Saigon boy travels to the Northwest for the first time during the cold spell

Shocked by the "terrible" cold in the Northwest highlands, Hieu received wonderful gifts at the transition between winter and spring.

Born and raised in Ho Chi Minh City, Nguyen Tran Hieu, 28 years old, experienced winter in the North for the first time during a trip to the Northwest from January 16 to 28. He was "shocked" by the cold of the mountainous region. Hieu's trip fell during a time when the North was very cold, the temperature in the mountains was from 3 to 5 degrees Celsius, and some high mountain areas had frost.

"For me, the cold of the Northwest mountains is quite terrible. But the harsh weather also brings unexpected and beautiful natural gifts," Hieu said.

Nguyen Tran Hieu and the motorbike sent from Ho Chi Minh City, taken on O Quy Ho pass, Sa Pa town.

Hieu sent his motorbike from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi by train, then started to drive his motorbike through the provinces of Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Son La, and Hoa Binh. The first road from Hanoi to Y Ty commune, Bat Xat, Lao Cai, was 330 km long, and this was the most "uncomfortable" road of the journey for Hieu. Continuous drizzle and fog made the dirt roads muddy and slippery, with thick mud sticking to the wheels.

In return, he gets to experience the most beautiful time of the year. The highland border commune is filled with the white and pink colors of plum and peach blossoms. The markets of the Ha Nhi, Mong and Giay ethnic groups, which take place every Saturday, are even more bustling as people go shopping for Tet and prepare to welcome the new year.

Hieu visited two famous villages in Bat Xat district: Choan Then, a 300-year-old village in Y Ty commune, and Ngai Thau Thuong, the highest village in Vietnam at 2,300m, home to the Mong ethnic group, in A Lu commune. The villages have changed, with modern appliances, but the people still maintain their traditional cultural features through daily activities such as holding market sessions, wearing brocade costumes, embroidering, and sewing by hand at home.

Leaving Bat Xat district to the center of Sa Pa town, the cold air in the North increased, the temperature dropped to 3 degrees Celsius, Sapa was covered in fog all day. Because of being subjective, Hieu only brought a thermal shirt and a jacket. He went to shops and restaurants with fireplaces to warm up. Because he did not have to drive long distances, the cold of Sapa at this time did not affect the journey and health much.

From Sa Pa to Mu Cang Chai, when the fog was still thick, Hieu was able to admire the blooming wild peach blossoms, covering the bare branches with a bright pink color. On the roads leading to the district center, the pink color interspersed in the landscape helped dispel the gloom of winter in the highlands.

From Mu Cang Chai to Moc Chau was the stretch of road that "haunted" Hieu the most on the journey. "Not because of the roads or the scenery, but because of the extreme cold in the North," he said. Driving long distances in 5 degree Celsius weather, despite wearing gloves and thick socks, the wind carrying rain and fog made his hands and feet numb.

"Sometimes I have to stop to put on heat-retaining patches and touch the exhaust pipe to warm up," he shared.

The places Hieu visited in Moc Chau were all covered in fog. Entering Hang Tau, the fog covered the landscape, making it look wild, just like the name of the original village of the Mong people. On the way, the white color of plum blossoms bloomed on both sides of the road, under the fog, becoming poetic like a picture of an early spring morning.

Ending his trip in Mai Chau, Hoa Binh, having "absorbed" the cold of the mountainous region, Hieu rested at a resort located next to Hoa Binh Lake and the "legendary" Da River. The next day, returning to Hanoi, he spent the last two days exploring the capital before parking his car and flying back to Ho Chi Minh City on January 28. "Although we have returned to the lowlands, the cold here is no less than in the mountains, just stepping out onto the street makes you shiver," Hieu said about the cold in Hanoi.

Hieu said that most of the roads he traveled in the Northwest were dirt roads, and traveling by motorbike was prone to accidents. On the way to his homestay in Mu Cang Chai, Yen Bai, due to a skid while climbing a hill, his motorbike's mirror broke and the handlebar bent. Hieu was wearing full protective gear so he was not injured. After Hieu repaired the motorbike himself at the homestay, there were no further problems.

Basic vehicle repair tools and a portable tire pump are indispensable when traveling by motorbike, especially in areas with bad and difficult roads such as the Northern mountainous region. In addition to warm clothes and thermal clothing, Hieu recommends that travelers should prepare protective armor, a thick raincoat to avoid rain and fog, and also keep warm, shoes or boots with good adhesion, can be used in the rain.

After the trip, Mr. Hieu "felt" the "bone-chilling" cold of the mountainous region. "But by enduring that harshness, I received a beautiful gift from nature, which is flowers blooming in the mist," he said.

Quynh Mai
Photo: Nguyen Tran Hieu

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