Tag Vietnam
The road is straight, relatively smooth and on both sides nothing but jungle. A quick glance at my GPS tells me I am on the Ho Chi Minh highway, that legendary road for bikers in this country and I am… a little bit disappointed. Sure, smooth roads and jungles are nice but I have read such good things about it and it doesn’t live up to the hype. I’ve been on equally smooth roads with much nicer views in other parts of the country, the road between Dalat and Nha Trang comes to mind. Oh well, I shall keep going, … Read the rest
Hue is very close to the old demilitarized zone so there are a few military remnants in the area. The most interesting for me were the Vinh Moc tunnels, about 100 kilometers north of Hue, where an entire fishing village went under ground. On the way out, I happened upon a big communist monument of some kind. There wasn’t any information in English available but it looked cool with the big flag and everything. I will say though that the 40000 Dong entrance fee was a bit steep for a five minute visit.
Compared to the Cu … Read the rest
I’m only a few meters from the entrance where a little bit of daylight spills in, and already it’s completely dark when I turn off my flashlight, I literally cannot see my hand in front of my face. I am truly in the underground, where human eyes cannot penetrate the darkness no matter how used they get to it. I don’t dare to go further in because there are no lights to guide the way and getting lost down in some old tunnels from the Vietnamese war is not a particularly appealing prospect. Instead I just stand here for a … Read the rest
When I woke up this morning it was raining heavily. I waited until it had settled down a bit then got on the bike and headed to my next goal, Hue city.
I’m sure I’ve said it before but it bears repeating, this is a really gorgeous country to ride through. Sure, sometimes you will be on the noisy and crowded expressway racking up the miles, but as soon as you get into the countryside, the landscape becomes really photogenic. So, despite the rain, I stopped a few times to take pictures
Leaving Danang 
Flooded road that I had to
Yesterday evening was a festival night and there were lots of people here. Today it’s back to normal, every day life and the streets are almost empty. A little while ago it was raining which kept people indoors. Now the rain has stopped but people aren’t coming out, not even the tourists. In the daytime this place is bustling with people but now it’s so empty. It feels so strange.… Read the rest
Hoi An is a very relaxed city, compared to Ho Chi Minh it barely counts as a city at all. The main draw is the ancient town, a fairly large area of small, old houses that counts as a UNESCO world heritage. It’s a bit touristic as almost all the houses have been turned into shops and restaurants, and most of the people you meet there are foreigners, but it’s very atmospheric none the less. I spent a good portion of my first day in Hoi An just walking around randomly in the old town. It felt really nice to … Read the rest
The street is lined with red and yellow lanterns enticing people in to the various shops and restaurants. Green lanterns have been strung across the street like pearl necklaces. The whole place is bathed in a soft multicolored glow, giving it a special atmosphere. Tonight a festival is in town and there are loads of people milling around, locals and tourists alike. There’s that happy feeling in the air that only a festival can bring about. Normally I would enjoy walking around looking at things but I’ve had some trouble with that lifeblood of a modern traveler, my phone, which … Read the rest
Before this trip started I made a rule for myself that I should not ride more than 200 kilometers a day. Today I broke that rule by a large margin. You see, in order to get more time in Hoi An and Hue I needed to get there as fast as possible, so instead of staying over in some beach town I decided to go as far north as I could in a day, hoping I could reach Hoi An by nightfall. My backup plan, in case I got too tired, was to take a hotel in Quang Ngai.
I … Read the rest
There are a few sights inside Daly city but the main draw is the surrounding nature. The general recommendation for seeing said nature is to join an easy rider motorcycle tour, but since I have my own bike I decided to combine the motorbike tour with the ride to my next stop for the night. Before setting off however, I went sightseeing in the city, starting with Hang Nga Crazy House. It’s a building with very unique architecture and while the architect still lives there you can walk around and explore it.
Photos of various angles of the Crazy House
I’ve seriously had it with this incessant rain, like Samuel L Jackson in Snakes on a plane would have said: enough is enough! It spoils the fun of riding by making the road slippery, it ruins any photo ops offered by the gorgeous scenery I’m passing, but worst of all, I’m getting soaked despite my rain gear. It is utterly and completely miserable.… Read the rest