Dozens of honking motorbikes jockeyed for space as they zigzagged up Quan Ba Pass in Ha Giang, Vietnam. I clutched and throttled between low gears on my Honda XR while keeping one eye on the narrow road and the other on my guide, who was riding his own motorcycle about 5km ahead.
Suddenly, the land along our right side dropped away, revealing a sweeping view of rolling hills, terraced farmland and layers of mountains lurking in the midday haze. I quickly understood why locals call this stretch of road Heaven’s Gate.
