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One reason to linger in this remote mountain town is that Tuan Giao attracts a
lot of ethnic minorities who still dress in the traditional way - particularly
White Thai and H'mong - and it's really the best spot along the route to
Dien
Bien Phu to take some of those classic photos you'll want to send back home.
The folks in town seem to be very camera shy, but along the highway leaving
town, they were lining up to have their pictures taken. You're always supposed
to ask before taking a picture, but that typically results in some very stiff
postures being assumed by the photographee. Our trick is, after getting the go
ahead, hang out for a while, try to chat if you can, get people relaxed and
smiling, then start snapping.
The trip from Son La to Dien Bien Phu used to be a bumpy, 155 km ride along a
narrow, poorly paved road that hugged the sides of every mountain and provided
breathtaking vistas at every turn. But an effort is under way to make Highway 6
friendly to large vehicles transporting goods between Hanoi and destinations in
Laos. As of now, and for the next few years at least, it's a hellish ride
through dust and mud, among heavy construction vehicles, with a few sections so
torn up you'll feel like you're in a commercial demonstrating how tough your
motorbike really is. It is, officially, the worst road in Vietnam, but only
because they're trying to make it better. You will not move faster than 20 km
per hour, on average, along this road, unless you want to die, and every hour
will be hard won.
For those of you on the bus to Dien Bien Phu, unless you revel in the kind of
misery of a long haul through remote northern India, also consider scheduling a
night here if possible. Large vehicles breakdown frequently, often blocking the
road in narrow, hilly places for hours at a time. The chances of making it from
Hanoi to Dien Bien Phu in less than ten hours are not good. |
