Tag: Motorcycles

Motorcycles

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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.

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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.

Roads!

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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.

Water buffalo hogging the road again! Chinese Zodiak under a monstrous tree, border of Vietnam and China

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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”!

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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.

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Day 19: Same Same, but Different

The Plan

Started off at Q Bar for breakfast where we learned a new phrase from Sami (the charismatic young owner), which I quite like. “Relax Lao style, not Gangnam style”. This is definitely the Lao attitude. They go about their day in a relaxed, easy way.

Today we have decided to tackle more off-road fun. We are going to take the short cut to Muang Khua along the river. Sami assures us this road would be slightly faster than the longer paved way, and would offer us more views and more fun. This might impact our ability to cross the border today, but if it’s more fun….

The Children

We had read in a blog before coming to Lao to bring small candy for the children in the villages. After stopping to give candy early on in our trip, we both felt there was something wrong with this. Although we loved to see the children happy – our instincts told us that what we were doing was selfish and not helping in any way. The children seemed frightened of us. Yesterday we chose to buy the village children milk, with permission from the adults. The children were just as delighted, and our sense of guilt was lessened.

We finally found a local with good enough English, Sami, who agreed this approach was better. There is no access to dental care here, and the teeth of the adults and children are noticeably rotting. We agreed that providing food with nutritional value was better than candy. We also all agreed it wasn’t good for the local children to get used to receiving candy from strangers. Pencils, notebooks and healthy snacks given with permission from adults and in the presence of adults is the way to go.

Same Same, but Different

There is a popular saying in Vietnam and Lao. “Same, Same, but Different”. This catchy phrase is used to describe things to tourists (for example pigs brain and tofu are “same, same, but different”) and has even made its way onto souvenir t-shirts.

Today was our SSBD. The plan was to take the short cut road to Muang Khua, with hopefully enough time to cross the border into Vietnam at Dien Bien Phu. At first this plan seemed promising. The road was in great shape, wide and had hardly any traffic at all. It seemed too good to be true, and google maps showed us ever so slightly off course. Hmm, continue on or turn back? Being the responsible adults we are, we turned back to the previous y intersection, only 7 km back or so. After getting to this intersection we were fairly certain we had been going the right way. The alternative road was nothing more than a dirt track. It was busy, but hardly seemed like the new road we were looking for. To be even further sure we asked a trucker, stopped at the intersection. He had no idea what we wanted, so off we went in the same direction as we had been going.

After 30 mins or so we checked again. We still showed no where close to a road on google maps. But this had to be it! A beautiful road, twisting along the river. This was definitely going to lead somewhere!

After another 15 minutes we arrived at a gateway arched across the highway guest announcing “China Power”. Hmmm, this must be that new, big dam the locals had mentioned. We drive a little further to a security checkpoint, and that is where this adventure ended. There was no way the guard was going to let us pass, not even for a brief glimpse of the new dam. C’est la vie. It must have been the last intersection, 22 km back.

Back we head to the intersection we had already double backed to once before. This time instead of a trucker, we find some local young men partaking in a lunchtime Lao beer. We had left Nong Khiaw at 10:30 am and it was now 1:00 pm. We confirmed that we had gone the wrong direction and that the dirt track was the way to go. We had the sandwich Sami had made us, and took off on the road to Muang Khua!

It wasn’t long before we reached another intersection. Again, one direction looked to be in better shape. This must be it! After 10 mins on this new track something seemed wrong. For a major road, this was in rough shape. Fun, sure, but at this rate we weren’t going to make it to the border. We decided to learn from previous mistakes and ask the way. Again we had taken the wrong turn. Back we go.

Alright – now we got it! Up the sketchy dirt track to the left. No problem.

After the first hill, problem. The dirt track has gaping ruts cut deep into it from the rainy season that just ended. Groot and I give’r, but get stuck in a deep rut and over we go. I get trapped under the bike, but two young men on a scooter who had decided this road was shit and were turning back, ran over to lift Groot off me. Luckily bike and rider were fine, besides the exhaust burning a hole into my pants and leg. I loved those pants!

It was now 2:30 pm. With the road in this condition, the 80 km or so to Muang Khua were going to take at least 4 hrs. It was too late to attempt it now, as it’s dark by 5:30. So we double backed to our “same same” intersection for the third time, and this time back to Nong Khiaw.

Upon our return, Sami greeted us with a big smile. “What happened, why are you back?”. I told him the truth. For the last 20 km, all I could think about was getting my hands on one of Q Bars famous passion fruit Lao Lao whiskey shots.

“I missed you Sami, and was craving your famous Lao Lao whiskey!”

It was good to be home.

Checked into the Vongmany Guesthouse (decent place and clean) and after a shower, headed off for happy hour (two for one whiskey) and Lao BBQ at Q Bar.Same same as yesterday. But different.

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Laos – Adventure Motorcycle Perfection

If epic adventure is your thing, motorcycling Laos is a must. 

  1. It’s beautiful. Incredibly beautiful. Never ending mountains and valleys, covered in lush jungle and dotted with  the small villages of the hill tribes. 
  2. Kids running from schools, homes and out of the jungle, screaming with delight, waving and giving you high fives as you ride by. 
  3. Epic roads – paved and off road. Never ending twists, turns and roller coasters. 
  4. Amazing food, culture and people. 

Muang Hiam: Early morning. 

We were awakened early by something other than a rooster for once. The daily morning news that is blared through loudspeakers every day, morning and night in every town we had been in. Apparently a carry over from Soviet aid times.

Well, we wanted an early start. 

After breakfast at Tontavahn Restaurant (which cost 70,000 kip – the same as our hotel for the night), we were off – hoping to make it to Luang Prabang. This was a lofty goal as the previous day we had only ridden 155 km, and today’s ride would be closer to 300km. On the road for 8:30 am we were immediately hopeful. Although the road was still fun twists and turns, they weren’t as sharp as the previous day so our speed was already improved. And it was just as beautiful, if not more so. Low lying clouds hung over the valleys, and as we rode we watched as the sun burned away the cloud cover, first revealing wisps of white clinging to the mountain tops, then revealing lush, green jungle and the brightest of blue skies. The home of the Laotian big cats. The jungle was so thick and vast, I half expected to see a tiger dart out in front of us. 

After 100 km we had a decision to make. Take the short cut to Luang Prabang, a road we could find almost no information on (Pak Xeng – Sam Soun Rd) or stick to the main highway (1C) North towards Nong Khiaw. To help us make this decision, lunch was in order – it was 11:30 am by this time. Luckily for us, there was a small town at this intersection. We stopped and “asked” (I.e acted out eating a delicious bowl of air) if there was a restaurant in town. Happy nods and finger pointing towards a roadside hut a short way up the road led us to an unnamed “restaurant” with a single table (1.5 km past the turn to Pak Xeng). A group of young men excitedly raced over to “hang” with us. With some help from the young men, we managed to order noodle soup with meat. We had no idea what the meat would be, but having darn near run over cows, pigs and chickens for the last 200 km, we figured it would at least be fresh. We weren’t disappointed. The soup with pork and pigs blood was wonderful, the best soup we’ve had in Asia so far. 

After taking a chance on the soup, we decided to take our chances on the short cut. The town had a gas station 1 km past the restaurant, so after filling up we were back on the road for 12:10 m. 

The short cut landed up being another great decision. The next 60 km proved to be the most breathtaking off road riding I’ve ever done. 60 km of hard packed dirt, deep ruts and gaping holes along a nonstop mountain ridge line. Phenomenal views on both sides, as the mountain cut away to reveal more jungle, more crops and more breathtaking beauty. Riding along the top of the ridge line, you could see mountains into the distance for endless miles, rows and rows of mountains growing dimmer until they were almost more imagination than reality. Between the crazy fun road and the incredible scenery, Laos quickly skyrocketed as one of the best palaces to adventure motorcycle. 

After 60 km of fun, more surprises were in store. The last 80 km to Luang Prabang was a newly paved, wide road along a river that sparkles in the sun. The Honda 150’s proved to be a riot on the dirt track, time to see what the 150’s could do on open road. 

Not bad. We kept up to the Honda 250 ahead of us no problem on the dirt, and no problem on the highway. The bikes proved to be the perfect all round bike for motorcycling Vietnam and Laos. 

We arrived in Luang Prabang at 4:30 pm and decided to celebrate with a nice dinner. After checking into the wonderful and quiet Malida Guesthouse ($45 USD for the family suite), it was off to Manda de Laos for a superb meal. We had the Namkong menu and it was devine. Water buffalo, fish, chicken, vegetables, rice and coconut creme brûlée topped off a perfect day in two wheel paradise. 

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Day 12 – Motorcycling Laos – Wow!

Wow! Motorcycling Laos is incredible. Today was by far the most stunning and incredible riding we have done so far in SE Asia. Maybe the fact it was our first blue sky helped!

Started our day in Sam Neua at “Many Coffees” restaurant. A great place to get a proper cup of coffee, eggs and bread with butter and jam. We had read that Sam Neua had plenty of accommodation, but that quality restaurants were lacking. This has recently changed as we were presented with multiple good options for dinner and breakfast – all of which looked new.

Then the real fun began. On the road for a leisurely 10:15 am under beautiful blue skies that made the jungle colours pop. Deep hunter greens and bright greens were dotted with vibrant yellow flowers. The perfume on the air alternated between a light floral scent, to a strong sweet scent as the altitude quickly changed through the steep valley roads.

A motorcyclist’s paradise. The windiest roads you can imagine, up and down lush valley after lush valley. Cool air suddenly becoming hot, stifling air, then cool again as you snake your way to the next mountain crest. Small towns with waving children coming and going, as you keep winding you way through yet another amazing panorama. Wow!

Exactly 35 km out of Sam Neua we had our first stop. Watch for a small sign marking “Saleui Waterfall”. Definitely worth the 30 minutes to get off the bikes and stretch your legs by climbing the steep but short path to the top of the Tad Saleui falls.

The falls aren’t the only attraction in the Sam Neua area. An under rated tourist destination to date, this area will likely boom in the near future for all it has to offer. Besides the stunning scenery and fun roads for two wheelers, ecotourism in Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected area is growing. The last wild tigers in Laos can be found here, as well as leopard, clouded leopard, golden cat, Asian black bears and sun bears. Try the Nam Nern night safari or a multi day trek (although seeing any wildlife on these tours is rare). There is also the “Plain of Jars” at Phonsavan and the surrounding Ka waterfall and Tham Xang Cave. For a more off the beaten track experience, there is the Hintang Archeological Park and many hot springs to explore!

After an exhausting day of only 155 km over a 5.5 hour period (our average speed was no more than 40 km/hr for most of the day due to the crazy, twisty roads, a stop to hand out candy to some of the local children and some road construction), we checked into the Dokkhoun Guest House in Muang Hiam and dinner at Tontavanh Restaurant with a lovely couple, he from Germany and she from London. After many drinks with our new friends Wolfram and Katarina, it’s off to plan a route for tomorrow’s adventure!

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Day 10 – 11 Off to Laos

Day 10

Drove from Tam Coc to Quản Son, a small town about 50 km from the Laos border, for a total distance of 186 km. We left at 10:00 am.

The ride along Cuc Phuong National Park was beautiful. The traffic thinned out considerably, and we were able to drive around 70-80 km/ hr through majestic mountains and rice paddies. 

We stopped for an oil change in Cam Thuy. We arrived in Cam Thuy at 12:30PM, and left at nearly 2:30 PM. It took only a few minutes for the oil change, and closer to 30 minutes to communicate what oil we wanted. Should be good for oil until we get back into Vietnam. We weren’t sure we would find the right oil in Laos, as apparently they don’t get many Honda Wins or manual transmission motorcycles that way. 

If we are rock stars in Vietnam, I can’t imagine what we will be in Laos. Motorcycles are rare enough, but Honda adventure bikes are almost unheard of in Vietnam. People are in awe of our bikes everywhere we go – they want to sit on them, drive them, take pictures of them – and of us. After three days in Tam Coc, we had become well known by both locals and tourists. We are wearing backpacks that we ironed Canadian flag patches onto – and they stand out. Even at tourist sites our bags are recognizable, and we often here “it’s the Canadian’s on the motorcycles!”  

Following the oil change, we stopped for lunch at a restaurant across the street from the Honda dealer. It has a huge blue sign. We weren’t sure what we were getting besides chicken. There was horse meat on the menu (they had cartoon pictures of animals on each page so you at least knew the meat source of the dish you were ordering). We thought we ordered BBQ Chicken and Ginger Lemongrass Chicken based on Google translate.  

What we got was really good. The ginger chicken landed up being what we were pretty sure to be chicken neck. It was awesome! The lemongrass marinade was really delicious.  We both enjoyed it more than the 1/2  bbq Chicken. I would definitely call this restaurant a safe bet if you find yourself in Cam Thuy. 

After lunch we hit the bank, another adventure, and then off to Quản Son at 2:15 PM. Almost two hours for an oil change, lunch and the bank!

The drive from Cam Thuy to Quản Son was a wonderful surprise. We didn’t see a single tourist, and felt as though we were seeing the real Vietnam. Lush, green hills and small towns filled with smiling children playing in the streets. People waving at us from homes on stilts, and from dusty street side stores. And then quickly rising on a, twisty road through the mountains, before descending into the near forgotten town of Quan Son at 4:30 PM. 

Shawn’s highlight of the day was passing a scooter with a fully grown pig, hog tied on the back. It was still alive and had to weigh over 300 lbs. 

Hotels were limited so the Song Ma Hotel it was. It’s dirty and basic, but the sheets seemed clean, there is air conditioning and the water is hot! Unfortunately the price increased at check out. When we arrived at the hotel, the man at the front desk wrote down 150,000. At check out he demanded 250,000. Luckily for us he just had our passport copies, so I wasn’t worried. Also, he had already given us the copies back, so he really didn’t have much leverage. He yelled a bit and stuck his finger in my face, so we gave him another 50,000 and got out of there. 

Dinner was instant noodles and coconut juice from the local market. Pretty sure there is a Snickers bar in my bag, so that’s next on the menu. Hopefully the Kareoke bar at the end of the hotel hallway has a quiet night!

Day 11

Sitting at the Laos border, so might as well catch up on the days events.

We had hoped to get to the border well before the 11:30 am – 1:30 pm lunch break, but didn’t quite make it. When we tried to check out of our hotel, no one was there so we had to wait for grumpy to return. Upon his return he demanded an inflated price, all of this taking time. We finally hit the road at 9:40 am with a new lesson. Always take a picture of the price you are quoted and the hotel name (in their writing) as proof at checkout. 

The drive to the border was a twisty, pretty drive through several small towns. Today’s scooter fun was what I call the “peacocks”. Scooters loaded up with 4- inch diameter, 25 foot long pieces of bamboo trailing off the back. To me it looked like long tail feathers sticking out the back, like a peacock. They were challenging to pass on the winding roads, as the bamboo poles would sway across the entire road. 

Arrived at the border at 11:10 am. Leaving Vietnam was an easy 20 minute process, costing 200,000 dong each. We arrived at the Laos border right at lunch – 11:30. They were kind enough to process our visa ($47 USD each), but we are now waiting until 1:30 for customs to open. 

While waiting, a very kind soldier offered us some food. We gave him a Snickers bar in return. This must not have been deemed a fair trade, as he returned with yet more little parcels wrapped in banana leaf. The first is a sticky, sweet, tar-like black goo with sesame seeds, filled with what we assume to be a vegetable – potato or turnip. The second is a more transparent, orange goo filled with roasted coconut. Both were good, surprisingly not too sweet, and definitely hit the spot. Despite the one grumpy hotel manager, the people have been incredibly generous and kind. It is a genuine kindness that I can only imagine is part of their Buddhist culture.

Customs opened promptly at 1:30 pm. After completing a form and paying another $3 USD each, we were on our way by 1:45. 
We arrived in Sam Neua, 145 km from Quan Son, at 4:45 pm and checked into the Keochinda Hotel. The room is large and clean, and the front desk was friendly. 

After a shower, went out to get a SIM card. While walking to a restaurant for dinner, two young men stopped their scooter excitedly to chat with us. They wanted help pronouncing “fence” from “France”. After introductions, pictures and becoming Facebook friends, we bid our new young friends farewell. 

Dinner was at Dan Nao Meuang Xam Restaurant. Popular with foreigners for its English menu, it had more to offer than just that. The food was fresh, flavourful and full of vegetables – something our diet has been lacking! 

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Day 7 – Groot, Honda 250 l

Drove from Cat Ba to Ninh Bình (Tam Coc to be exact), for a total of 195 km. Left at 9:40 am and drove the west coast road of Cat Ba Island to the ferry to Hai Phòng.  Arrived at the ferry terminal at 10:30 am and caught the 11:00 am ferry. Encountered some minor construction which made the ride exciting – detours through narrow streets and some fun off-road. Nothing Groot couldn’t handle. 

Have I not introduced Groot yet? Groot is a Honda 150 L motorcycle. In Vietnam he might as well be a BMW 1200 GS. He is faster than almost everything else on the road, which makes playing chicken with the trucks and scooters a lot of fun. He also handles the daily construction detours like a champ. Mud, gravel, potholes and caved in roads become fun adventures as opposed to things to dread. 

So why Groot? We watched Guardians of the Galaxy 2 on the flight to Vietnam. I love the opening scene where baby Groot dances through the mayhem of the battle going on around him. The Guardians are valiantly fighting a monster, while Groot dances and beams with delight. It’s exactly how I felt riding out of Hanoi the first day on Groot. Groot and I danced our way through the streets of Hanoi, laughing away, while completly surrounded  by chaos.

I have also come to realize that my Vietnamese vocabulary is about as strong as Groot’s vocabulary. Finally, it’s really fun to say “I am Groot” when you need to be aggressive on the streets. 

We arrived in Tam Coc at 3:15 PM after a chilly and very windy ride. Typhoon Damrey is hammering Vietnam to the south of us, bringing us cloud cover and very strong winds. I was happy to have the bike loaded up to help keep us from bouncing around too much. 

After checking out a few home stays and hotels we settled on the highly rated Tam Coc Family home stay. They were fully booked, and for good reason. The home stay is very beautiful and is close to many restaurants and the heart of the cute village of Tam Coc. The family welcomed us with bottled water, pineapple and hugs, and found us an equally wonderful home stay with their sister in law at Tam Coc Mountain Lake Homestay. 

$26 USD per night for a private bungalow with two crisp and clean queen beds, a beautiful bathroom and breakfast. It’s incredibly clean and modern, being very new and still under construction. Tam Coc Mountain Lake Homestay is a bargain and highly recommended! 

Dinner at Sunflower Tam Coc Restaurant. The owners are wonderful and the service was great. Tried the red wine from Dalat. Had to try it at least once. I’ve had worse! The food was basic, but decent flavour and fresh.