See that! Proof positive that Women know about these things!!!

Thanks Michelle I happily stand corrected.

Cheers, SB

 

Day 30 Thanh Hoa to Hoa Binh Meant to be about 180 km, but ended up about 230km due to a little navigational deviation

Well, 160 posts, 3,500 views and we are down to the penultimate day on the little Honda 125s. We will have done more than 3,000 km on these little scoots and apart from one little hiccup on Mrs SB's bike with the blocked carby, these bikes have been superb.

We left Thanh Hoa just after 8.30 AM when the fog finally lifted and headed directly west to regain the Ho Chi Minh Highway again - basically travelling a couple of hundred extra kilometres at the end of our trip to avoid Highway 1.



About 30 km out, my little Honda clicked over to 18,000 km and the tripmeter shows 772 km. That's 2,772 and by early afternoon it was 2,975 km.



The area we were travelling through was a lot more horticultural, with bananas, taro, citrus and many other fruits I still can't identify.

After another 100 km we passed a little Xe may (bike repairer) and I got the $1 special chain tightening and oiling option.



You have to be prepared to be the centre of attention and draw a crowd - sometimes quite large - wherever you go away from the tourist hotspots in Vietnam. And also be prepared to be laughed at - whatever you do, eating, drinking, walking, whatever - and have 'Hello' 'Where you from' 'Melbourne Siderney' yelled at you 54,872 times a day. I became Frank because my name was too hard for them to pronounce.

We continued north passing through numerous small villages, the one in the video below had a funeral procession, then we wound our way through more karst formations.


Mrs SB showing her motorcyling prowess again



We stopped for a drink - and to surreptiously check the map - near some chopped taro being dried.



Taking your mates for a spin on the rotary hoe is a favoured pastime

I realised we had missed a fairly important left turn about 40 km before, so I had to do a workaround. This meant taking some fairly serious back roads across a couple of the limestone karst ranges.





And it was beautiful - very beautiful.

We eventually went too far and found the road we (read 'I') missed earlier and had to back track to a little town to turn off to the 'Resort' we are staying at tonight.

Booked in about 2.30 PM having done about 230 km, threw down our gear, changed into our bathers and went swimming in a huge pool.

I'm having trouble with the reality that tomorrow is the last day on the bikes. That we won't be able to go wherever, whenever we want. That the beautiful, stunning scenery will end tomorrow to be replaced by walking, taxis and throngs of people and a cacophony of car and motorcycle horns all hours of the day and night.

But it has been oh so good!

Cheers, The Travelling 'Bears

 

Doctor WHO ?
No wonder Mrs Bear can get it all in one bag
Those mountains always remind me of the "floating mountains" from Avatar for some reason - must be the shape is so similar......
But does VN have blue people ??? HEHE

I for one will be sad you are leaving "the 'Nam" - I have thoroughly enjoyed your adventures from the comfort of my computer chair
and will pass on my thanks now for a great narrative and pictures.
May you both have many more adventures on bikes and that we may continue to enjoy them with you.
I had a great time, and as TK said - what else am I going to do after lunch - work ? Pffft !
Be safe and enjoy the eucalyptus (or whatever else you choOse to snifF) HEHE
NOW NOW, NOT THAT STUFF - NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

Thanks Shadow,

We still have a few days in Ha Noi, then a couple in Saigon before we leave. Just sad that tomorrow is the last day of riding.

Probably still manage to get myself into some sort of trouble in the cities over the next week

Cheers, SB

 

I do believe that we are going to New Zealand next?

 

Only if he promises to really behave himself, and not take the p1ss out of my accent (not that I have one, everyone else in the world seems to have one but some reason us Kiwis don't. Maybe it's us that's the lucky country?)

 

Who Me!!???

This is the real reason I'm going Michelle............


Wanna come? It'll be over by lunchtime

Cheers, SB

 

Australia called, SB. Seems they dont want you back just yet...

This thread has been the best example of how a road trip should be documented.

Thanks so much for doing it Joy.



(and Bear)

 

Why thank you Demon.

Last day on the bikes to be posted yet, but I am going to wait until the morning to do it. Too knackered at the moment

We returned the bikes about 5 PM this afternoon Ha Noi time and I felt a real loss. We did get our $1600 deposit back though, so I see good times ahead

Cheers, SB

 

Day 31 Hoa Binh to Ha Noi ~ 110 km by the time we handed the bikes back late afternoon.

Total journey on the little Honda 125 cc Fortunes - 3,100 km

Last day on the bikes - I just cannot believe it! We easily could have spent another month exploring the south.

With the knowledge that we were on the last leg into the chaos of Ha Noi about 100 km away, we wanted to savour the last of this country's beautiful scenery, so avoided the freeway back into Ha Noi and stayed on the backroads.



The limestone karst formations cause wonder and a smile every time you wind your way through them on the valley floor.

The roads were good condition and every kilometer closer we got to Ha Noi, the traffic increased in volume and noise until about 16 km out it was the full mental chaos we had left three weeks before. I had studied the maps fairly carefully before we left in the morning so kind of knew where we were meant to be going to find the Rising Damp (Dragon ) Hotel which was to be home for the next few days before returning to Saigon.

As with war strategems, the moment battle is joined the carefully prepared plans are the first casualty, so it was with navigating Ha Noi and its phenomenal noise and freneticism, anarchy, pandemonium and bedlam. I headed in what I believed was an appropriate direction and with one stop to ask a traffic policeman (now there is a full time job ) - we found our Hotel and disembarked our butts from the saddle for almost the last time.



One very happy SB and Mrs SB at the front of our hotel. I must acknowledge that the girl who hesitantly set off from Ha Noi to Sa Pa on the Honda 125 4 weeks ago returned a fully fledged, skilled motorcycling legend in my eyes. I am so proud of the way she rode and managed the traffic, distances, endless corners, heat, flooding rains, the accident which left her breast and lower leg severely bruised and also numerous joys () of this trip. She is a motorcyclist, a biker, an honoured female member of the fraternity - and we will do it again!

We were welcomed as long lost friends at the hotel (we stayed here before we started the motorcycle trip) and ushered to a brand new room for a shower after a long, cool freshly squeezed lemon drink.

We went out to the Highlands Club for lunch, where the Club Sandwich was consumed with alacrity and a Ha Noi beer


Traffic was relatively light on the way home, but as you see, you still have to have 100 sets of eyes to survive.

The bikes were then returned and we left our $1,000,000 VND helmets ($50 AUD each) with the RentaBike Ha Noi business Rentabike Hanoi as they were so helpful and their bikes so trouble free. I would recommend these guys whole-heartedly and we looked at quite a few businesses before we selected them.



The cat outside their shop agreed with me.

And that was it! We were now pedestrians and we did not like it one little bit.

Walking back to the hotel came across some interesting things for...........



Kiwi TK and........



That bloke from South Africa



And a lovely little Honda V Twin. Do you think I'm missing riding yet?

I just had to video some of the night time maelstrom.


We are in Ha Noi for the next 2 nights then fly the 2,000 km south to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) for another 2 days before returning to Australia (and prepare for invading NZ ).

I think I may have to do some work to pay for this.......

Cheers, The Travelling 'Bears