Tag 102: Because it doesn't rain in the cave

This morning we wanted to leave early for the first part of the Ha Giang Loop. However, we had to wait for over an hour at the same mechanic as yesterday evening because Jan's motorbike kickstand kept coming loose in the past few days. While we were waiting at the mechanic, the weather kept getting worse and we suspected that we would get some rain today. After riding a few kilometers out of the city, our suspicion was confirmed and it started raining. As the rain got heavier, we took a short break at a covered gas station to stay dry. There, we met four Americans for the first time, whom we would encounter again along the way. After the rain subsided a bit, we continued up a pass. At the end of the pass, we first rode in the clouds and then above the clouds. We couldn't stop marveling at and enjoying this scenery. After a short lunch break, we drove 3 kilometers off the main road to a cave. The good thing about the cave is that we are protected from the rain. After a short but quite challenging walk, we reached the entrance of the cave. The cave was larger than we expected and almost empty. Some sections could only be reached by crawling and creeping on the wet path, which we found very fun. After the cave, we continued to Ven Minh, where we checked into a brand new hotel. The city is beautifully situated in a valley between the mountains.