Scariest motorbike ride of my life

Our last day in Sapa we decided to hire a motorbike to visit some nearby villages. I learned how to drive a manual transmission motorbike a couple of weeks ago in Chiang Mai and did quite a bit of driving there. The roads in and around Chiang Mai are flat and straight whereas the roads in and around Sapa are hilly and in poor condition.

The ride started well as we coasted downhill out of Sapa along the windy road into the valley below. Within a few km however the road progressively got worse and worse. About 8km out we came across several areas where the mountain streams partially flooded the road but thankfully it wasn't hard to cross. Then we came across areas where the road was in poor condition and flooded. Had to go slow over these parts but again, it was no problem. But less than 1 km later, we ran into a small problem. There was a small pond covering the entire road. It was as if someone scooped out the road and filled it in with water. I drove through slowly but soon my flipflop broke and we nearly got stuck but I managed to drive through barefoot. Thankfully there were no sharp rocks. Then less than 1 km later the road was split into 2 parts. On the mountain side there was a deep mud track and on the cliff side there was an even deeper pool of water. The mud side was the safer option but once again my flipflop broke and the bike nearly fell over when this happened but thankfully (yes, I've used the word thankfully several times but there's no better way to describe it) we kept it upright. At this point my heart was pounding so hard I thought I'd have cardiac arrest. We stopped at a roadside restaurant about 1km down the road but while executing a u-turn I almost lost control of the bike for some reason and we almost ended up in a ditch on the mountain side of the road. I think my nerves were already frayed at this point which probably resulted in the poor u-turn execution. 

Yep, that's a road. And yes, my right foot is bare. 

We took lunch then walked down to the Cau May village in the valley; the track was right next to the restaurant. The drive back was slightly less stressful since I now knew what to expect. Even so, my heart was still pounding wildly and it wasn't till we dropped off the bike and got a beer that I started to calm down. My flipflops unfortunately didn't survive the ride but luckily my feet got away with no injuries. 

Scenic Sapa

When you arrive in Sapa you can’t help but wonder if you’re still in Vietnam. The first thing you notice is the cooler temperature. Sapa is at an elevation of 1650m and boasts a much more temperate climate when compared to the rest of Vietnam. The next thing you notice is the architecture of the town; it feels like you’re in the a ski town in the Alps. To add to that effect, there’s a plethora of Italian and French restaurants offering affordable fine dining at approximately 5USD per dish.

The main attractions in Sapa are the treks to nearby hill tribe villages and to the summit of Vietnam’s tallest mountain, Fansipan (3143m). Given my prior trekking experience I wanted to give Fansipan a shot so Dasha and I signed up for a 2day/1night trek. We were joined by an Austrian couple on a rock-climbing holiday through SE Asia. After I spent a few hours ridding myself of the nasty computer virus I got off someone’s memory card the previous day we then spent the first day in Sapa exploring the town and sleeping since we arrived at 05:30 via the overnight train.

The Fansipan trek started with an 08:00 pickup from our hotel followed by a 30 minute drive to the starting point (1900m). We were accompanied by an English speaking guide and 2 porters. I quickly realized that my fitness level had fallen off sharply in the last 3 months since completing the Annapurna Circuit. It was impossible for me to keep up with the Austrian couple and our guide. It wasn’t the difficult terrain or the altitude that slowed me down; it was my poor level of cardio fitness that held me back. I kept thinking to myself how I was able to trek for 2 weeks straight. The walk from the starting point to the camp site (2800m) took about 4.5 hours. We took lunch there and then headed for the summit. Once again, I quickly fell behind the Austrian couple and our guide (Dasha wasn’t feeling well and stayed at the camp). Thoughts of giving up floated through my mind but I took frequent breathers and kept going. The terrain on this stretch was very steep and involved quite a bit of rock scrambling. After nearly 2 hours I finally reached the summit and was ecstatic that I could finally rest and take in the view. The trek back down to camp took about 1.5 hrs and was by far much easier than the way up but still required quite a bit of care since the track was very muddy and steep.

Back at camp we all huddled by the fire as the sun fell and the temperature dropped. Dinner was surprisingly really good and even more surprising the portions were so massive that the 4 of us couldn’t finish it all. A glass of the local rice wine was included as well. After dinner we chatted for a bit then the entire camp went to sleep. Sleeping bags were provided however they were rectangular summer bags and were totally inadequate for the 5C weather. Everyone was freezing and in the morning no one said they got a good night’s sleep. Other groups of trekkers were also provided summer sleeping bags and shivered throughout the night as well. I think I maybe slept about 1 hour all night and feared that I might lose a toe to the cold. I also had to pee but held it all night since it was pitch black outside, freezing cold, and I would have to change back into my dirty trekking clothes and could possibly fall into the mud.

The following morning we had breakfast then made our way down the mountain, stopping for lunch at the 2200m campsite. From here it was another 2 hours to the end where our ride was waiting for us thanks to our guide who phoned ahead. Back in town we decided to stay another night to rest, shower, and launder our dirty trekking clothes. Then I treated myself to a fancy dinner at an Italian restaurant for 7USD J