Wrapped up our entire #RideVietnam adventure after having spent two chilly days in Sapa by riding to China's Hekou Border at Lao Cai.
It was even more foggy than yesterday as we departed Sapa.
Check out my cockpit view. Even in day time, visibility is already low. I can't imagine we actually rode through the mountainous roads in this fog at night just a few days back.
As we descended down the mountain, the fog gradually clear and we were able to enjoy the beautiful views of the vast rice terraces around us.
What a big difference without the fog.
Since we didn't manage to see much the past few days, we started spamming pictures now that visibility is better.
Goodbye Sapa! You've been lovely and so picturesque nonetheless. I will be back for you one day, for Fansipan!
Mel and I rode down from Sapa to Lao Cai while my brothers and his friends took a taxi with their luggages. Since we still had time before our overnight train ride to Hanoi, we decided to check out China Border which was really close by.
Just a short 8 minutes ride from Lao Cai town and we arrived at China's Hekou Border! So close yet so far from China. We couldn't crossover as we didn't have the necessary VISA but it was pretty cool seeing locals and traders carrying tons of goods in and out from China to Vietnam via this bridge.
Sent our bikes for a good wash down to rid all that chunk of mud, stains and other forms of dirt collected from the past few days of riding before heading to Lao Cai Railway Station to load our bikes up for an overnight train ride!
The train ticket for motorcycle can only be purchased on the day of travel so to secure a space in the cargo carriage, we arrived at the station 3 - 4 hours before the train's departure time. Cost was about SGD $30 if I remember correctly.
8 hours later, we arrived back at Hanoi and when we hopped off the train, our bikes were already ready for our collection on the platform. Too bad didn't get to witness the loading/unloading of the bikes, it would interesting to see how they do it just like in Thailand.
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| Pho 10 |
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| Crispy pork omelette |
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| Local dessert |
Returned these trusty orange warriors back to KTM before flying back to Singapore! Our two wheel journey in Vietnam is OFFICIALLY COMPLETED! WOOHOOOO!
It's been one hella ride!
From the bustling city in Ho Chi Ming, to the vast ocean in Da Nang, up into the mountains in Sapa filled with endless rolling hills of rice terraces, what a sight it was watching the landscapes around us change while we rode through different weather, climate and terrains.
The struggling times and mental exhaustion were real, but we pulled through together, before being rewarded with all that breathtaking sceneries.
So so thankful to have done this trip with Mel who braved through this entire journey with me despite it being a first touring ride with a couple of traumatising LOL WTF moments hahaha. At the end of the day, we're happy and proud to say WE DID IT :D
What a way to start 2019 and yeah! Another adventure clocked in!!
[Singapore. Ho Chi Minh. Da Lat. Quy Nhon. Da Nang. Hanoi. Ha Giang. Lao Cai. Sapa. Lao Cai. Hanoi. Singapore]
[Mileage Clocked: 1,712KM]
[Terrain: Tarmac, Mountain Passes]
[Traffic: Moderate]
[Terrain: Tarmac, Mountain Passes]
[Traffic: Moderate]
[Temperature/Weather: 17°C/Chilly]
