness this road offers. Not only stunning landscapes, but you also get to experience life in small villages on the road. Seeing the remoteness of the place filled me with mixed emotions. People were nice and hospitable. The conditions were rough.

On the first day, we got a taste of what this adventure was going to be like. After a first couple of hours, we got to stop in a neighbourhood where opium was made. Vietnam Especially the Son La province. The French colonists forced opium production on the Vietnamese as a means of revenue generation and social control. In the past, there was a fear of opium in Vietnamese society. The Vietnamese government framed opium as a “social vice” that needed to be eradicated. The government took control of the production and possession of opioids. After learning of the darker side of Vietnam, hungry we moved on to our lunch. All the lunch stops throughout the trip would be in homestays. It has become a source of income for local people to service foreign tourists on the loop.

The food was delicious. Vietnamese cuisine is known worldwide for its taste. Yet, in the first few weeks in Hanoi, I was slightly disappointed. While we ended up eating similar meals, they were all bang on. Stir-fried veggies, spring rolls, meat of all kinds, rice and potatoes.

Some of us even managed to get a dessert. Tobacco bong. In front of every homestay, there is a huge bamboo bong that local people fill with tobacco and then inhale. Quick shots to get your head shaking a little bit. I've tried once and ended up having my stomach shaken, too. I figured it was not quite the thing for me.

The first couple of days were a great insight into the remoteness of this place. I remember seeing every hill that people ever climbed topped with the Vietnamese flag. The deeper in the province we drove, the higher the ratio of flags per meter on the roads. When driving on the cliffs, there was often a construction happening. I was shocked at how many people live in this province. Then I realised, Vietnam is a nation of almost 100 million people. Ha Giang itself is home to around 800 thousand of them. There were plenty of moments when we got to spend a great time with the locals. Our guides were a funny bunch that we had the pleasure of tasting plenty of "happy water" with.

At one point we went to get gas but there were dozens of bikes and people waiting around the gas station. A power outage at the gas station. The closest one was god knows where, so we had no choice but to wait until the electricity came back. In the meantime, we decided to explore local establishments. In some of those, we were offered local snacks that we decided to politely decline.

We went to Ha Giang during the off-season. The ideal time to do the loop is either March-May or September-November. That's when the weather is the most stable. We were very lucky and had no rain. I've known groups who went a week after us and ended up having their trip cut short due to the rain.

The rain leaves marks on the roads too. The loop goes through dirt roads and I cannot imagine how uncomfortable and dangerous those may feel when riding on the cliffs on a small semi-automatic bike.

In our case, the dirt roads blessed us with a great chunk of dust. One day, we had to put plastic bags on top of our clothes to preserve them from all the dust. If anything, it makes you feel more accomplished.

We did this loop in a group for a reason. We wanted to spend Christmas time surrounded by people. Make friends. That was exactly what happened.

After an unusual Christmas meal, including horse livers, we got to celebrate on the spot. People of Slovakia, Vietnam, Canada, Switzerland, Australia, Russia, Romania, India, and Sweden. People of different occupations, ages, and life stories. Never met each other before and probably never will after. Yet we had a great night. Talking about our different traditions connected us. I love learning from people and realizing that things that I used to do one way all my life, can be done in 100s of other ways. There is no one right way or a wrong one.

You can connect with anyone, anywhere. Even without knowing the same language. If this loop has taught me anything, it's to try things we have never tried, in an environment we have never been in, with people we have never met.

It will likely work out great.