Day one of the ride:
We start the day off by grabbing some breakfast with the hope it might make us feel better, as last night wasn't the relaxing night we had planned. 4 beers, a whole liter of gin and a 4am night is not the best preparation for the 120 miles we were about to cover on our bikes today.
We picked up our bikes, met the guide and then spent the next 3 hours trying to just stay alive on the roads of Hanoi. We were warned that the first day was all about getting out of the city traffic, and it was going to mean riding busy roads, filled with crazy drivers ........ luckily we already know how the game of chicken is played, so unless it was a push bike ....... we were giving way.
We passed some interesting sites, and seem to learn a little bit more about Vietnam culture every day. One of the big surprises today were that the paddy fields were scattered with graves. Firstly, I'm not sure how hygienic it is to bury dead people with the food you are about to consume. Secondly, if I was going to be buried ........ my work place would be the last place I would want to spend eternity. If, whoever is responsible, buries me anywhere near work, I promise you I will come back and haunt you.
Lunch was also interesting. We stopped at a little town called Son Tay, and we had previously told the guide that we are both big into experiencing local cultures, so don't worry about our western ways, we want to see the real Vietnam. I'm not sure if we will live to regret that statement? He tells us to look outside as our lunch will be "fresh" today, at that point the lady bends the chicken’s neck, whilst it is still flapping around, and calmly slits it throat. She lets it drain out, plucks it and the takes it to the kitchen. It truly was enough to make you become a vegetarian. We also had horse ........ but I was lucky enough to not see that slaughtered. We finished our lunch and jumped back on the bikes.
We are informed that our accommodation for the night is going to be a home stay, neither of us really knew what that meant, so we asked him if he could explain more. Basically, we are going to be living in someone's house. Sounds very authentic to me ....... so the idea was great. We head off the road down onto a muddy track, and as we turn the corner we see this beautiful wooden house on stilts on the edge of the rice fields. Papaya trees growing, pigs, chickens, vegetables ...... everything you need to be self sufficient. The family welcomed us by giving us a beer (I'm guess we aren't the first English guys they have come across then), we say our hellos in our best Vietnamese, and get ready to settle in for the night. We walk up the steps to the living area and it is all open plan. There are beds set up with nets over them, and we are all sleeping in one room. We are also eating in this one room ........ in fact the house is just one room. The view through our little opening was amazing (I won't use the word window because it literally was just an opening). They called us for dinner, so we all sit down, cross legged, eating family style. Every now and then the head of the house hold would raise his glass of homemade rice wine and shout "bonzu', this was a sign to stop eating and take a shot. He shouted "bonzu" A LOT.
We settled in for the night and slept like babies. We were woken by the roosters, that I'm sure are on the wrong time zone, at 4am. The sun rises, we sit down for our family breakfast, pack our bags and get back on the bikes.
Day two:
I like ridding and I love Vietnam, but add rain into that equation and it takes the shine off of both.
So today started well. We woke up, got treated to a great breakfast made by the family who's house / hut we shared last night, and then headed off to the lake, a short walk away. A little guy turns up with a 30 foot pole of bamboo and a large flat bottom boat. It's the son of the owner, and he treats us to a little tour of the lake, which I must say was a nice change to riding. Once finished, it’s back on the bike for the 120 miles we are going to cover today. That might not sound a lot, but when you are averaging 20/30 mph on these mountain roads ........ you're feeling it by the end.
The scenery was great, the riding was great, and the lunch we had at the half way point was great (all normal meats today) .......... However, after lunch the rain starts. Being the smart guy I am, I packed light to come on this trip, so anything not required got left in the US. Items such as waterproof pants. I mean, why would you need those in the dry season on a motorbike trip? Big mistake. I spent the rest of the day in soaking wet jeans. Cold, wet, muddy jeans. We arrived at our next hut. Now these huts are great, authentic, hospitable places to stay, but if you want to dry your clothes whilst it's still raining ....... good luck. We built the best fire we could and hoped that the clothes would dry out. We then settled in for another night of good food, rice wine, beer and some quality time with some great locals .......... but if I hit my head on one of these roof beams again (I'm guessing they were built with 5'0 locals in mind) I'm going to rip it off ………. The beam not my head that is.
Day three:
As soon as I woke up I checked the weather, it's raining, and then I checked our clothes, they are still wet. Not the best start, but what can you but smile and just enjoy the ride.
I did however have an amazing shower this morning (this place has hot water which is a bonus) and I got to brush my teeth in a sink ....... these are luxuries we take for granted I can tell you. We sit down for breakfast, load up the bikes and prepare ourselves for the ride ahead. I'm not going to let the rain ruin my trip, it's a mind over matter thing, I'm going to revel in the muddy conditions, and except the fact that the rain has made this trip even more extreme than it already is.
Within the first 10 minutes we were soaked through to the bone. Forget the waterproofing we had tried, the rain was just too much, and then we had the 40 degree temperatures to deal with, which wouldn't normally be a problem, if it wasn't for the 120 miles, through the mountains, we had ahead of us. I'm not going to lie, it was torture. It was a test of mental and physical strength when you are so cold, and so wet that you can long longer feel your face, feet or fingers. We stopped for lunch, but heating is a luxury that not many people have here ....... so much so that I have yet to see a place with heating, so it was safe to say we sat eating lunch in an opened front shop, drenched and cold ...... but still smiling. The afternoon actually cleared up, but the damage was done, my fingers were so cold I was struggling to changed gears. We rock into the village of Dong Van about 5pm, dying to grab a shower and get warm. We were told that we have the best hotel in Dong Van ........ this one has heating. We later find out that means this one has a box heater per room (which is hardly central heating). We made the most of it, I mean we managed to dry our clothes and heat the room, so we were happy.
Now, me and Cameron had both packed for "Vietnam" weather, by this I mean t-shirts and flip flops, so it was pretty funny when we meet up with our guide for dinner dressed like we were in the Caribbean, and he was dressed like he was on an arctic expedition. We couldn't eat dinner quick enough, so we could get back to our little hot palace (kind of) and get some rest. Let's hope tomorrow the rain gods have taken the day off.
Day four:
Well the rain has stopped and we can now see the mountains in all their glory, what an amazing view. The power had actually gone out in the village during the night (maybe our box heater used it all up, as we had left it on:-/), so we woke up with no heating. We didn't care, all we cared about was there was no rain. We went back to the place we had dinner (food options are limited in the town. I.e. this is the only place to eat), and they made us some English style pancakes and a ready mix coffee which was surprisingly good ...... I just can't do noodles for breakfast. We had to eat it the dark, but either way it tasted good. We also passed the local market enroute to breakfast, and managed to pick up some gear for the cold weather. Grip warmers for the bike, more waterproofs, waterproof covers for our boots and a few other items ........ there's no way I can do a another day like yesterday. We are heading north towards the Chinese boarder today, so we were expecting it to get colder and possibly wetter as we were going to be in the mountains......... this time though, we were going to be ready.
The riding today was nothing short of amazing. The views as we were going through the mountains, the kids faces as they see the bikes, and the weather ......the weather was gorgeous (compared to what we have had so far).
It's hard to describe the people here. They have nothing, yet they are wanting for nothing. They are constantly laughing and just generally enjoying life. The kids faces light up when they see they bikes come through, they all stop what they are doing, and run to the road/track to wave. These kids are 3,4,5 years old and are farming day in, day out. We stopped to hand out sweets in the mountain villages. As the 4 year old puts down her farming sickle (knife) and holds out her dirty cut up hands, you can't help but notice how huge they are, I mean she had hands like a 10 year old. The guide explains that because she would have been farming in the mountains since she could walk, they have real hard, tough worker hands .... it's very sad to see. We grow up, throwing tantrums because we didn't get the latest iPod, and these kids are delighted they haven't got to carry the farmed corn back to the village in the rain. The candy got some smiles and a lot of waves though, I just wish I had more to give them. Clothes, toys or something of some use.
The three of us raced down through the mountains roads on easily the best day so far. Now that was a lot of fun. It's now shower time, a few beers by the river and some dinner. The hotel tonight has hot water and wifi (hence the huge post), but no heating, so it's all good ...... the heaters were over rated anyway.
We start the day off by grabbing some breakfast with the hope it might make us feel better, as last night wasn't the relaxing night we had planned. 4 beers, a whole liter of gin and a 4am night is not the best preparation for the 120 miles we were about to cover on our bikes today.
We picked up our bikes, met the guide and then spent the next 3 hours trying to just stay alive on the roads of Hanoi. We were warned that the first day was all about getting out of the city traffic, and it was going to mean riding busy roads, filled with crazy drivers ........ luckily we already know how the game of chicken is played, so unless it was a push bike ....... we were giving way.
We passed some interesting sites, and seem to learn a little bit more about Vietnam culture every day. One of the big surprises today were that the paddy fields were scattered with graves. Firstly, I'm not sure how hygienic it is to bury dead people with the food you are about to consume. Secondly, if I was going to be buried ........ my work place would be the last place I would want to spend eternity. If, whoever is responsible, buries me anywhere near work, I promise you I will come back and haunt you.
Lunch was also interesting. We stopped at a little town called Son Tay, and we had previously told the guide that we are both big into experiencing local cultures, so don't worry about our western ways, we want to see the real Vietnam. I'm not sure if we will live to regret that statement? He tells us to look outside as our lunch will be "fresh" today, at that point the lady bends the chicken’s neck, whilst it is still flapping around, and calmly slits it throat. She lets it drain out, plucks it and the takes it to the kitchen. It truly was enough to make you become a vegetarian. We also had horse ........ but I was lucky enough to not see that slaughtered. We finished our lunch and jumped back on the bikes.
We are informed that our accommodation for the night is going to be a home stay, neither of us really knew what that meant, so we asked him if he could explain more. Basically, we are going to be living in someone's house. Sounds very authentic to me ....... so the idea was great. We head off the road down onto a muddy track, and as we turn the corner we see this beautiful wooden house on stilts on the edge of the rice fields. Papaya trees growing, pigs, chickens, vegetables ...... everything you need to be self sufficient. The family welcomed us by giving us a beer (I'm guess we aren't the first English guys they have come across then), we say our hellos in our best Vietnamese, and get ready to settle in for the night. We walk up the steps to the living area and it is all open plan. There are beds set up with nets over them, and we are all sleeping in one room. We are also eating in this one room ........ in fact the house is just one room. The view through our little opening was amazing (I won't use the word window because it literally was just an opening). They called us for dinner, so we all sit down, cross legged, eating family style. Every now and then the head of the house hold would raise his glass of homemade rice wine and shout "bonzu', this was a sign to stop eating and take a shot. He shouted "bonzu" A LOT.
We settled in for the night and slept like babies. We were woken by the roosters, that I'm sure are on the wrong time zone, at 4am. The sun rises, we sit down for our family breakfast, pack our bags and get back on the bikes.
Day two:
I like ridding and I love Vietnam, but add rain into that equation and it takes the shine off of both.
So today started well. We woke up, got treated to a great breakfast made by the family who's house / hut we shared last night, and then headed off to the lake, a short walk away. A little guy turns up with a 30 foot pole of bamboo and a large flat bottom boat. It's the son of the owner, and he treats us to a little tour of the lake, which I must say was a nice change to riding. Once finished, it’s back on the bike for the 120 miles we are going to cover today. That might not sound a lot, but when you are averaging 20/30 mph on these mountain roads ........ you're feeling it by the end.
The scenery was great, the riding was great, and the lunch we had at the half way point was great (all normal meats today) .......... However, after lunch the rain starts. Being the smart guy I am, I packed light to come on this trip, so anything not required got left in the US. Items such as waterproof pants. I mean, why would you need those in the dry season on a motorbike trip? Big mistake. I spent the rest of the day in soaking wet jeans. Cold, wet, muddy jeans. We arrived at our next hut. Now these huts are great, authentic, hospitable places to stay, but if you want to dry your clothes whilst it's still raining ....... good luck. We built the best fire we could and hoped that the clothes would dry out. We then settled in for another night of good food, rice wine, beer and some quality time with some great locals .......... but if I hit my head on one of these roof beams again (I'm guessing they were built with 5'0 locals in mind) I'm going to rip it off ………. The beam not my head that is.
Day three:
As soon as I woke up I checked the weather, it's raining, and then I checked our clothes, they are still wet. Not the best start, but what can you but smile and just enjoy the ride.
I did however have an amazing shower this morning (this place has hot water which is a bonus) and I got to brush my teeth in a sink ....... these are luxuries we take for granted I can tell you. We sit down for breakfast, load up the bikes and prepare ourselves for the ride ahead. I'm not going to let the rain ruin my trip, it's a mind over matter thing, I'm going to revel in the muddy conditions, and except the fact that the rain has made this trip even more extreme than it already is.
Within the first 10 minutes we were soaked through to the bone. Forget the waterproofing we had tried, the rain was just too much, and then we had the 40 degree temperatures to deal with, which wouldn't normally be a problem, if it wasn't for the 120 miles, through the mountains, we had ahead of us. I'm not going to lie, it was torture. It was a test of mental and physical strength when you are so cold, and so wet that you can long longer feel your face, feet or fingers. We stopped for lunch, but heating is a luxury that not many people have here ....... so much so that I have yet to see a place with heating, so it was safe to say we sat eating lunch in an opened front shop, drenched and cold ...... but still smiling. The afternoon actually cleared up, but the damage was done, my fingers were so cold I was struggling to changed gears. We rock into the village of Dong Van about 5pm, dying to grab a shower and get warm. We were told that we have the best hotel in Dong Van ........ this one has heating. We later find out that means this one has a box heater per room (which is hardly central heating). We made the most of it, I mean we managed to dry our clothes and heat the room, so we were happy.
Now, me and Cameron had both packed for "Vietnam" weather, by this I mean t-shirts and flip flops, so it was pretty funny when we meet up with our guide for dinner dressed like we were in the Caribbean, and he was dressed like he was on an arctic expedition. We couldn't eat dinner quick enough, so we could get back to our little hot palace (kind of) and get some rest. Let's hope tomorrow the rain gods have taken the day off.
Day four:
Well the rain has stopped and we can now see the mountains in all their glory, what an amazing view. The power had actually gone out in the village during the night (maybe our box heater used it all up, as we had left it on:-/), so we woke up with no heating. We didn't care, all we cared about was there was no rain. We went back to the place we had dinner (food options are limited in the town. I.e. this is the only place to eat), and they made us some English style pancakes and a ready mix coffee which was surprisingly good ...... I just can't do noodles for breakfast. We had to eat it the dark, but either way it tasted good. We also passed the local market enroute to breakfast, and managed to pick up some gear for the cold weather. Grip warmers for the bike, more waterproofs, waterproof covers for our boots and a few other items ........ there's no way I can do a another day like yesterday. We are heading north towards the Chinese boarder today, so we were expecting it to get colder and possibly wetter as we were going to be in the mountains......... this time though, we were going to be ready.
The riding today was nothing short of amazing. The views as we were going through the mountains, the kids faces as they see the bikes, and the weather ......the weather was gorgeous (compared to what we have had so far).
It's hard to describe the people here. They have nothing, yet they are wanting for nothing. They are constantly laughing and just generally enjoying life. The kids faces light up when they see they bikes come through, they all stop what they are doing, and run to the road/track to wave. These kids are 3,4,5 years old and are farming day in, day out. We stopped to hand out sweets in the mountain villages. As the 4 year old puts down her farming sickle (knife) and holds out her dirty cut up hands, you can't help but notice how huge they are, I mean she had hands like a 10 year old. The guide explains that because she would have been farming in the mountains since she could walk, they have real hard, tough worker hands .... it's very sad to see. We grow up, throwing tantrums because we didn't get the latest iPod, and these kids are delighted they haven't got to carry the farmed corn back to the village in the rain. The candy got some smiles and a lot of waves though, I just wish I had more to give them. Clothes, toys or something of some use.
The three of us raced down through the mountains roads on easily the best day so far. Now that was a lot of fun. It's now shower time, a few beers by the river and some dinner. The hotel tonight has hot water and wifi (hence the huge post), but no heating, so it's all good ...... the heaters were over rated anyway.
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