Day 82: Day 2 on the Minsk - Crazy local Buses and Falling Rocks

Mai Chau Guest house view at 7am

Awake in beautiful Mai Chau to birds chirping, crispness to the air, breeze coming through the windows. Quickly consume everything on my plate, brush my teeth, and head out on day two of the journey.

It's another insane ride, mountains all around, limestone "boobies" pop up everywhere, appear moss covered but upon closer inspection, those are trees. The highway is in good condition, asphalt not showing signs of much weather related exhaustion nor wear and tear as a whole. Hugging the cliff edges, gliding through the vineyards, avoiding the occasional water buffalo, that literally sums up our morning.

Bobbie Hills of NW Vietnam

In the afternoon as I come to an almost 90 degree corner, Falling Rock signs everywhere, two things happen. First, a local bus comes sliding around the bend maybe 15 seconds before my arrival, and when I say sliding, I mean something out of Gone in 60 Seconds or Speed. Whips around the corner, tail end flails out in the gravel, completely crosses the double white line on into my shoulder, no brakes applied, wheels spinning, it's all accelerator, tires finally grip, I slow to a crawl, misses me by a hundred feet. Side note: in case you have not gathered, the local buses are scary crazy, seem to have a death wish, value timeliness over safety. And mind you, they'll have bikes and boxes an luggage and chickens all strapped to the top of the bus ... It's insane.

Second thing, bus passes, I accelerate, watchful for another suicide bus driver, slightly break through the corner, walls of carved rock reach up to the sky on both sides, boom, smash, turn my head around, softball size rock debris litters the street, barely missed a falling boulder, whew. Return eyes ahead, boom, smash, on my right, bike is peppered by rock shrapnel, accelerate, out of danger zone, woah! Falling Rock sign is no joke.

Village on a ridge in the mountains

Topography is breathtaking, pinch myself, I'm really here. Wait, where's Will? I stop to take a few pictures, assume he'll catch up, at some point he does, then passes. No worries, he's a picture taker, he'll stop soon enough. And there he is, taking pictures of some kids, them asking for money, he does not oblige. Smart!

Enter Son La, our destination for the day, road widens to 3 lanes, that's fancy, but there are only a few bikes on it as far as the eyes can see ... Eerie ... like a ghost town. Either side is barren for a good mile or two, buildings pop up, no depth, maybe 50 feet deep, almost like movie set facades, random store fronts or machine shops or gated doorways, no hotels. Will and I slow, confused, where are we to stay? Stop, converse, town looks like it's ending, squeezes down to double lane, press on. Like a light at the end of the tunnel, we see it, the all familiar Vietnamese signal for the town center, slogan banners reaching across the road. Pass two or three options before hitting the true center, denoted by a large column of flowers in the center of a large roundabout.

Will and I with two local Son La peeps

Find a hotel just steps away, air con, hot water, tv, 200,000 dong = $10usd. Deal. Wander up some streets, find a place for dinner, meet a random Aussie on a business trip and his local colleagues. Invited to join their table, soon the potent rice wine shots are flowing, forced to participate, then it's off to karaoke, all in Vietnamese. Leave Will to schmooze, possible work opportunity in Australia with the Aussie's company, wander the streets, find the hotel, retire to my bed.

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