{"id":11460,"date":"2019-06-22T17:04:19","date_gmt":"2019-06-22T16:04:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hastenteufel.name\/blog\/?p=11460"},"modified":"2025-12-05T05:14:25","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T04:14:25","slug":"winter-17-18-from-sa-pa-to-sin-ho","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hastenteufel.name\/blog\/winter-17-18-from-sa-pa-to-sin-ho\/","title":{"rendered":"Winter 17\/18 From Sa Pa to S\u00ecn H\u1ed3\u2069"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Today was the second day of this trip on the Northern Loop with blue sky. I was hoping for the days with only blue sky for a few years – finally, I got at last one day of blue in the mountains. In the evening, I was even happier since I did not want to drive the small road up to the DT 128 in the rain with my Yamaha Exciter 135. And let’s not talk about the slick on the back tire. Best of all, most of today’s drive was still without power lines. And I can not say that too often. Even in 1989, when I was here for the first time, there were power lines everywhere. So it was a special day altogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Fansipan\" <\/picture>
Phan Xi P\u0103ng or Fansipan. 3,143 meters (10,312 ft), making it the highest mountain in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. His nickname is “the Roof of Indochina”. Now with a cable car and an exit to the Gift Shop!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Farm\" <\/picture>
A farm with a view!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Mountains <\/picture>
Mountains and farmland<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Waterfall\" <\/picture>
Blue sky and a waterfall<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Mountains\" <\/picture>
This way we go<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Mountain <\/picture>
The long and winding road<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Mountain <\/picture>
Not really a lot of traffic<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Unspoiled <\/picture>
For a change: Unspoiled mountains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Mountains\" <\/picture>
Steep roads and Zick Zack mountains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Mountains\" <\/picture>
Farmland eats it s way up<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Fruit <\/picture>
Nice selection<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lai Ch\u00e2u <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Rice <\/picture>
Rice fields and a village in the valley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Monument <\/picture>
Lai Ch\u00e2u – Super wide roads and big buildings<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Road <\/picture>
Not to much traffic in Lai Ch\u00e2u<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Mountain <\/picture>
Lai Ch\u00e2u from the top. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Mountains without Power<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Mountains <\/picture>
Mountains in the mist<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Green <\/picture>
Green hills and rocks<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Winding <\/picture>
Looks almost untouched AND no powerlines!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Rice <\/picture>
That did not last to long<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Cement <\/picture>
The power is on the way<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Hills <\/picture>
Unspoiled? Almost – but at last no power poles!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Mountains\" <\/picture>
Landscape like this or farming along the small road<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Village\" <\/picture>
And from time to time small farm houses – without power<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Water <\/picture>
Water Buffaloes doing their water thing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Fields <\/picture>
Farming takes over – starting here<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Steep <\/picture>
Imagine this road in the Rainy Season<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Farm <\/picture>
They where the first with power<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Last <\/picture>
Last tree standing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Farmland\" <\/picture>
More and more farmland<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Panoramic View from Left to Right<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Farmland\" <\/picture>
The farmland eats the forrest again<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Farmland\" <\/picture>
And more and more fires to burn the cut wood<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Farmland\" <\/picture>
Kind of a shock after all that green hills a few clicks back<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Farmland\" <\/picture>
Not to much forrest left<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Mountains\" <\/picture>
A panoramic view over the mountains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Mountains\" <\/picture>
Roads & Fields<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Mountains\" <\/picture>
If only the mist would clear<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Mountains\" <\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"My <\/picture>
My way out over the mountain into the next valley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Down into the next Valley<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"New <\/picture>
Looks like a new house<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Valley\" <\/picture>
Could be a nice view – without the bare red earth<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Concrete <\/picture>
Without a warning: Concrete road again. Not really wide but easy to drive.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Blasting <\/picture>
That nice road turned a bit nasty after I saw this warning sign with the blasting hours. It was 14:39 when I took the picture.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Mountains\" <\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After a while I was back at the QL 12 and turned right to drive up North to meet with Mitsos in S\u00ecn H\u1ed3\u2069.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Grave <\/picture>
This grave yard is not to nice but they do take care of the lawn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Memorial <\/picture>
Memorial Grave Yard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Memorial <\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

S\u00ecn H\u1ed3<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Automotive <\/picture>
Got my chain thightened here. 3 generations of mechanics<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Ducks <\/picture>
The Asians like their food fresh<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Saigon <\/picture>
Not sure if that was a statement but there are not many places in Vietnam to be further away from Saigon. Well I liked it even more.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Vietnamese <\/picture>
Had lunch and later dinner after Mitsos arrived at this nice place<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Ph\u00fac Th\u1ecd Hotel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Phuc <\/picture>
The Phuc Tho Hotel in S\u00ecn H\u1ed3. We had the room with the flag!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Hotel <\/picture>
The room was quite OK<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Toilet\" <\/picture>
The toilet not so fancy but the hot water worked – great!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"City <\/picture>
The view from the balcony to the left. S\u00ecn H\u1ed3\u2069 main square<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Balcony <\/picture>
View to the right<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Bamboo <\/picture>
The first time I had Bamboo shoots in Vietnam. If those are Bamboo shoots.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Had to wait hours for Mitsos to turn up. Since he does not track where he drives, we will never know. Only one thing is sure – he drove a very different road to get here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today\u2019s drive:<\/strong>
I drove 151 kilometers in 6 hours, 11 minutes, with gas and food stops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n