Flying from the plains
The flight from Can Tho to Hanoi late at night not only carried luggage, but also the desire to "wash away" the dust of everyday life. Right in the night, we took a sleeper bus straight to Ha Giang.
Early in the morning, Ha Giang 1 ward welcomed us with the characteristic chill of the border highlands. The first thing is to find a really good motorbike, because for backpackers, the motorbike is like a reliable companion on the roads.
The first stop is Ha Giang Km0 landmark with many quite interesting changes compared to 3 years ago. Here, there is currently a trend of eating ice cream printed with tourist symbols and we are also not afraid to experience this. Holding a ice cream stick in the freezing cold weather of the highlands, everyone laughs out loud with excitement. We also bought ourselves a "visa book" for travel. For travel enthusiasts, the "passport" gift will help mark the conquest of Ha Giang destinations. Every time passing through a scenic spot, tourists can come to the information station to ask to stamp the symbol.
From here, the "visual feast" also began to pass through Quan Ba Heaven Gate, admiring the faint Co Tien Twin Mountains in the early morning mist. Feeling the wind whistling in our ears, we became even more excited when passing through the lonely Can Ty tree standing majestically in the sky and earth.
But perhaps, Tham Ma Slope is the place that makes us feel most overwhelmed. The winding curves like a soft silk strip across the dry rocky mountainside. Looking from above, the slope is both solemn and graceful, like a challenging welcome for those who want to conquer. Also here, the prosperity is not only in the smoother asphalt roads, but also in the smiles of ethnic minorities. They do tourism more methodically, small and pretty homestays with local architecture spring up a lot, small roadside eateries are meticulously cared for. It can be said that tourism has truly ignited a new breath of life, helping the lives of the people here to be less hardship.
That evening, we rested in Lo Lo Chai village. If someone asked me about the most peaceful place, I would just come here. The village is located right at the foot of Lung Cu National Flagpole, with houses with warm brown earth walls and hand-lined stone fences. In the quiet space of the mountains and forests, we enjoyed a fragrant black chicken hotpot, the sweet taste of wild chicken meat mixed with the flavor of typical forest leaves. At night, from the homestay window, we saw the national flag shimmering under the lights on top of Dragon Mountain, both gentle and passionate.
When the rock tilts you
If the 160km journey of the first day is an exciting prelude, then conquering Ma Pi Leng is the most culminating and brilliant chapter in our youth symphony. On the road named Happiness, whether morning or noon, fog still lingers on the mountain peaks. Throughout the journey, we remember and are proud of the historical imprints - where thousands of youth volunteers have hung themselves on cliffs for many years to drill rocks and break rocks with the most rudimentary tools. Now, under the motorbike wheels of the two children of the Mekong Delta, that road appears both heroic and challenging.
The higher up, Ma Pi Leng - the name in Hmong meaning "Horse's nose life" gradually appeared with cranks and turns like cluttered threads thrown into the middle of the great forest. On one side is a majestic, thorny limestone cliff, on the other side is a deep abyss with no bottom. There are sections and roads so narrow that it makes me feel like just tilting the steering wheel a little, both the person and the car will disappear into nothingness.
Finding the human drum section with a lot of weeds, we spent an hour just looking at each other and looking down at the Nho Que River. At this altitude, all the sounds of modern life completely disappeared, only the sound of the wind whistling through the rock crevice and the sound of our hearts beating continuously.
On the second night, we chose H'Mong Pa Vi village, Meo Vac as a stopover. The cultural and tourist village with houses built according to the typical architecture from wooden frames, two-story yin and yang roofs, stone fences, and earthen walls. The highlight that makes Pa Vi attractive is the harmonious combination of cultural preservation and tourism development.
It looks like a beautiful scene in an ancient drama, but not somewhere far away but appearing before my eyes," Dang Bich Ngan - my companion shared.
Cuisine is indispensable on long journeys. That evening, with golden brown grilled wild boar and a few glasses of fragrant apple cider vinegar, we leisurely talked about the places we passed through. The highland picture is like a dream seducing two people in the Mekong Delta who do not want to wake up.
Soul regeneration
Returning to the center of Ha Giang to end the "Ha Giang Loop" journey, I proactively ran slower, as if wanting to "capture" all the beautiful scenery into my sights. When the passenger car rolled in the direction of Hanoi and then flew back to the Mekong Delta, both of us had a little regret. Regret that time passed too quickly, regret not having had time to see another buckwheat flower season or a ripe rice season. But more than regret is the feeling of recreating my soul, adding energy to start work.
The trip not only brings beautiful photos but also understanding of the scenery, life and people, to live fully with youth. The stone flower region of Ha Giang, the place that sent back a part of my most beautiful memory at 25, will definitely have my presence before turning 30" - Bich Ngan expressed.
It's a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit.
It's a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit.
