Words, photos, and film by Belén Castelló

After 10 days on the road, I was finally starting to get the hang of Vietnam. It always takes time to adapt to the rhythm, the food, the language barrier, the solitude. I had just reached the border with China, and with it, the beginning of the mountains. That meant one thing: it was time to start climbing.

But as I pedaled into the highlands, temperatures soared, and so did my doubts. The prospect of such a long journey ahead, combined with the demands of the route I’d mapped out, began to weigh heavily on me. Could I really keep this up for two whole months?

These kinds of doubts often surface early in a long trip. It’s that moment when I start wondering whether the excitement that got me going will be enough to carry me through the harder days. But I reminded myself: there was no rigid plan. The whole point was to experience this country, to learn what it meant to travel solo, and to enjoy the ride.

The region of Cao Bằng is home to some of the most striking natural sights in the north, and for once, I was glad to slow down and explore off the bike too. During my time riding through the area, I experienced some of the hardest moments of the trip, as well as some of the most meaningful encounters.

Episode two captures the ups and downs of finding my rhythm in the Vietnamese mountains—learning to let go of expectations, listen to my instincts, and move forward with a little more confidence.

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