to Meo Vac: a schweaty climb

November 7, 2016

"My glasses fog up when I stop" Rachel says. "It's the humidity" Patrick says.

Sweat is just dripping off of us. The sun is strong, yet in the shade we get chilled and beginning to understand why the locals are all bundled up on the mopeds.To think only a few weeks ago in Mongolia, we were in temperatures of -12C and also bundled up.

The first 24km of the ride is an undulating road of gaining and losing the same 10 meters along the Gam River. We go through small towns with houses along the side of the road. First we see a woman spinning thread, a little bit further we see a woman weaving the thread and then even further we see the cloth drying. One village we cycle through is having a morning market. We see local women all through this area wearing colorful finely pleated skirts and length below their knees. Their lower legs are wrapped in various colored wraps.

Then turning onto QL4C, we cross the Nho Que River on the Cal Ly Bon bridge at Son Mien. A few kilometers later we start a steep 10% climb away from the river then another 10km of ups and downs. At 50km we cross another bridge and stop in a town (Khau Vai) for a food break. At distance marker 190, the 20km climb begins. This was a tough section. Some sections still 10% some 5-6%. Sweat drips off of us.

At 4km from Meo Vac, Rachel was expecting a downhill but there was one more climb then a steep downhill into town. The karsts hills look spectacular in the dying light. We check out two hotels and check in at hotel Tien Cuong. Good value at 300,000D, about US$14.

Despite some contrary information foreigners still need a permit to travel in this border region. In the past this permit was only available in the Ha Giang, the capitol of this region. Cyclist doing this loop in the "wrong" direction could get in trouble and get fined for not having the permit. Now things are simplified: the first hotel you stay in can arrange the permit, probably when they go to the police station to register you. Anyhow, our hotel promises to arrange the permit for us.

We find a nice restaurant just down the road. They have an English language menu, we have a nice dinner of fried rice, pork ribs and spring rolls.

We stay and extra day, hoping the weather to improve so we get views.