riding above the clouds

 We started our morning with a muddy ride through a tea tree farm, and after a few minutes, we noticed a heroin needle on the ground. The more we looked around, the more we noticed- there were piles upon piles of needles stuck into the mud. The guide explained there was a huge heroin problem in this area, and the hilly trails provided heroin users with a secluded area to shoot up. 

 For the rest of the day, we rode up a series of mountains, never taking a single downhill path. For most of the time, we found ourselves riding through clouds.

 As we rounded a bend in the road, we broke above the clouds and felt the warmth of the sun for the first time in Vietnam. We then watched as the clouds rose further and enveloped the road we had just traveled.

 Even with limited visibility, the view was breathtaking.

 We soon reached Sa Pa, a large town nestled in the mountain and our stopping place for the evening. The clouds drifting through the town created an eerie atmosphere.

 The next morning, we went for a hike to the highest point of the mountain. The sun came out, the clouds settled below the town, and for the first time, we could see the entire landscape.

 Sunburned and relaxed, we drove down the mountain from Sa Pa to Lao Cai, where we boarded an overnight train back to Hanoi. We arrived in Hanoi at 5 am to find the station soaked from the evening's rain.