Return, Legs 3

Pho Rang

I've been back in completely untouristed small town Vietnam over the last couple of days, quite a change from the loop, with its hordes of young travellers.

There's no tourists here whatsoever. Not even Vietnamese ones. The route I'm taking is a back road to the town of Lao Cai, which sits on the Chinese border, and there's no so-called "tourist attractions" anywhere along the way.

I guess I'll probably get to Lao Cai tomorrow, and will cross into China the next day, insha'Allah.

Revolutionary art in Ha Giang

I'm feeling better, but not 100%. I still have a runny nose, which is annoying when you're cycling, and I'm still not at my full energy levels, unfortunately.

Well, not yet.

High above the Lo (River)

Town square in Viet Quang

Dinner. The white stuff is bitter bamboo shoots. Good when mixed with other stuff, but not so great on its own.

An example of my incredibly structured and methodical language learning technique.

It was super hot and humid today. The fields are looking rather pukka at the moment chaps.

Unfortunately though, crop burn offs are creating some pretty hazy skies. Skies that reach down into everyone's lungs.

Wooden spoondrain

The whole place was plied with the stuff

Large bunches of drying leaves. Not sure what they're used for.

Traditional large wooden house with thatch

A woman made me a salad today. A salad! Well, it was more like a salad soup, as it was swimming in a clear pickley sauce. But it was bloody good, and the last thing I expected around here.

Spring has definitely sprung

There were more high passes today, and the air was completely still, and stinking hot. I sweated like a pig being raped by a British Prime Minister.

No, I didn't make up that unforgettable image. It was on an episode of Black Mirror I once saw, and I couldn't resist mentioning it.

The views were beautiful, of course

Pho Rang is a grubby town. The streets are grubby, the eating places are grubby, my hotel is grubby, my bathroom is very grubby.

But hey, ya get that sometimes.

Dinner on a grubby table.

Under the table

These dusty boxes have been sitting here for years. Note the "Keep In Cool Dry Place" direction - it was about 35 degrees in there.

The lovely lady convinced me to buy these. They were crispy and old sesame crackers. Not bad actually. She gave me a couple of small packs of biscuits for free, which was very kind, except that when I tried them they weren't that recognisable as biscuits anymore, given their age.

Last Leg

It was already hot when I set off today.

The local plywood industry is really big around here.

1000 Ply

Ply on the wall.

Aaargh! Ok ok, I'll try really hard to stop using silly puns.

It's just that they're so easy to make up on the ply.

Although, realistically, I sorta know how my brain works. Even though I might try not to write any more, sometimes it's really hard for me to get self censorship to a ply.

Leafing the district

My destination. Only 60 clicks to go, and it's only 11am.

Drying bark. Not sure what for.

Encouraging drivers to use their horns before entering the village.

These little piggies are going to market

Board meeting.

Shit. That could've been one of my captions for a bunch of ply.

So great to see a bit of lantana out here. I miss it.

I can't believe I only discovered corn milk on my last day in Vietnam. It was delicious! Full of jelly too.

The steam bun, bánh bao, was nice too

A bloody scorcher. Felt just like at home. I miss Oz sometimes.

China's own Southern Border Wall.

Downtown Lao Cai

A delicious dinner, and my last Vietnamese beer for who knows how long.

Durian coconut sweet. Yum.

Good Evening Vietnam

Awwwwww, it's finally become time for me to leave this beautiful country.

I love Vietnam. I've spent 3 and a half months here over the past 10 months, and it really feels familiar now. It feels like home.

It's so amazing to be able to experience that feeling, of knowing a country so well that it just feels normal to be here. I know the language well enough to get what I need, I feel really comfortable connecting with the local people, I know what food and drinks are around, and I know what I like here.

This has been my route over the past 6 weeks.

For most of this part of my trip I've been in the hills, except for Tam Coc and Hanoi. This time I decided not to go to the well touristed Sa Pa region or Halong Bay, as I've visited those places before, and, you know, you can't go everywhere all of the time.

The End Of The Beginning

It's the end of an era.

And the beginning of a new one.

Leaving Vietnam and entering China means I'm officially, after all this time, leaving Southeast Asia.

Of course I know it's not necessary for me to say how much I love this region.

But that doesn't mean I won't.

It's just so bloody relaxed here. People make their own rules, in their own time. There's incredible food, scenery, mountains, beaches, cultures, languages, national parks, cities, and thousands and thousands of villages and nondescript towns all over the shop.

Southeast Asia is a melting pot of nearly 700m people, although, surprisingly, that's only about 9% of the world's population.

And guess what my absolutely most favourite incredibly special thing about Southeast Asia is?

It's those 700m people.

I think I've met nearly all of them now.

I cannot even begin to describe the incredibly warm feeling I have for the people here. They've completely carried me on my journey, always looking out for me, calling and waving to me, giving me things, food and drinks, cooking for me, cleaning for me, fixing my bike, and doing a million other things for me.

Every day.

And so much of the time it's all been for free. Just because they want to help me.

And so many times they'll go the extra yard.

These people have taught me about respect. They're incredibly generous,  hospitable, and so respectful of everyone. And the older you are, the more respect you're afforded. It's really inspiring, and is something for all of us to emulate. Imagine how infinitely beneficial this approach would be for our own societies.

So, to every single person I've met here, I want to express my deepest and most sincere gratitude. Right from the middle of my gushing heart.

And, in the most fitting finale of all time, as I was riding up a steep hill today, in the blazing hot sun, the most incredible thing happened.

You probably won't believe me.

As my legs slowly propelled me up the hillI, I suddenly felt an external force pushing me and my bike from behind.

The force was powerful and real, and made my pedalling so much easier.

But the thing is, there was no one there.

And then I suddenly remembered all those hundreds and hundreds of kids I've passed on the road on my bike on this trip, nearly all of them getting excited as I came past, waving, calling out, running to keep up with me, and squealing with delight.

So many times kids have helped me if I was climbing a hill, by running behind me and physically pushing my bike to make it easier for me. Sometimes there was a posse of them, taking turns. Of course, every time they did it, I felt their help before I knew what they were doing.

They're so incredibly kind, up for a good time, and, of course, they loved every minute of it. As did I.

But today, in the still heat, there were no kids to physically help me up the hills.

So, of course, they just went the extra yard.

And they did it anyway❤️

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