Month October 2016
The goal for the day was to reach Dalat up in the highlands and since it is fairly close to Mui Ne I decided to take it easy and do some sightseeing along the way. I started with the Po Shanu Cham Towers, three ancient brick towers west of Mui Ne that are still used for worshipping. I know I will see lots of old temples during my travels but these were the first.
The small tower… 
…and the big one.
I found out yesterday that there are actually two large sand dunes in Mui Ne, the red one and the … Read the rest
I’m truly in the countryside now, a few houses here and there but otherwise not a sign of civilization. The road winds leisurely through a landscape so green you almost can’t believe it, trees and bushes of all kinds on both sides. In the distance lie low hills like camel humps. The road surface is in a state of disrepair, I bump along at a slow pace, keeping a sharp lookout for potholes that are so big I would probably go flying over the handlebars if I hit one with speed. I’d like to pay more attention to the landscape … Read the rest
This morning I set on the 200 kilometer slog to my next goal along the way north, the small beach town Mui Ne. Geting out of Ho Chi Minh city was hell, first I got lost and when I finally found the way it turned out to be a highway where motorbikes can’t go so I had to find a way around. Once I got out on the main road though, things got better and by the afternoon I was riding through lush landscapes with mountains in the far distance.
Sometime around three … Read the rest
I’ve finally left the city behind, there are trees on the side of the road and even some mountains in the distance. I’ve hit my second tropical rain shower of the day; my poncho will keep me dry but it’s big and flowing and flies in the wind, flapping out behind me like I’m freaking Batman or something. Theme song of the day: Na na na na na na Batman… Read the rest
The main draw in Can Tho is the Cai Rang floating market. I think it’s possible to do a one day hit and run tour from HCMC but the market opens before sunrise so to get the most of it you should be there early. You also need a boat to be able to see the market up close, I took the easy way out and booked a tour via my hotel. As it turned out it was just me, the guide and the driver in a small wooden skiff with an outboard. Our boat was a bit slower than … Read the rest
An arrow straight strip of asphalt stretches through the lush landscape out towards the tree line at the horizon. The sun shines brightly from an azure sky filled with dramatic clouds. The speedometer shows a clean 80 kph, ah, I feel so alive.… Read the rest
When I woke up today it was pouring rain, a real monsoon shower, but I packed up my stuff anyway and waited for the rain to let up. Once it did I set out to the main goal of the day, the Cu Chi Tunnels. This is a vast network of tunnels used by the Vietnamese to hide, first from the French and later from the Americans. According to the guide they are about 250 kilometers long and they even reach Cambodia.
It sounds really cool when you read about it and I was really excited to go there, I … Read the rest
The sun is shining, the rain seems to have dried up completely; the road is straight, only one way forward, with trees and small shops by the side, I keep the throttle at a steady 60 km/h. The theme to Smoky and the Bandit keeps playing in the back of my mind as I reflect on my first day of riding in Vietnam: my bag falling off the luggage rack, the rickety wooden bridge, the water buffalo by the road side. So many impressions just in one day…… Read the rest
Today was my first full day of tourism, and I aimed for the main tourist spots of HCMC starting with the War Remnants Museum which has a small but good collection of tanks and aircraft outside and a whole lot of photos and such inside. Hollywood has produced I don’t know how many films about the Vietnam war (or the American war as they say here) and even though many of them have been anti war, they have all been from an American perspective; it’s interesting to get the Vietnamese perspective on it. I highly recommended it for anyone with … Read the rest