Fantastic routes Bac Ha – Hoang Su Phi – Ha Giang – Dong Van – Lan Ha (episode 2)

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Trip of couple Anne-Marie and Christian AUDE with the local agency Vietnam Evasion

From September 20, 2019 to October 2, 2019

Tour : Hanoi – Bac Ha – Hoang Su Phi – Ha Giang – Dong Van – Meo Vac – Lung Phin – Lan Ha Bay

Episode 2: How 2 tourists become TV stars

Bac Ha

After the market we leave for Ban Phung and Ban Luoc whose rice fields are reputed to be among the most beautiful.

We first have to cross the Nan Ma pass: the track that was not very practicable in the direction of Xin Man has recently been replaced by a road that starts normally (i.e. winding and narrow but correct) on a beautiful desert plateau.

Problem: this new road has not been completed to the end, so that we quickly find ourselves on a completely broken track until the steep descent to Coc Pai (also called Xin Man like the district), a village overlooking the very enclosed valley of the Chay. The usual average speed of 30km/h in this region does not exceed 20km/h here… and still without dragging. (the LP gives 2h30 by car for these 35km… so we get by quite well).

Arrived at Coc Pai, Vinh proposes to us to cross the village on foot to stretch the legs and to rest the back, while Nghia circumvents it to recover us on the other side… and there excellent surprise, we fall on a local festival with music, tasting of local products, etc…

As we are the only tourists (not surprising!), we are quickly spotted, everyone calls us to taste the products, take selfies, etc….

It is the story of the guide of the tourist who takes in picture the Vietnamese who take in picture the tourists (us) who taste the local products Wink,…

We walk around until the television team that covers the event sees us and asks us if we want to answer his questions. We give then our impressions to the 2 journalists, on Vietnam in general and the region of Xin Man in particular (landscapes, foods, population,…), Vinh who assuring the translation in Vietnamese.

It is very nice, everyone rushes towards us and it follows an interminable photo session… I take advantage of it then to photograph those who photograph us!

They thank us and we leave…. until the team of TV catches up with us: the 1st catch was not good because in backlight. We start again, we have all our time, the interview finishes well this time.

We still drag a little in Xin Man,

Dao with long tunic

Nung

Hmong

Nung

Day

then we walk in bottom of valley, before attacking a very steep and aerial road above a vertiginous gorge.

The crossing of the only met vehicle takes an infinite time, the driver having to move back between cliff and emptiness until a little wider zone. We knew cooler moments and the perspective to go down again by this road does not delight us much… but we are not going to complain to be here

Today, I regret a little not to have asked the driver to stop to make qqs memories of this aerial road.

The slope softens, the gorge disappears, the rice fields appear…

with their cohort of workers

and we reach Ban Phung, a tiny village located on a ridge in the middle of rice fields

Here is one that is deserved

The rice fields of Ban Phung and Ban Luoc

Meal in the restaurant of Ban Phung village :

Vinh and Nghia appreciate like us this good meal :

Dragon fruit and grapefruit :

I came to these isolated mountains of North Vietnam to find myself far from the modern world, it is successful, I find myself with a band of geek :

I discovered that Vietnam is a country where internet is omnipresent. Even in the most remote villages we can connect without any problem (Ban Phung is really far from everything).

New hike with a view on the Chinese border (the ridge in the background) :

Most of the rice fields are still green: with the altitude, the harvest is just beginning.

The inhabitants bury their dead behind their wooden house, the graves are cement cones :

The road downhill is less spectacular than feared, then we reach the village of Vinh Quang still in the valley of the Chay and finally new climb to the village of Ban Luoc, by this road :

2h to 2h30 of walk are necessary to join our lodging at the inhabitant’s in the middle of the rice fields.

As we dragged well on the way, the night approaches and the time will miss: Vinh calls Xe om (motorcycle cabs) to make the journey a bit sporty on a muddy track with by place the emptiness (not too much!) very close…

It is sporty, Anne-Marie will get off the bike twice and wants to finish on foot (but will still choose the bike when she sees the remaining path)