Road bends of the northwest: Mai Chau/ Moc Chau/ Nghia Lo

The first 80km Mai Chau – Moc Chau road bend on the National Road 6 is a wonder. Crytal clear sky and splendid sunshine will excite you all. In front of you are vast hills, lush prairies stretching to infinity and forest of white plum blossom that offer a good vision. Sometimes you might catch sight of flocks of cows and buffalos grazing idly, giving a silly glance at you. And dense cherry blossoms mingle in exuberant golden cabbage fields burst like tiny pink stars.

Splendid landscape: Nghia Lo/ Yen Bai/ Bac Ha

The 153 provincial road from Bac Ngam to Bac Ha was 26km and full of passes. As you ascend, mist grows thicker, holding up you at speed of 30 to 40kph. Sometimes the sky brighten, adorn with honey sunshine like a mischievous maid teasing you. These terraces lay showing off their breathtaking beauty in a fine day. The landscape is majestic indeed.

Flowers of Bac Ha market: Bac Ha/ Lao Cai/ Ta Phin/ Sa Pa

Bac Ha town in Sunday will astonish you hugely. Instead of the expected boring atmosphere, joyous noises and bright color prevail across the highland market. You will be held in spellbound by shy beauties in the market. Modern Mong and Dao girls were masterful at using cell phones, checking mails and yahoo chat with startlingly long friend-list of foreigners. You may be asked for money after taking photos of some women here.

Borderless Sa Pa rock grass field in Lao Chai – Ta Van

Sa Pa has an old church in its central town and Muong Hoa Valley with 169 stones freakily chiseled by primitive habitants thousand years ago. Pause at ancient stones – one of the precious natural wonders that fully convey the beauty of  a land  and boast many crucial archeological sites. This prove a quite interesting tourist sites. However, our weather is always characterized by unpleasant tropical humidity  and annual floods from the uplands. Should the stones survive after a string of rain, winds, erosion and weathering factors? And when ancient characters is erased on the surface of those stones, they will become as senseless and tedious as myriads of the other normal stones through out the Northwest region.

Well, it’s time to go back.

Say good bye to the bowls of San Lung wine drink in chilly winter in Sa Pa.

Say goodbye to tasty organ hot pot and chaparral road bends in Mai Chau.

Say goodbye to to Thai dance and gleaming eyes of kids in Ta Phin.

Goodbye to fertile terrace and carving patterns on ancient of stones of thousand years.