Ha Giang Loop Day 1

We got up and had a great morning.  We both take alone time to be quiet, read and work out.  I ran around the river once and worked out a little bit.  A Vietnamese man was so excited to keep talking to me even though i couldn't communicate with him. 

Sunrise

Vietnamese coffee is amazing

Then we went to go pick up the second scooter.  We took stuff out of our main packs and only brought small bags.  Aka i didn't really change clothes for 4 days.

Travel bag

The ride was gorgeous.  Through valleys and tiny towns.  Scooters zooming around corners and switch backs like crazy! 

We stopped in a little town for lunch and I was able to get hot tea!  I'm getting pretty sick of fried rice though.

Town where we stopped for lunch

TEA!

It's amazing riding through small towns and villages.  The woman are all dressed in traditional wear.  Shiny metallic outfits.  Children everywhere walk in groups, holding hands, sitting on the mountain side, people everywhere.  I think some of it is because of tet.  Many houses are made of simple concrete or mud.  Rice fields everywhere.  People working with ox and plows.  Pictures cant describe out beautiful. 

Later we stopped on a mountain top at a little tent for coffee.  Somehow they had wifi!!

Condensed milk in tiny containers!  I'm in love!

I MIGHT have stalled out and fallen over at one point.  The mountain roads were pretty steep and I was only in 3rd gear, stalled on a sharp turn and fell into a ditch.  Didn't get hurt, but struggled to lift the bike out of the ditch while people zoomed by.  Other than that, the ride was pretty uneventful and amazing.

At night, Ami had in mind a place he wanted to stay because he read a blog about it.  Took us a little while to find it, but we pulled up to a pretty house, three stories and blue.  The very friendly host, Lu, met us outside.  He was excited to chat with us.  300k dong for the night and we were the only people staying in this big building.  We were in the middle of nowhere and def no other foreigners were nearby.

Ami and I went for a walk and everyone stared at us.  The kids get so excited to say hello and then they all giggle when we respond.  Ami keeps saying he looks Vietnamese and that i'm the foreigner lol.  Def not true.

It's crazy how much people litter here.  They just walk and drop there trash anywhere.

Kids playing

Lu invited us to dinner with his family.  After we had beers together and tea (he def did not wash the tea cups).  I told Lu about Duolingo so he could practice his english too.  He was so excited!

Sunset

Honestly, it was pretty freaky to stay at this giant house and be the only ones inside.  Lu and his family sleep next door.  When we walked back to the house and the main lights were black lights, I almost freaked out.

The bed was... just a box spring, I'm pretty sure.  There was only a duvet and no sheets, so I guessed we were supposed to sleep on top of the duvet and then use the blanket?  Let's just say, not the best night sleep.  Great conversation and awesome company though... what a great day :)