Hunting Uncle Ho, The 'Bears Vietnam Journey
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Cheers, catch up tomorrow; you have set a new standard in trip reporting mate by doing it on the fly.
I'm pretty sure I can speak for all of us in congratulating you on keeping us all involved and looking forward to your posts.
Isn't modern technology grand?
Just make sure you don't get in the sh1te with your actual family for the time spent keeping up with your other family.
Cheers, SB
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Day 6 (minus a bit 
)
This was the little 250cc Kawasaki Mrs SB and I took for a night time spin. Now, this was completely accidental and we're not squids by not being ATGATT, but I was itching for a ride. Don't do this at home kids
A big kid on a small bike..........
With his chick, maaaaaaaaaaaan
Then it was onto dinner for a beautiful Pho
Which looked like this Wooferdog
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so there's my essay on food!
I'll still get Mrs SB to type a few words on the food, but she's tied to washing clothes prior to the off tomorrow (writing this Monday night) - no not really - yeah, actually she is. I'd be happy to do the entire tour in one T shirt, but not the girl
Then, on the way to the night market - you guessed it - Uncle Ho appeared out of a shop doorway.
Then onto the night market where a few needed items were purchased before leaving for Ha Long Bay the next morning.
Next post - the amazing Ha Long Bay
Cheers, The Travelling 'Bears
)This was the little 250cc Kawasaki Mrs SB and I took for a night time spin. Now, this was completely accidental and we're not squids by not being ATGATT, but I was itching for a ride. Don't do this at home kids
A big kid on a small bike..........
With his chick, maaaaaaaaaaaan
Then it was onto dinner for a beautiful Pho
Which looked like this Wooferdog
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so there's my essay on food!
I'll still get Mrs SB to type a few words on the food, but she's tied to washing clothes prior to the off tomorrow (writing this Monday night) - no not really - yeah, actually she is. I'd be happy to do the entire tour in one T shirt, but not the girl
Then, on the way to the night market - you guessed it - Uncle Ho appeared out of a shop doorway.
Then onto the night market where a few needed items were purchased before leaving for Ha Long Bay the next morning.
Next post - the amazing Ha Long Bay
Cheers, The Travelling 'Bears
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Day 6 and 7 (Ha Long Bay Cruise)
Early start, on the bus for four hours for the 160km trip from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay on our (morning) Glory Tour. Feckin' hot and incredibly rough road.
Light to heavy industry all the way down, with much rice based agriculture in between.
They are planning to 'upgrade' Ha Long Bay, which when we saw the plans and models, made us very glad we were seeing it now.
Seafaring ATGATT
Somehow we managed to snag the biggest cabin on the boat
I'm just going to put the photos of Ha Long Bay up without comment - It is an incredibly beautiful part if the world. 1500 square Km, 1969 islands and islets - just mind numbingly stunning.
Just stunning and the tour was well catered, well run, and an absolute pleasure to be part of.
The last picture is dedicated to many of Mrs SB's family as well as mine who I know are following our exploits courtesy of the CBR Forum - so Here's Cheers guys - we're safe and having fun.
Also to a very, very good friend of mine from Dunedin NZ with whom I have done many motorcycle trips all over the world in the last 10 years. Will McD turns 50 today - so Happy Birthday mate! I'm missing your company on this journey
Mrs SB and I drank a Penfolds Bin 28 in your honour!
Cheers, The Travelling 'Bears
Early start, on the bus for four hours for the 160km trip from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay on our (morning
) Glory Tour. Feckin' hot and incredibly rough road.Light to heavy industry all the way down, with much rice based agriculture in between.
They are planning to 'upgrade' Ha Long Bay, which when we saw the plans and models, made us very glad we were seeing it now.
Seafaring ATGATT
Somehow we managed to snag the biggest cabin on the boat
I'm just going to put the photos of Ha Long Bay up without comment - It is an incredibly beautiful part if the world. 1500 square Km, 1969 islands and islets - just mind numbingly stunning.
Just stunning and the tour was well catered, well run, and an absolute pleasure to be part of.
The last picture is dedicated to many of Mrs SB's family as well as mine who I know are following our exploits courtesy of the CBR Forum - so Here's Cheers guys - we're safe and having fun.
Also to a very, very good friend of mine from Dunedin NZ with whom I have done many motorcycle trips all over the world in the last 10 years. Will McD turns 50 today - so Happy Birthday mate! I'm missing your company on this journey
Mrs SB and I drank a Penfolds Bin 28 in your honour!
Cheers, The Travelling 'Bears
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Evening All, 2 days riding, over 400km, yesterday Hanoi to Yen Bai then today Yen Bai to Sa Pa in the rain. Report soon, just going through photos now. Sa Pa is in the mountains and is 
Cheers, SB
Cheers, SB
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Days 8 & 9 Ha Noi to Yen Bai to Sa Pa ~ 415 km
Collected the bikes at 9 am in the morning and paid a guide $100,000 VND ($5 AUD) to take us to the shop where Jay hired his bike then to the road leading to Yen Bai.
It was hot, we were in full ATGATT and we were melting. Picked up Jay and the Pink Power Ranger Suzie and headed off - for all of 1 km before we declared Jay's bike unrideable. The handlebars moved up and down in the bracket, and the fork air pressure was so low, there was about 4 inches of travel between throttle on and throttle off.
The first (and hopefully only) bike repair stop
The shop owner came out and tightened the handlebar brackets and pumped air into the forks - now we could leave.
The guide took us out to the road leading to Yen Bai and we were on our way - or so we thought.......
The boys consulting maps and still getting lost while the Pink Power Ranger thinks things are going well!
After becoming geographically misplaced a couple of times we eventually sorted things and did the 200 km to Yen Bai arriving just on dark. Finding a hotel was interesting and the third one checked us in without wanting to keep our passports.
Jay crashed into bed with a dose of the runs and Mrs SB and I went out for Pho for dinner, then too crashed out for a well earned rest.
The dawn brought a nice breakfast at the hotel accompanied by intermittent showers. We set off and fuelled up before heading off for Sa Pa.
The Pink Power Ranger checking out flight controls before take-off!
As the morning progressed, the scenery became more beautiful - or at least what we could see, because the rain set in heavily.
A wet 'Bear
A wet Mrs SB
It got so wet, that Jay, who is normally - ummm - casual in his dress found the going cold, so we dug out a poncho for him to wear.
Yes Jay, it does look like you're wearing a full body condom
It got wetter, and wetter, and wetter the higher we climbed towards Sa Pa.
But Mrs SB took the rain and the traffic in her stride - a job very well done for a beginner motorcyclist.
Early afternoon the rain stopped and the road dried out making the journey very enjoyable.
And I gotta hand it to these two as well. Jay is on a two week break from the mines and comes to Vietnam to ride with us, and the Pink Power Ranger Suzie has never been on a pillion ride before - and does this! Kudos kids.
As we climbed into the mountains we started coming across the terraced rice paddys the district is famous for.
Eventually reaching the top, we located an excellent hotel (Sa Pa Hotel) and went out for an excellent steak dinner at a local restaurant.
The view from our balcony.
Cheers, The Travelling 'Bears
Collected the bikes at 9 am in the morning and paid a guide $100,000 VND ($5 AUD) to take us to the shop where Jay hired his bike then to the road leading to Yen Bai.
It was hot, we were in full ATGATT and we were melting. Picked up Jay and the Pink Power Ranger Suzie and headed off - for all of 1 km before we declared Jay's bike unrideable. The handlebars moved up and down in the bracket, and the fork air pressure was so low, there was about 4 inches of travel between throttle on and throttle off.
The first (and hopefully only) bike repair stop
The shop owner came out and tightened the handlebar brackets and pumped air into the forks - now we could leave.
The guide took us out to the road leading to Yen Bai and we were on our way - or so we thought.......
The boys consulting maps and still getting lost while the Pink Power Ranger thinks things are going well!
After becoming geographically misplaced a couple of times we eventually sorted things and did the 200 km to Yen Bai arriving just on dark. Finding a hotel was interesting and the third one checked us in without wanting to keep our passports.
Jay crashed into bed with a dose of the runs and Mrs SB and I went out for Pho for dinner, then too crashed out for a well earned rest.
The dawn brought a nice breakfast at the hotel accompanied by intermittent showers. We set off and fuelled up before heading off for Sa Pa.
The Pink Power Ranger checking out flight controls before take-off!
As the morning progressed, the scenery became more beautiful - or at least what we could see, because the rain set in heavily.
A wet 'Bear
A wet Mrs SB
It got so wet, that Jay, who is normally - ummm - casual in his dress found the going cold, so we dug out a poncho for him to wear.
Yes Jay, it does look like you're wearing a full body condom
It got wetter, and wetter, and wetter the higher we climbed towards Sa Pa.
But Mrs SB took the rain and the traffic in her stride - a job very well done for a beginner motorcyclist.
Early afternoon the rain stopped and the road dried out making the journey very enjoyable.
And I gotta hand it to these two as well. Jay is on a two week break from the mines and comes to Vietnam to ride with us, and the Pink Power Ranger Suzie has never been on a pillion ride before - and does this! Kudos kids.
As we climbed into the mountains we started coming across the terraced rice paddys the district is famous for.
Eventually reaching the top, we located an excellent hotel (Sa Pa Hotel) and went out for an excellent steak dinner at a local restaurant.
The view from our balcony.
Cheers, The Travelling 'Bears
Last edited by Sebastionbear1; Oct 17, 2012 at 06:45 PM.