Motorcycle Adventure – Page 2

December 1, 2017

Day 31: Ghost Riders In The Sky

Today we rode from Xin Man to Ha Giang. The first 100 km from Xinman to Tan Quảng on TL177/178 (heading NE from Xinman) was slow going. It took 3 hrs and 45 minutes. The first third of the ride to Hoàng Su Phi follows along the Chay River. This offers a close encounter with the rice paddies that to date had been admired from afar, across valleys and high up on mountainsides. Rice paddies step out of the river on both sides. It feels like you can reach out across the narrow river and dip your hand into the dark pools of mud as you glide along the lowest terraces. A welcome change in scenery from the mountain passes.

Riding along the Chay River we passed countless roadside waterfalls, cascading down steep slopes and draining under the road before finding their ultimate home in the muddy river. The waterfalls almost become annoying if you want to take a picture at each one – a plan we quickly abandoned as the going was slow as it was.

The road is paved but some areas are in poor condition with deep potholes and extremely muddy and slick areas from recent landslides. This combined with the unrelenting twists and turns made progress slow.

After Hoàng Su Phi the road twisted and climbed into the clouds once again. A missed turn meant being forever lost to the clouds and the unseen valley below. The road itself wasn’t foggy. The cloud seemed to start where the road ended. It was weird driving straight towards a cloud, making a sudden turn at the last moment before riding across the sky.

Unfortunately the cloud once again obscured our views. The riding was cool and wet until dropping into Tan Quảng, where the air becomes warm and humid. Lunch was Pho at a popular roadside eatery with good beef Pho. The last 45 km to Ha Giang is boring freeway, but a nice, fast shot. It took only an hour of dodging trucks and scooters.

After driving through Ha Giang, a large and unwelcoming city with uninspiring hotels, we decided to stay at the highly rated Homestay Bui Ty. Outside of town by 6 km in a quiet, rural neighbourhood this Homestay was a welcome change from scooter horns and truck rumblings. We got the entire 8 room dorm to ourselves and a wonderful dinner. At $8 per person for the room and another $6 each for a filling and delicious authentic meal, this was a score.

November 30, 2017November 30, 2017

Day 30: Curious Vietnam

Before leaving our guesthouse in Pho Rang, Nha Nghi Ha Thánh, we left a note for our dinner guests from the previous evening, An and Mai. The note asked that they email us for further English lessons.

Last night as we left our guesthouse in search of dinner, a young girl ran down the street to stop us. She introduced herself as thirteen year old An. She was wearing a Taekwondo Gi. She asked if she could practice her English with us. After a few minutes of awkward small talk (awkward for me, she handled the situation with class), a young man of fourteen, Quan, asked if he too could practice his English with us. We learned that both An and Quan’s parents were teachers at the local school. They were encouraged to practice their English with tourists. An had been in her Taekwondo class when our hotel called to let her know that two English speaking tourists had checked in. She ditched her Taekwondo class, rode her bicycle to our hotel where she ditched her bike to look for us on foot. Quan was bicycling by with his girlfriend, who was too shy to meet us. As we spoke with Quan and An, two adults hid in the darkness with beaming smiles of pride, taking pictures of us. We assumed these were An’s parents. They were. We asked if they would all like to join us for dinner. The parents declined but gave us permission to take the two children. We walked to a nearby rice house and with An’s assistance we ordered fried rice for dinner. Not long after starting our meal, a sweet young girl of 6 and also in a Taekwondo Gi joined us. This was Mai, An’s younger sister who was driven to the rice house on dad’s scooter. We enjoyed our meal with our three new young friends, talking about our hobbies, what makes Canada and Vietnam wonderful and the dreams and aspirations of our dinner guests. After a short walk after dinner, we bid farewell to our new friends.

After filling up Shawn’s rear tire with air, it had managed to deflate overnight with no obvious sign of damage, we left Pho Rang by 10:30 am. We were headed to Xin Man. If anyone has cared to plot our path, you will note there are several more direct routes to travel east to west. We are zigzagging North – South – North, avoiding highways and primary roads, in search of the road less traveled.

The first part of the drive out of Pho Rang was glorious. We rode alongside a muddy river that snaked across the valley floor, passing palm trees and thatched roof houses. Corn dried in the sun. Back in the relative South (still far North of Hanoi) it was hot and tropical. As we rode we could see the mountains looming in the North. Cloud covered mountaintops beckoned us.

We began to climb.

As a sign welcomed us to Ha Giang province the road suddenly changed from smooth asphalt to rocky, pothole covered track. What a welcome indeed! We rode the bumpy, narrow dirt track along a ridge line that offered incredible views into the valley below. It wasn’t long before the crazy, bumpy ride descended into the town of Yen Binh. It took an hour and fifteen minutes to travel the 42 km to Yen Binh.

From Yen Bing we turned left at the sign for Na Tri. This would take us another 62 km North to Xin Man. The road was in slightly better shape, having been paved at some point, but the road itself was far more treacherous. Only wide enough for a single vehicle, never ending blind corners and many sections of road long gone from the mountainside crumbling into the valley. We climbed to incredible heights through “first gear hairpins”, cringing through every corner in fear of an oncoming vehicle. If there were views, and I’m certain there were, I was oblivious to them.

After cresting a hill with magnificent lake views below us, we made our way back down. At the base was a small village, Na Chi. I pulled over to catch my breath. Shawn pulled up in front of me. “Umm, your tire is looking kinda low.”

Shawn’s rear tire was looking more than a little low. Luckily in Vietnam you are never far from a motorcycle mechanic. When a country runs on scooters, over 30 million of them, you are never far from someone who makes a living fixing them. Sure enough after showing Shawn’s tire to a few people we were directed to the local bike mechanic. Within minutes we were surrounded by curious young boys. At least a dozen stood in silence watching us, with a dozen more watching from the slope across the street. For the entire 45 minutes it took to remove the wheel, swap tubes and replace the wheel, we were watched. If we looked at the children above us, they would run away laughing. Those near us just stared. The only laugh I could get from them was when I re-enacted the nail going into the tire, exploding air into the sky. Otherwise they just watched, and as they got more comfortable- moved closer to me. I imagine the presence of a Caucasian man is rare, but not completely unheard of. A blue eyed, blond haired woman seemed to completely overwhelm these young boys who live totally off the typical tourist track.

The young boys weren’t the only ones who were curious. Watching village life always intrigues me. The goat being half dragged, half running behind a scooter. A man carrying four young boys, the oldest no more than 5, on his scooter. The scooter supply chain – people delivering mind boggling loads by scooter. Huge bags of rice, 6 car tires, propane tanks, livestock, 8 foot bamboo beams, stacks of bricks. You name it, there is a scooter delivering it. No matter how remote the customer, or how life threatening the road conditions, it will get delivered. By scooter.

After paying 50,000 dong ($3) for the tube change and another 25,000 Đông as a tip, we were on our way. It was 1:30 pm and we were hungry. We stopped at a clearing in the shade to enjoy our picnic lunch. Buns with canned tuna, mandarin oranges and chocolate filled cookies. As we ate our lunch on the roadside, people would roll by on their scooters. First seeing the “real” motorcycles, they would turn their heads and strain to see who was driving them. Sitting in the grass, hidden by the bikes, they had to turn their entire bodies to get a glimpse. This would distract the driver. This would distract the driver as they headed into a blind corner. I was certain we were going to be the cause of a head on collision.

Back on the road we continued our journey. After more cringe worthy curves with steep drops best ignored, we came upon the 500 year old tree and Thac Tien waterfall. The waterfall was deserted and we enjoyed the moment of respite before continuing on our harrowing journey into Xin Man.

As we got closer to Xin Man the curiosity of the Vietnamese grew once again. I could hear “Hello!” being yelled out of the forest, without ever seeing the person yelling it. As oncoming scooters drove past Shawn, their drivers would whip their bodies around to see who was driving. This would invariably cause them to swerve directly into my path.

We arrived in Xin Man at 4:15 pm. It took almost 6 hours (including pit stops and a tire swap) to travel 105 km.

We checked into the Xinman Hotel and enjoyed street food for dinner. BBQ pork belly, coal roasted sweet potato and steamed buns filled with corn. Washed down with a Halida beer and Choco Pies.

November 29, 2017

Day 29: Why you should f@cking love rice!

Not much to say about today’s ride. The pictures tell the story. Rode from Muong Khuong to Pho Rang, a total distance of 150 km. Took all day (6 hrs including a stop for Pho and a 10 km detour) mostly because we couldn’t drive more than 5 minutes without stopping to admire the incredible views.

Is Northern Vietnam worthy of the title Epic? After riding from Sa Pa to Muong Khuong to Pho Rang it would be hard to find another word more fitting. The paved roads are constantly twisting up and down through incredible and ever changing mind blowing scenery. The obstacles along the way offer amusement, horror and incredulity. A scooter accident, children screaming and waving in delight, ever present wildlife on the roads, evidence of rock slides and the daily life of the kind and curious people who call the mountains of Northern Vietnam their home.

So why does Northern Vietnam offer such incredible two wheel fun? Rice.

High in the mountains villages dot the landscape. The homes of the rice farmers who turn the mountain side into massive stairs of rice paddies. For trucks to supply these villages and access this important crop, paved roads wind their up to the highest mountain tops. From these paved roads, dirt roads snake down into the valleys to provide access to other crops – corn and a myriad of vegetables and fruit. You could spend a week just exploring the incredible roads around Muong Khuong, and in hindsight this is what we would have done. It’s reminiscent of the incredible back roads of Western Canada, often built by the logging industry to access timber.

Thank you rice.

November 29, 2017

Day 28: This Untraveled Road

Woke up to a beautiful blue sky day. Our first blue sky in Vietnam. It was going to be an awesome day.

First things first. Check out Mount Fansipan. We rode the couple of km’s to the base of Mount Fansipan to admire the long ridge line that is IndoChina’s highest mountain. Covered in lush, green jungle to its tip, it was nothing like the jagged rock of the Canadian Rockies. The valley bellow looked pristine. You couldn’t pick a better day for the next portion of our ride.

Today’s ride would take us North to Lao Cai, a border city with China about 38 km / 1 hour ride away. From here we would ride QL4D even further North to Muong Khương, a French outpost in 1949 and a non existent stop for tourists, hard to find on any map unless you know of its existence.

The ride out of Sa Pa and down into the valley below was wonderful. Ever winding, paved road with views across the valley to the waterfalls and rice paddies that climbed down the mountain face as if as one. At the bottom of the valley, the city of Lao Cai which borders China. A visit to the border gate to peer across into China was a somber reminder of our time in China. Decrepit, half built cement apartment buildings and lifeless streets. A stark contrast to the modern, colourful and lively city of Lao Cai, only a few hundred feet away, and across a narrow river.

Lunch was at Nhan Phuc Vu Khach Doan, chosen for its proximity to our turn towards Muong Khương and for its parking on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant. Shawn had beef Pho. I had a platter of whatever they were cooking up – potato, tofu, spinach, roasted peanuts, broth, rice and pork. Meant to be a meal for two, I devoured it all. It was delicious. Likely the best road side restaurant we’ve hit.

After lunch it was on to Muong Khương. Having little to no information on this town, we weren’t entirely sure what was in store for us.

What was in store was the best day of riding we’ve had in Vietnam and some of the most incredible views we’ve had in our life. Riding along a ridge line at 1,000 meters, past pineapple plantations and waterfalls, the scenery was outstanding. Unlike Fansipan, a single, long ridge line, the mountains surrounding Muong Khuong resemble the humps of a camel.

Arriving in Muong Khuong at 2:00 pm there was only one thing to do. Drop off our bags at the first half decent looking Nha Nghi (guesthouse), and keep riding.

After selecting Nha Nghi 386 for its parking (yes, parking Groot and Rambo indoors comes before a bathroom that has been cleaned this century), off we went. We found a road that seemed to head towards China, on the opposite side of the valley we rode in on. The views were even more incredible, winding up and down over mountain tops, through never ending banana plantations. It wasn’t long before the sun was setting and we turned back. As we drove back through the villages of banana farmers, people yelled “Hello” and waved. In one such village, a group of a dozen or so teenaged boys watched as we approached. They were on our left. As Shawn drove past, three massive, male water buffalo came charging down an 8 foot slope from the right, and onto the road in front of me. In the instant I saw them crash onto the road, they turned on me and came racing forwards. I slammed on the breaks, with three very large, horned beasts crashing past me. As I stood on the road wondering what just happened, I saw the stunned look on the faces of the teenagers. I gave them my best “Xin Chao” to much laughter in return. I caught up to Shawn who had watched with dread in his rear view mirror. He had seen the massive animals charging down the slope out of his peripheral vision, and had cringed as they thundered onto the road. “I thought we were having buffalo for dinner?” he grinned with relief. “I thought the buffalo were having Christine for dinner”.

With the sun setting and the weather quickly cooling off, it was dinner time.

We found a bakery close to our Guesthouse, Mai Danh Bakery. In a small, glass box filled with condensation, we thought we could see steamed buns. Sure enough a young girl came over, popped the door open, and grabbed a large, fluffy bun. With a smile she said “hello” and scurried away. We ordered one. A light, sweet bun, filled with minced pork, noodles and quail eggs. Incredible. Sweet and savoury, light yet satisfying. We ordered two more. At 10,000 dong each, our cheapest dinner to date.

After dinner it was time for a walk. Shawn wanted some sandals to wear in hotel rooms to protect his feet from the filth of never washed bathroom floors. He had another motive to buy cheap sandals. My dad started a family competition a few years ago to find the cheapest sandals you could. Pretty sure Shawn is the winner with his 30,000 dong sandals.

November 26, 2017November 26, 2017

Day 25: Tram Ton Pass and Sa Pa

We decided to make a run for Sa Pa today. The steady rain had turned to drizzle and we had had enough of Lai Chau.

By 11:15 am we had on every layer of clothing we could manage, as well as plastic shopping bags over our feet and hands – a trick the locals taught us. A lovely woman at the Hotel helped me suit up and patiently watched as we loaded up our bikes so that she could bid us farewell on our journey. She did so while freezing in the rain, but with an ever constant smile.

The ride out of Lai Chau, cold, miserable and cloudy as it was, was beautiful. We rode through a lush, green valley, then began to slowly climb up from the valley floor. As we rose, we rode alongside a never ending waterfall that stepped down from the mountain like the terraced rice paddies around it.

We continued to climb until we were enshrouded by cloud and cold rain. We had the odd and very brief clearing which allowed us to almost see the valley deep below us, but these glimpses were fleeting and only served to remind us that a miscalculation through a corner could be disastrous.

Safely in Sapa by 1:30 pm (68 km ride from Lai Chau), we ventured out for Bun Cha at Bun Cha 432. The Bun Cha was good and the owner was conscious of cleanliness. After lunch we walked around Sapa. We checked out the local market (featuring dog meat and a kidney cleanse that included a dried lizard), enjoyed H’Mong tea and in general enjoyed the charm of Sa Pa. Sa Pa is touristy, but with a glitz and character we appreciated. The buildings are French colonial style, the streets are lively and grime filled and the sidewalk vendors offer street meat BBQ’d over open flame. The streets are abuzz with the excitement of a new tourist season. It’s nothing like the empty, soulless, cement city of Lai Chau. With its neon lights and cafes enveloped in fog, Sa Pa felt like a winter wonderland.

Back at Charming Hotel, things were less charming. Although the hosts are very friendly, the room is cold. It’s 7 degrees outside, and the odd, sun shaped electric heater lacks the oomph to ward off the winter cold.

No rain in the forecast for tomorrow, so likely a day of trekking to the local villages.

November 23, 2017November 23, 2017

Day 23: Rain. Decision time.

After raining most of the night in Sin Ho, we woke up to thick fog and alternating drizzle and downpour. We waited to see what would happen. By 10:00 am it was a light drizzle and we decided to head out. Waiting it out could take days, which would mean the roads would just get worse and the chance of a landslide would increase. Groot seemed grumpy about the decision and didn’t want to start. After some sweet talk he was ready, and so were we. On the road for 10:30 am, headed to Lai Chau on DT128. Given the fog and rain, we failed to see any of the stunning landscape we had come for. The first 15-20 km was treacherous riding. Poor visibility, a strong side wind driving the rain into us, horrid roads and slick as ice mud. Luckily the last 40 km of the ride was brand new and paved. Waterfalls created by the now pouring rain gushed along the road, and we were happy the new road allowed these to drain somewhere other than directly onto the road. Disappointed at missing the scenery, soaked to the bone despite our rain gear and freezing cold we decided to stop in Lai Chau for the night to consider our options. We arrived at 12:15 pm – not bad at all given the conditions.

The Decision:

The road from Lai Chau to Sapa, the next leg of our trip, would take us through Tram Tom Pass aka Heaven’s Gate, the highest mountain road in Vietnam (1,900m). The pass should provide incredible views of Mount Fansipan, Indochina’s highest peak at 3,143m. It will also be cold on the best of days, near 0 degrees given the current cold snap. This could mean the rain will turn to snow and ice. It seems ridiculous to continue on in such dangerous conditions if we aren’t going to be rewarded with the views we came for.

So, decision time. Do we hunker down in Lai Chau and wait it out – or abandon the Sapa leg of our trip altogether? If we abandon Sapa, where do we go instead?

To make such a decision, creature comforts were in order. Having not splurged on accommodation to date, we decided it was the time and place to spend a little more than the $10 – $20 per night we have been paying to date. After a freezing night in Sin Ho we had two main criteria. The room had to have heat and hot water. We splurged on the Muong Thánh Hotel. At 830,000 dong / $50 CAD, this was expensive. We slightly made up for this expense by having our leftover Taro and Chocolate buns from breakfast this morning for our lunch. The Hotel also brought us a huge plate of fresh watermelon and the ladies at the front desk took pity on me as I stood shaking and dripping in the lobby, and gave me a lovely cup of hot tea.

The Hotel itself is being renovated. In Canada, this would mean that there might be some distant noise, maybe a few areas or floors that are closed off. Here? There are gaping holes in the exterior of the building- on our floor no less. These have no safety barriers whatsoever. It seems as though the entire hotel is under construction, except our one room. We appear to be the only guests, there is construction right outside our door and the hotel is freezing as it has no exterior walls or windows in many places. I’m sure in its day, this hotel was spectacular with beautiful gardens, a moat and inviting, if tacky, flashing neon lights. Today it’s nothing more than piles of construction material and garbage, an abandoned security station and a bare, sawdust strewn lobby. Way to splurge!

To shake off the cold we enjoyed a good workout listening to our favourite hard rock songs. Followed by a steaming hot shower, we felt human again.

Checking the forecast it appeared this cold, wet front was hitting much of Northern Lao and Vietnam. It is supposed to remain for another 3-5 days.

I wonder what there is to do in Lai Chau? Not much from the look if it. Another cave. At least there are Western food options here, including a decent bakery. What I would give for my mom’s incredible lasagne or pot roast. A decent plate of spaghetti would definitely do.

Off to Dreamy Bakery for spaghetti bolognese (more like spaghetti with french fries and cheap steak). No beer or wine on the menu, but they have dessert! We haven’t had anything close to dessert since the carrot cake and banana bread we bought at Many Coffees back in Sam Neua. Dessert in Lao was sticky rice, pancakes or fruit. There hasn’t even been ice cream!

While walking back to our hotel after dinner, we came upon an incredibly sad sight. A beautiful pony, tied to the exterior of a house. We are no longer in the small mountain villages where animals roamed freely, but are in a modern, cement city with no parks or green spaces. Why this poor, sad creature is here I have no idea. When I try to approach it, I see sheer terror in its eyes. It has obvious wounds to its legs and flanks. The tether it’s tied to is so short, it can barely move its head. The people inside the house see me, and fail to recognize my horror. They wave excitedly and yell “hello, hello” in their sing song way. I sadly move away from the house, for once not returning the cheerful greetings.

Back at the hotel, it’s time for a decision. There is no point in going anywhere tomorrow. Rain and cold in the forecast for the entire day. We will wait it out here in Lai Chau another day and see what happens. If anything we might move to a hotel that is, well…”open”!

November 22, 2017November 22, 2017

Day 22: The Sky is a Neighbourhood

Breakfast at our hotel, Hồng Ki Boutique Hotel. Despite the staff that looked like they would rather be doing anything besides serve us, it landed up being the best breakfast we’ve had. Eggs scrambled with vegetables and fresh herbs, smothered in cheese and tomato sauce and served with Vietnamese style baguette. Vietnamese style baguettes are made with both wheat flour and rice flour, giving them a lighter, airier texture and a crispy outside. The black coffee was sweet and bitter, Vietnamese style. A perfect start to a day that was supposed to be nothing short of epic.

After spending a ridiculous amount of time looking for a working ATM we gave up and hit the road for 9:30 am.

The first 95 km of road exceeded our expectations. The first 70 km of road was in excellent shape, and the last 25 km only had patches of rough road. Again thankful for the dirt bikes, we hammered through these sections with grins of delight. This was nothing like the horror stories we had been told and mentally prepared for.

The road was again beautiful, but completely different from Laos. Terraced rice paddies covering the hills and villages inhabited by women with buns of hair high on their heads (Black Thái or more correctly Tay tribe we think), and women wearing brightly coloured skirts, striking oranges and bright pinks against jet black with black and pink leg wraps (likely H’Mong). Absolutely gorgeous. We stopped at a market where all the vendors were women from the various groups of ethnic minorities that call Northern Vietnam home. The Dao, H’Mong, Tay and Giay tribes all make up some of the over 50 distinct groups. Bought some pineapple, yum, and watched as the women sewed beautiful patterns of pink into wonderful textiles they will no doubt sell at the next Sunday market in Sin Ho.

Lunch was in Muong Lay (95 km from Dien Biên Phu, arrived at noon) at a restaurant on the highway. The rice and vegetables were plain and the chicken, although flavourful, was inedible. It was bone, skin and cartilage with no meat. Oh well, can’t win them all.

Back on the road for 1:10 pm for the final 62 km ride to Sin Ho.

There is a reason road DT128 has a reputation for being one of the best motorcycle roads in SE Asia. 62 km of winding and climbing into the clouds that hang over the mountains of North Vietnam. Incredible views of the steep mountainside of terraced rice paddies that look like a giants stairway from heaven itself. As we continued to wind and climb, higher and higher towards the sky, the scenery quickly turned to thick and soupy fog, ruining our views but offering an interesting ride. Villagers would appear out of the thick fog like apparitions, the odd child still waving at what could only be a dim outline of a large, motorized vehicle barreling out of the cloud. The last 20 km was slow going and cold. We were happy to make it to Sin Ho by 3:15 pm. Shortly after we arrived the fog turned to light rain. By 6:00 pm it was pouring. This could make tomorrow’s ride challenging, as landslides that completely cover the road is common following a heavy rain storm.

So why the blog title? I love music! Right now I’m really missing hanging out on the deck enjoying a bottle of wine, selection of cheeses and a big fruit plate, all while listening to music. Today I was humming one of my favourite tunes. Highwayman (Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson). A song I loved in my childhood and continue to love today, a song played by my parents on road trips. I’m homesick.

Once the fog hit as we climbed into the clouds, I thought of the song “The Sky Is A Neighbourhood” by Foo Fighters. If that doesn’t describe the mountaintops of Northern Vietnam, I don’t know what does. Villages literally in the sky, surrounded by and above the cloud. Neighbourhoods of villages, pigs, buffalo, dogs, chickens and the ever smiling children, harmonious in the clouds they call home. It was an amazing privilege to be a part of this days story for these mountaintops.

After our fill of soup and mystery meat, we opted for a picnic in our hotel room for dinner. The Phuc Tho Hotel is basic and marginally clean, but the host family are kind and welcoming, offering us umbrellas as we ventured out to tour the local market. We bought buns, canned fish with “tasty tasty” (Lao code word for MSG) and finished our pineapple. Try as we might, we just can’t find jam. Both craving a PB&J sandwich, the fish sandwiches were the best we could do.

Off to bed, hoping the unwavering, hammering rain lets up soon.

November 21, 2017November 21, 2017

Day 21: Good Morning Vietnam!

Started our day once again to the 6:00 am news being blared through the loudspeaker directly across the street from our hotel, and pointing into our room. Ugh. We are both sick with a nasty cold and this wasn’t how I had hoped to start the day.

Next up? The blood curdling squealing of a hog. I vaguely wondered if the squealing was because he was about to be slaughtered, or if he found the Lao pop song being pumped through the loudspeaker as annoying as I.

Breakfast at Sayfon Restaurant, which has a decent view of the river, then off to Vietnam! We knew that you could not cross into Lao from Vietnam at the Tay Trang International Border crossing with a motorcycle (unless the bike was registered in Dien Biên Phu and had the number 27 in the licence plate), but we could find little, recent information on whether you could cross back into Vietnam. It was a gamble on our part. Being turned away at the border meant retracing our ride back to Na Meo border crossing, which would cost us at least 5 days of straight riding.

We left at 8:50 am, determined to get to the border before the 2 hour lunch break. Although feeling sick and tired, the road quickly boosted our energy. Another beautiful road with fantastic panorama views, riding through small villages filled with waving children.

We arrived at the Lao border gate at 10:20 am – much faster than the 2 hr drive we had anticipated to cover the 64 km.

First border crossing was a breeze. No money exchanged hands, and we were out of Lao in less than 10 minutes. Easy part done.

After a 5 km drive we arrived at the Vietnam border. Would they allow us back in? If not, would we have to pay a sizeable “tax” for re-entry?

It only took 15 minutes to get our answer. After handing over our passports for a stamp and then our motorcycle customs form, and with no money exchanged, we were on our way by 10:50 am. Woohoo!

Vietnam welcomed us like only Vietnam could. Shitty roads and insane traffic. The quaint villages of the hill tribes in Lao was replaced with a beehive of activity. Modern shops, thousands of scooters beeping their horns, road grime plastering your face, the hustle and bustle of complete and utter chaos.

Good morning Vietnam!

Arrived in Dien Biên Phu at 11:45 am. Checked into the Hồng Ki Boutique Hotel and upgraded to a king bed with a view. Decent place on a fairly quiet street, walking distance to the museum and Hill A1.

Ate lunch at a hole in the wall, as everything else was closed. The food wasn’t bad, despite the mystery meat. Although cat, dog and rat are eaten in the North, we were pretty sure it was pork sausage of some type. The pale colour, soft texture and mild flavour was slightly reminiscent of pig brain (don’t tell Shawn), but fried up with chilli’s and enough garlic – anything can be tasty.

Spent the afternoon touring the war sites. Started at the Dien Biên Phu museum, which has some interesting artifacts, pictures and colour commentary, but like most Vietnamese museums very little substance. From here we checked out Hill A1, also lacking much information, but interesting to check out. From here, off to the Military Cemetery, which was quite nice. Next was the Bunker of Colonel de Castries. All in all a nice way to stretch our legs after three days on the bikes.

After the Bunker we walked across the Muong Thánh Bridge. This turned out to be the highlight of our day. On the opposite side of the bridge was a street market that offered our first real glimpse into Vietnam. We were the only tourists. The market offered a myriad of fruits and vegetables (I finally found mangoes), snake (live or filets), toad, fish, goat, pork, buffalo and dog. Yes, there was dog.

Since touring local markets is one of our favourite things to do when we explore a new country – this was awesome! People just pull right up to the vendor on their scooter, point at the goods they want, exchange money and scoot away. Without even leaving their seat. Now that is service!

Vegetarian for dinner at a lovely restaurant run by a wonderful family, Quan Chay Yen Ninh. I’m not sure they fully understand the meaning of vegan, given the vegan options largely came with pork or beef, but the soup was a nice change from Pho.

October 29, 2017

It’s On! Epic Adventure #3 2017 – SE Asia

My husband and I quit our jobs 8 months ago to travel the world. Our first Epic Adventure was a road trip from Alberta, Canada to South Padre Island, Texas. The goal was to avoid the cold Canadian winter by becoming a “Winter Texan”. We spent a few months windsurfing on SPI before making our way back North to mountain bike in Colorado and watch the Salt Lake City AMA Supercross Championship in Utah. Our next adventure was spending 7 weeks in Europe. We motorcycled Ireland, hiked in Scotland, bicycled in the Netherlands, and ate chocolate and drank beer in Belgium.

All of these adventures were great, but something was missing from each. Real Adventure. So we have decided to leave behind the comforts of North America and Europe, and head to SE Asia.

We leave for Vietnam tomorrow – a one way ticket to Hanoi. We are starting our trip by motorcycling around Northern Vietnam, along the Laos and China borders, visiting Ba Be National park and staying in various small villages. After that, who knows? We might try some windsurfing in Mui Ne, might head to the Temples of Angkor Wat. Might just find a beach and do nothing. We have time, a little bit of savings left and a desire for some Epic Adventures to add to our life story. Follow us on Live Life Epic to see where the road takes us!