Fansipan (3,143m), the highest peak of Indochina, is a sacred mountain of Vietnam.
Morning in Sa Pa begins from where that majestic peak looms, half-hidden, half-revealed in the drifting clouds.
I have visited countless times, yet the scenery never grows old. The farther away you look, the more beautiful Sa Pa’s morning appears. When seen up close, the world feels filled with competition and struggle. But when you step back, it softens, dissolving into a sense of ease. That is precisely what Sa Pa offers.
Today, I once again started up my motorbike with a refreshing spirit. In Sa Pa, traditional villages are even more precious than the famous viewpoints. Cat Cat, Lao Chai, Ta Van, and Ta Phin are among the most notable. This morning, I visited the first three, leaving out Ta Phin until later.
Heavy with ripening grain, the terraced rice fields were already glowing golden. Autumn’s abundance filled the valleys: the hands of farmers threshing rice, buffalo relaxing in the mud, and ducks with bellies full. A rich energy unique to this season spread across the fields. With the sunlight shining, even my steps felt lighter.
I ended the morning at Cat Cat, the representative H’Mong village, where I had lunch. In the afternoon, I rode to Ta Phin, the traditional village of the Dao people, to wrap up the last leg of my motorbike journey.
It was bittersweet to part with the young men from Mu Cang Chai who had ridden with me for three days. Perhaps our bond had grown deeper because we had shared the same motorbike all day, shoulders pressed and arms around each other’s waists. A motorbike tour is truly a journey that narrows the distance between people.
Tomorrow, I will climb to the summit of Fansipan. The scenery of Sa Pa – more beautiful the farther away it is – will finally greet me from the very highest place.










