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Published: April 4th 2011
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Monday 4th April 2011 Bac Ha to Sa Pa 60m 100k
Left Bac Ha after eating an inadequate breakfast. They gave us just a small piece of bread and some jam again. I asked for more and 5 of us eventually received another small piece of bread, I can't wait to get home to tuck into a large, steaming bowl of porridge!
We set off on the110km ride to Sa Pa in mist. As we rode down 1500m of hair pin bends the mist cleared then we followed a complicated route along the valley past many crude sawmills and wood veneer laid out to dry in the sun. We skirted Lao Cai before climbing up into the mist again. Visibility has been poor and the roads wet for much of the day so we did not see much of the usually beautiful scenery and the climbs were long and hard right up to SA PA, which was covered in fog! I believe that there is a lake there but was unable to see it. The hotel was found after about five attempts after directions from locals using the finger pointing method. I have to admit getting a tow again today
with a slow lorry for about 3k - just enough to get past Dave Penny again before he ovedrtook me a second time. This was a particularly hard climb with quite a gradient at times and to make matters worse there was a sign saying Welcome to a Pa, which was at least 5 miles of punishment from town.
During this tour I think I have seen most things strapped to the back of a motor bike! Today it was crates full of live pigs and on another bike the carcas of a large, dead pig was draped over the back. Long bamboo poles are often tied to the back of a bike with at least 2' sticking out left and right! How they never catch anyone is beyond me!
I have seen no sheep and just a scattering of goats, water buffalo and small cows, a little like Jerseys. New ploughs for sale were made of wood, not metal. The houses in this district are very poor, often with dirt floors and holes in the wooden or bamboo walls. The people are often barefooted or clad in plastic shoes and yet they can often be seen, especially
the young folk, with mobile phones glued to their ears! Nothing new there then!
Road safety is not an issue here. Pedestrians just walk into the road having looked neither left nor right, often straight in front of us riders. The whole thing is just mahem, although as this area is not as busy as India, it is not quite as dangerous. We have established that the way to cross a busy road is to find a reasonable gap and then set off eyes ahead and keeping an even pace. The traffic goes around you unless your pace varies.
I have been bitten on the arm either by a mozzi or a bed bug! It is rather too cold for mozzis so I suspect a bed bug!! I have applied the green bite zapper, which I bought in Australia, to the offending bite but need to do so again as my arm is quite swollen.
Arrived at our hotel in Sa Pa at 3.30pm. It seems a nice hotel, good shower and hopefully comfortable bed. As the roads were so filthy today all our clothes were full of grit and dirt, hand washing them in the sink
barely removes the dirt. Can't wait to get them in a washer. All along this trip we have struggled to get our washing dry due to cool evening and room temperatures and damp days.
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Richard Jnr
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Noodle Soup
Hey Pa. Only just got round to reading your blog. Sounds like quite an experience. The mountain regions of Northern Vietman are something else arent they. We didnt see anything like as much as you've done. We just did a day trekking from Sa Pa & hired motorbikes one day. See if you can check out the herbal baths. Sa Pa is very touristy compared to the villages you've been used to. There are loads of good restaurants & bars. With regards to food & carb loading. Can't you get them to give you noodle soup? They live on it out there. Bits of beef & a few veg in a light broth with loads of noodles. That would be perfect for cycling & very very cheap. Enjoyed reading the reports. Keep em coming. x