Vietnam
The Vietnam ride was where it all began….
After watching the ‘Top Gear Vietnam Special’ my son Sebastian decided that we should replicate the journey, to which I gladly agreed . Sadly we never made the ride as we lost Sebastian in a road traffic accident later that year. Late November 2012 was when I decided to honour my promise and announced that I intended to complete the ride alone. Two good friends Ben & Joe immediately decided they would accompany me and so with no idea of what lay in store, we booked flights to land in Vietnam on 15th December 2012
DAY ONE
Our journey began as we landed in Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Having cleared customs we quickly grabbed a taxi and requested the driver to “Take us to the tourist section”. He nodded and accelerated headlong into the chaos of cars, buses, bikes and people that represented the ‘Everyday traffic’.
After 20 minutes of gripping seats, closed eyes and a few silent prayers we arrived at our destination and with a big smile our driver proudly pointed to a building stating ” Good Hotel”, which at less than 6 metres wide, turned out to be the thinnest building you could imagine. We paid his fare and escaped from this wannabe Schumacher as quickly as possible.
With the hotel in sight we decided we should sit down, plan our ride and get organised for what lay ahead. So true to fashion we selected a local bar and started to plan. After several hours of ‘planning’ we decided it would be wise to book into our hotel. Once secured it was back to the ‘planning’!
By this time word had gotten around that three crazy foreigners were in town and intended to buy motorcycles to ride from Saigon (Ho Chi Min) in the south to Hanoi in the North. This news resulted in a continuous stream of hopeful Vietnamese vendors who wanted to sell anything from good luck charms to bikes that resembled motorised lawnmowers !!
After a careful screening process (Flip of a coin) we secured the assistance of a local guide to help us select three bikes for our journey. Our selection criteria was quite demanding … they had to start and be cheap; anything else would be a bonus! With this instruction our guide called two colleagues with bikes, put us pillion and roared off into the night. What followed was a series of garages hopeful of a deal. After intensive negotiations we finally selected three dubious looking Chinese copy 100cc Honda’s and suitable head gear, paid a deposit, requested the bikes be serviced ,and promised to return at 10am the following morning to pay the balance of the $350 purchase price of our trusty steeds. With the admin taken care of, it was back to the ‘planning’ until the early hours.
DAY TWO
10am seemed to arrive very quickly and with it, three worse for wear individuals less than ready for what lay ahead. Bikes collected our guide escorted us from the back streets to the main highway and with a gesture of “Hanoi that way” he disappeared into the traffic, our journey had begun!!
We knew from our notes, that the first leg of the journey was from Saigon to the mountain town of Da Lat. This seemed easy enough, so off we rode. Twenty minutes later we encountered our first problem, the road split into three and all instructions where in Vietnamese!! Thank god Joe had Google maps on his phone.
As we made our way the scenery changed, the roads became narrower and the steep hills often had our bikes down to near walking speeds but we made progress, we pushed on determined to make Da Lat, making only brief stops for the first of several punctures, to admire the view and shake off the effects of the previous nights planning.
Despite our best efforts nightfall came too quickly and after losing Joe with yet another puncture we decided that it was too risky to continue in the dark. Having made the call we found hotel accommodation for the princely sum of $8 and waited for Joe, we then sampled the local cuisine and beer, then with the exception of Joe (who found a mousetrap in his bed) got some much needed sleep.
DAY THREE
The next morning we made an early start and progress was good until disaster struck, Ben was involved in a collision with a girl riding a bike, fortunately he escaped with what seemed to be minor cuts and bruises but the bike suffered considerable damage. After three hours of repairs and a bill of $45 we set off again to reach the town of Da Lat.
Some hours later we reached our destination and as you can imagine the mood of our trio was not good.
After much discussion it was decided that we should push on until we reached the city Nha Trang, which we did late in the evening. Our hotel in Nha Trang was of a much higher standard, hot showers and no mousetraps! After a quick shower it was time to lift our spirits by checking out the local watering hole and meet the locals. This turned out to be an excellent decision as the beer was ice cold and free flowing (especially once the barmaid fell asleep) we returned to our hotel in the early hours in fine spirits and ready for the next day.
DAY FOUR
After a few hours of exploring the manicured sea front in Nha Trang and sampling the local coffee we set off again. Our target today was the city of Qui Nhon. Progress was good until we pulled in to refuel because Joe was seriously low on fuel. It was then that he realised his fuel tank had started leaking and fuel was dripping onto his hot exhaust, fortunately there was a repair shop just across the road and they confirmed they could weld the tank. One hour and approximately $10 later we were back on the road, enjoying the good weather and fantastic scenery.
Spirits were high especially when Joe got too close to the back of a cattle truck and one of the occupants decided to urinate…. poor Joe received a face full.
The remainder of the day’s journey was uneventful with the exception of the fantastic sights and scenery that continuously presented themselves. Reaching Qui Nhon late afternoon, we cruised the waterfront looking for a hotel until we found this delightful looking restaurant that also served ice cold Tiger beer, the decision was unanimous, the hotel could wait.
DAY FIVE
As per plan we rose bright and early determined to push on to the half way mark Da Nang only to be greeted by the now obligatory breakdown. This time it was my bike that refused to start so we again found the local bike shop for more ‘running repairs’ and some 30 minutes later we headed off in what we hoped was the general direction. The road to Da Nang was perfect, a two sometimes three lane stretch of tarmac that hugged the coast, the views were fantastic and it was often difficult to focus on the road and traffic. It was in one of these moments that we came face to face with two trucks intent on overtaking each other with a bus intent on overtaking both trucks, it was time for an emergency stop to get out of their way!
I think this was the final straw for Ben, as a result of his accident his leg was now swelling and he was in considerable discomfort. After much persuasion, he agreed that we should look for the train station in Da Nang so that like the Top Gear team he could complete the journey by train. It was mid afternoon as Ben and Joe, tickets in hand entered the departure gates and I was left determined to complete the journey. The next couple of hours were a blur, determined to make good time I pushed my poor bike to its limits. As I rode into the Hai Van Mountain pass I saw before me a ribbon of road that snaked its way upwards in a series of hairpins that would be a delight to any biker. On reaching the top I was confronted with the same view down the pass, it was then that I discovered my rear brake had failed!.
It was late afternoon as I entered the historic and conflict scarred town of Hue. Pleased with my progress I sent a text message to confirm my location, two minutes later I received a reply advising me that their train had also just arrived in Hue!
DAY SIX
Determined to push on I set off early and soon had my little bike at full throttle so I settled down to devour the miles. That was when it happened, the back wheel locked up and I found myself astride a wild animal that was determined to throw me off. Again I found a local ‘mechanic,’ his inspection revealed that the rear wheel bearing had disintegrated and seized. It was such a mess I feared my journey was over. However two hours and about $20 later with a smile on my face I was on my way again. That was when the weather changed, to date it had been pretty warm, now the temperature plummeted and I was forced to add an extra T shirt and waterproof (yes I was well prepared) then came the rain, at first a drizzle but it quickly became a continuous downpour. I arrived at my target destination Vihn, very cold and waterlogged but pleased to be much closer to Hanoi.
DAY SEVEN
As I left the hotel it was still raining and the temperature had dropped even further but I didn’t care, Hanoi was only 300klms away, some six hours of riding. So I set off knowing that by early afternoon I would be in Hanoi. That journey was one to forget, the rain increased, aided by a driving crosswind, then to cap it off the road became a mud track and I began to really struggle. Suddenly I saw a roadside marker ‘Hanoi 100k’ the rain stopped and the sun started to show through the clouds so I stopped for a quick cup of sweet Vietnamese tea and with batteries recharged I pushed on. Suddenly the city of Hanoi was on the skyline. I then realised, I still had to find the finish line and my companions. After a quick call to Ben I had a location marker on my phone which I followed through the hustle and bustle of the city. Weaving through the back streets of Hanoi is like stepping back in time, the hustle of vendors and traffic, the vivid colours of shops and their signs, the countless smells of spices and street vendors cooking. Suddenly I saw a sign ‘Finnegan’s Irish Pub’ and there, sure enough with beer in hand I found Ben & Joe. Cold and wet I almost fell off that poor old bike and with sadness switched it off for the last time. I felt buggered but a hot shower and a couple of cold beers I felt happy and ready to go again.
