When life gets complicated - ride a motorbike

4 days, 374 km on winding roads, breathtaking views, and 7 friends on motorcycles.

My first ride on a motorcycle and then straight away a four-day tour through the mountains of the northern region of Ha Giang. And my conclusion: I have rarely experienced something so amazing, and I am sure that it was one of the most beautiful experiences of my trip. But let's go back to the beginning for a moment...

An overcrowded, stuffy minibus, blasting Vietnamese music, transported me from Sapa to Ha Giang. I don't know how many people and things were in that bus - I eventually stopped counting or wondering - but it was definitely too much. It wasn't comfortable, but I survived.

The hostel I booked in Ha Giang was actually great, with very helpful staff. But when I arrived, I was a bit overwhelmed. From the very first minute, everything revolved around 'the Loop' - the motorcycle route through the mountains of the north. How many days, which route, where to stop, which sights to see along the way... Never ridden a motorcycle before? Oh, you'll be fine, you'll learn as you go... To me, it was too much information all at once, but not enough information about the necessary skills for riding a motorbike.

After parting ways with Lisa in Hanoi, I hadn't made any great acquaintances in the last few days. I had many nice conversations but didn't meet anyone who I really connected with. I had traveled alone to the remote north, and the only way to explore this amazing place was on a motorcycle, something I had never done before. I was very unsure if I should even do the tour. For the first time during my trip, I felt truly alone and lost...

So I decided to stay in the city for another day, to try riding the motorcycle and then decide whether to take the trip or not.

As fate would have it, I met Adam (Israel) and Hamish (Canada) on that day. Both of them were traveling on their own motorcycles, which they had ridden all the way from Hanoi. They were also planning to do the Loop (like pretty much everyone who comes to Ha Giang). I got along pretty well with both of them, and they immediately offered that I could start the Loop with them.

During the day, Rogier (Netherlands) and Zamir (Canada) also arrived. They had their own motorcycles, coming from Sapa. And finally, Baukje (Netherlands - female) and Toby (England) arrived on their motorcycles at our hostel. And since all seven of us had the same plan, we decided to do it together.

The next morning, we started our journey. The first stop was the gas station, which already overwhelmed me haha. Adam and I started slowly while the others were still refueling. He rode slowly in front of me and guided me through the city traffic (which is extremely low compared to the rest of Vietnam). Then the panoramic road began, and the traffic became less and less. At the beginning, we stopped often, and everyone always asked how I was doing. All of this helped me a lot, and I actually quickly got the hang of it.

The first day was quite sunny, and on our way from Ha Giang to Yen Minh, we made a stop at a stalactite cave. In the evening, we stayed at a homestay. After a beer and dinner, I was pretty exhausted from my first day on the motorcycle and went to bed early.

The next day, we traveled from Yen Minh to the small town of Dong Van. This section of the route is quite close to the Chinese border, and at one point, you can cross the border on foot - illegally, of course. We did it anyway haha. But a warning sign with a skull stopped us from spending more than a few minutes in China. After a group photo, we continued. But hey, I was in China! On the way, we also stopped at the Hmong Kings Residence (the former residence of a Hmong king - an ethnic population in the north) and at Lung Cu with the National Flag Pole. We spent the night in Dong Van, where we went in search of a karaoke bar (the Vietnamese love karaoke!). After some time and several failed attempts, due to language barriers, to ask someone for directions, we finally found a karaoke place - and it was a hilarious evening! When we wanted to get something to eat at around midnight, we were surprised to find that everything (yes, EVERYTHING) was closed. Apparently, people here have nothing to do at this time other than sleep...

On the third day, we traveled from Dong Van to our final destination. A small village that doesn't even exist on Google Maps but has a hostel and a homestay. But at the beginning of the day, it started raining, and we got soaked in no time. Even Adam's iPhone, which spent the rest of the trip in a bag of rice to dry out. But after an hour, the sun started to show, and we dried off in the wind. The homestay where we stayed was nice. There wasn't much going on in the village, but we still went in search of something fun - and we found it: a 'Bia Hoi'. This is a place where locals gather to eat and drink. After being enthusiastically greeted, touched, and supplied with 'Happy Water' (rice wine) by everyone, we danced to 'Daddy Cool' and 'Gangnam Style' - CRAZY!

On the last day, our journey took us back to Ha Giang, our starting point. Unfortunately, it was rainy, foggy, and the roads were partly muddy. So we all drove very slowly and close together. I felt so safe in the group that even these conditions weren't a problem for me. But we were still able to enjoy the last stretch of our ride (fast).

As for the landscape, I was more and more impressed day by day. The further we rode, the more breathtaking the view became. The people who live there have very simple living conditions, and the few tourists who pass through their villages on motorcycles are still an interesting phenomenon to them. The children wave and say 'Hello!' - usually the only word they know in English. I really enjoyed the motorcycle ride as well.

In the evening, it was time to say goodbye to the great gang because I had booked a night bus back to Hanoi, and the others were continuing south on their motorcycles in the morning.

I really enjoyed the time in the north with these amazing people, and I gained a lot of energy for the rest of my journey.