March 30, 2023

It is our final day on the loop. We woke up tired, but luckily not hungover and wandered out to breakfast. Today was a little foggy to start but more so in an ethereal way, not a disappointing way. Our first stop was a little boat trip through the rivers and cliffs. We had about an hour ride here enjoying the views before we hopped back on the bikes to begin our 150 km journey back to Ha Giang city. The weather cleared up really nicely for us for this las day which is good because the driving was tough.

Lots of dirt roads and bumpy rock spots. I was so impressed that my group handled it as impeccably as they did because this was some nasty driving. It really put into perspective why this drive is so dangerous. Our guide gave us masks to help with the dusty roads and recommended we throw on our rain gear for dust coverage. We cruised through here till we stopped for lunch and it was finally warm enough to just ride in a tshirt.

After lunch, my driver needed gas so we had to stop before everyone else as they zoomed by. Luckily, young is a badass and even though we fell behind he high speed chased the group till we caught up about 10 minutes later. The drive today was more of the same. Beautiful views, amazing stopping spots at viewpoints and really happy moments. Its sad that this drive is ending but I am so happy that I did it. My legs and butt are so sore after 350 km on a bike but I wouldn’t change it for the world.

We returned back to the hostel, grabbed some celebratory bahn my’s and drank some beers while we all waited for our sleeper busses. This trip was everything I wanted. Now I’ll have one final day in Hanoi before I go back to the Gili islands, the place that has stolen my heart in South East asia.