The year was 2017 and Keaton and I had ridden up to the pass with his then partner sagging in his truck. We camped on the only flat space available near the trail head and in the morning we hiked the couple of miles to the pass. After the hike, the ride down was worth every second of the eternal climb. This was our first super fun longer ride together but not to be our last.
Keat and I have been riding bikes together since we were kids. Once we fled a truck following us in the alleys near his old house on 29th. Another time I broke my ankle riding my dads old mountain bike in the foothills where Keat and friends were building a bike park. In high school we'd ride to school together almost every day of senior year. Boise is made for bikes.
Keat and I have been the tightest of homies since grade school. Our friendship was fortified by a 6-month stint living together in Bellingham in 2013. For my birthday this year, Molly planned to invite Keat over to Vietnam for a cycling trip. We were hyped on cycling the Ha Giang loop; a 4-5 day tour through the northern mountains and Hmong villages with enough elevation gain to choke up even Sir Edmund Hillary. The plans were coming together, until it all fell apart due to coronavirus.
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| First day near the top of pass to Quan Ba. |
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| Night before preparations |
By the Numbers: 5 days, 24 hrs of riding, 12 hours on a bus, 370 riding kms, 9,000 m elevation gain, 3+ kilograms of friend rice, fruit, and banh mis, 8 beers, 7 flat tires, 1 haircut, 3 Canadians, and 1 stoked rider.
By the Letters: As I mentioned, I was stoked, but a bit anxious - about my gear, riding alone, poor brakes, and missing my end-of-week obligations.
From the moment I clipped in my anxiousness subsided. I pedaled from the bus up the valley on a hot sunny afternoon, feeling exactly where I needed to be. I smiled to the locals as I passed and gave ma-halos to the passing motorists. I could here the birds by the river and pedaled hard against the slight incline. This was just what I needed after a week of sadness saying goodbye to Molly and Jett.
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| Quan Ba - Heaven's Gate |
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| Chin Khoan Ramp - Literally switch backs within switchbacks |
What I discovered next solidified my acceptance to traveling alone on this trip - the travelers weren't interested in me, but the host lady and I kicked it off. Within 10 minutes I'd nearly exhausted my supply of Viet language, telling her about my family, my son, my experiences in Vietnam. I asked about her life, her business, and her elbow she had injured after recently slipping in the kitchen. I realized that traveling alone allowed me to connect with the locals in a way I otherwise wouldn't have had I been with friends. Touring with my friends wasn't an option, so discovering the connections I made was able to make with Vietnamese provided a different yet equally strong memory.
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| Beautiful place to change a flat |
Three nights later while finishing "the loop," I returned to Quan Ba after completing an amazing 100km day and immediately sought out another evening at the same restaurant - HOAN HAO. The hostess' grandchildren were playing around and I was able to talk with them about cycling, football, and food. I recognized and applauded the young boy's special relationship with his younger sister. I told him I have two sisters and how important it is to be nice to younger siblings. Later that night after dinner around 8pm, I walked him and his sister to the hairdresser 500m down the road and we all got haircuts and hair washes. They waited for me and I waited for them. On the way back, I bought us all kit kats and the boy mentioned how much fun we were having. I agreed, smiled, and shared my genuine enjoyment with these two before sending them back to grandma for the night.
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| Haircut buddies |
In between my nights at Hoan Hao, I met two other amazing people, Angie and Alex. I met them, along with young Ediour, at the top of a forked pass heading down to Dong Van after 90 kms at 4:30pm. I had planned on turned left, and they right, until they convinced me to follow them down the valley to Dong Van instead of on my own up another grueling climb to a remote home stay. I'm so grateful I followed them for so many reasons. First, I would have been riding into the dark. Second, I spent the next two days with them, leapfrogging up and down to Lung Cu, the northern pole of Vietnam, eating amazing meals together, and sharing travel stories, party stories, and laughing laughing laughing. Both nights of dining with them, not a single one of us looked at our phones - we just ate, drank, and were merry. I knew they were extra special when, on their day off, they woke up with me at 6:30 to see me off on my journey.
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| Montreal mountain folk friends |
The riding on the trip was incredible. Massive uphills, switch-backed downhills, and a few sweeping descents that cut through the sides of a mountains like a low angled scar. The sweat on the climbs reminded me of why I decided to do this - I love to push myself physically in the mountains, something I've loved for a while. The small peaks rose out of bigger based mountains and pocked the landscape with tree-covered karsts. The landscape and the relief were undeniably attractive - that's why people go there, including me. Yet now that I'm home, I find myself sharing most the interactions I had with others. For those who travel alone a lot, this is old news. But for me, I don't, so I appreciated these unexpected encounters.
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| 1 km to go! |
The final day was a ride from Heaven's Gate back to Ha Giang city. 40 kms of absolutely cruiser downhill. Most fun I've ever had on a bicycle was this morning. I had just finished an interview, I was rested and revitalized. I was blasting tunes, dancing on the pedals, and waving like a fool to all the merchants. It reminded me of hooting and hollering with Keat down from Cascade Pass three years ago. Next time brotha!
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| Showered, fed, rested, and happy. |
I'm already revamping my bike set up for more weekend rides around Hanoi. In my final months here I'm starting to take Vietnamese classes again. I'm hoping my bicycle and my weak yet improving language skills will help me soak up these final moments with the lovely people in this beautiful country.
