Somewhere between Lao Cai and Lai Chau, our bus had to stop due to construction. I'm still not sure how the driver knew, since there was no one there to halt us. Perhaps it was just an extended pit stop. We stayed here and watched the afternoon light fade for about an hour before continuing on for the final leg of the Sa Pa to Dien Bien Phu trip. The whole thing takes about 9 hours, which will probably have you asking "Are we there yet?"