Category: Vietnam

Phong Nha exploration

Today we didn’t plan any trips. We grabbed the motorbikes (back from the mechanic – again) and went exploring the national park. There was a suggested route to take and at the bottom of the map page they gave us it said you need at least 3 litres of fuel to complete the circuit. But, more about that later.

We set off and decided to take a dirt road next to the river. I like getting lost when I know where I am. I know that doesn’t make sense but I mean exploring an area, finding hidden gems off the beaten track. Continue reading Jungle Roamers

Dong Ha to Phong Nha

After 4 or 5 exceptional days and nights we were quite tired and ready for a quiet day. We still had to cover the distance to Phong Nha and there were two options; the straight-ish road up the coast (short and boring) or the wiggly road through the mountains (long and amazing). If we did the full length of the wiggly road it would have taken us 2 days so we decided to bomb 2/3rds of the way up the coast and then tack back into the mountains for the good bits in the national park.

The road on the map looked like the trace of a drunken man’s progress up the street. It looped back on itself so many times there was no way to tell in which direction you were actually making progress. At one point we were 15km from our destination but had 45km of road to travel. It was an interesting road, no only for the scenery, which was amazing, but the surface! It was simultaneously being resurfaced, had piles of rocks and sand, mud from loggers, trees, concrete sections, tarmac sections and all the usual potholes and moss from the minimal traffic that ever used the road. Oh and we were so high we were inside the clouds, so it was wet too. At one point visibility dropped to about 10m and we were crawling along.

Continue reading Chicken Man

Dong Ha DMZ tour

We got back in quite late and very tired so after a damp night in an empty hotel it was time to rise but there was no shining. The weather was still a bit grey and uninspiring. After much debate about whether to go by motorbike or car ( price difference ) on the tour we opted for the car to avoid the rain and get more time to ask the guide questions.

Dong Ha was only a small town until the american war. When it all kicked off the americans came and relocated the people so they could build a big runway atop the ridge that Dong Ha sits on. The only remnants of this now is the main, dead straight road and one shot up and damaged plane hangar. Continue reading Wedding in the DMZ

Hue to Dong Ha

Today started in safe mode. Only a few systems online at a time, limited memory, error checking and system restoring myself. It took a good 4 hours to recover well enough to contemplate any sort of action today. After two amazing nights out in a row, I am feeling a bit weary and fuzzy headed. Luckily all we had to do was 70km to the next town up the coast.

We are trying to stay up in the mountains for the roads but the country is so skinny at this point the only towns are near the coast anyway. The only problem was the weather, again wr had drizzle. And we had to commit to starting the ride in the rain, so it was really demoralising. Continue reading Wierdy Beardy

Hue culture day

Ever looked at a lego set and wondered how on earth all those tiny, intricate pieces make up the picture on the box? Ok well it’s not so bad because they give you brick by brick instructions but now imagine doing that, without instructions, in a side alley with a little vietnamese chap.

For those who don’t know, the inside of a motorbike engine is very complicated ^{citation needed}. There are hundreds of pieces and it’s not like lego where anything can fit together with anything else. They all have their very specific places and very specific jobs. The mechanic had the bike in pieces in seconds. He took the head off the engine, opened the crankcase, dismantled the clutch, shifter, piston and crank. The guy had so many little pots of parts strewn around him all over the floor of the alley, I am shocked to have the bike back together.

Continue reading Rats in the bedroom

Hoi An to Hue

So the weather it shit today – so much for you getting bored of my complaining about the heat, I’m getting my karmic payback. We only have a short ride up the coast from Hoi An to Hue – in the rain…

When Top Gear did the route they proclaimed this road the best in Vietnam and now we have to do it in the rain. On the Hoi An side it was clear but quite cool riding the bikes. We ascended into the clouds and soon couldn’t see anything. I am sure the view was spectacular but I only have google images to prove it. As for the road it was really good fun, even in the pissing wet. There was some heated debate in the pub later if this was as good as the road out of Dalat vut that might just have been because we had views? We push as hard as we dared making sure the bike was perpendicular to the road at all times. There was no leaning around corners today and even so we still skidded a bit! The tyres must have been made of the same stuff hotwheels cars are.

Continue reading Mini Marble Monalith

Hoi An old town

I am so happy being officially metrosexual. My man-bag and shoes match and look amazing next to my new shirts and trousers. I have reached the highest level of style in my life yet. I’m not going to sugar coat it; I’m fucking stylish in Vietnam!

It was incredible looking at the handiwork of the tailors. They put together 4 completely custom fitted items in a day. I went back today to try them on and make any adjustments. One of the shirts was perfect, the other just needed the top button moving a cm for my chubby neck. The trousers were well fitted and needed the cuffs widening to allow my rediculous feet to pass through easily. The last shirt turned into a joke.

Continue reading Metrosexuality pt. 2

Hoi An shopping

Our Canadian sniffed out her fellow countryman in the bar after the floating lanterns. Andrew was a good laugh and a proper drinker and introduced us to an amazing and awfully complicated card game called Kaboo It basically involves remembering 4 cards that are face down and playing them when you can. Ultimately you have to get the lowest points possible except every now and again other players can swap your cards so you don’t know what they are. Needless to say, after a few drinks it got REALLY hard to play!

We sat in a bar across the road where you get as much alcohol as you want for free and you only have to buy the mixer! A hilarious business model! Between 4 of us we got through 3 big bottles of rum and only paid for the cokes. Altogether we spent 260,000 Dong – PMSL – which is about £12!! It was all gone in about 2 hours, mostly because of Canadian drinking games, and we were drunk and done by midnight. Waking up after that heavy night, I was surprisingly fine. We broke Camilla, but Mike and I felt great and good to go!

Continue reading Metrosexuality pt. 1

Ngoc Hoi to Hoi An

The reason we are racing to Hoi An is because someone in Dalat told us there is a sky lantern festival tonight. Not sure about anything more than that, should probably ask someone.. Right now I’m just by the pool in the hostel. It was another really hot day (complaining about the heat must be getting boring to read when it’s 10°C in England #sorrynotsorry) as soon as we got here we jumped straight in.

It’s like your brain is melting inside you after a while. We started right up in the mountains and spent all day bombing around mountain passes. As we descended into the valley it got hotter and hotter and more and more humid. I took my shirt off at the end of the ride and it was brown with dirt and grime, it should have been white. I swear when it landed on the floor it tried to scurry into a dark corner. I had to lock it up in a washbag to prevent it escaping!

Continue reading Ho Chi Minh trail begins..