Yummy, those flash solid gold Rolex's that float in the swimming pool, really hope I win one of them.

 

It was an early start in Singapore. We stayed at the Ambassador hotel in Changi Airport and after a swim and G&T by the poolside. Found some fantastic Asian food at a restaurant in the Airport and then set about purchasing the last few electrickery type gadgets needed for the trip.

A new still camera, some data cards for the GoPro and a hard drive to store all the photos/videos on to minimise the possibility of the computer meltdown that occurred last year.

Bed was a welcomed place knowing that the early morning call was to be at 4.30 to catch the red-eye to Saigon.

After a 4am start, an Asian breakfast of champions (SB had Laksa and Mrs SB had roast chicken and rice with lots of green chillies -yum) in Changi for $5p/head) we caught our plane for Saigon at 6.45am.

Arriving in Saigon we proceeded to get our visas, and, as last year, we had applied on line, gotten the necessary paperwork and jumped through a few hoops. Just as well! There was a French couple who hadn't, and they were fighting tooth and nail to not be put straight back on the plane they had just gotten off! There was a very stern and officious soldier who just kept saying "no - you have no letter telling us who you are, or why you're here, so you cannot come into our country".

There was another French lass who, like us, had jumped through the hoops and her eyes were like saucers watching it all, but later I saw her outside the airport, so she was cleared.

Of course the French are still viewed askance here given their 60 year rule over the Vietnamese who seem to have neither forgiven, nor forgotten.

We then waited for 2 hours to get into our room which is lovely.



The view out the back door of our pub – the same one we stayed in at the start of the 2012 trip.

We settled in and then went hunting for flip-flops for me (jandals to TK ) and then regrouped for a little more research into where to get the helmets.



Most just weren’t right!

As explained last year, full-face helmets here are an anomaly and GOOD full-faced helmets rare as rocking horse sh*t. The first place we went to, Andes Helmets, had a few but they – despite the likeness of the label to Arai, were made by Zeus and were ill-fitting and expensive. We had heard of this rather expensive shop a little way out of town that supplied good race gear – Akrapovic exhausts, Ohlins suspension etc and they were also supposed to have a good range of quality helmets.

They had a few so size was the next barrier. We found two that as Goldilocks said “were juuuuuuuust right”





Sweet as Bro! Carbon Fibre no less…………………and for the female of the species……………….





A PINK (hmmmmmmmm) Full flip-face with internal visor to boot.

We spent a little more than last year, but are intending to take the helmets home with us this year. All up spend $250 USD.

Oh, and one thing we did forget……………



At the end of the monsoon season, be indoors by 4 PM. This WILL play a major part of our planning for the trip.

We collect the bikes from the train station tomorrow.

Cheers, The Travelling ‘Bears

 

Actual Carbon Fiber? or perhaps, just those lay on graphics that look like carbon fiber??

Whatever the case, I know you guys will keep yourselves safe, and have an absolute blast.

Kinda wish I was there with you. The experience of a life time, have fun and keep safe my friends.

Cheers
TK

 

Oh this I gotta see! Kinda missed out on the last trip and never really cought up althoug I did give the story a quick onceover... cool lids you guys found! Oh how I miss trips abroad, been round half the globe as a kid but the last ten-fifteen years can't remember crossing the border more than once into estonia this summer... just have to see the New Zeeland/Polynesia/Oostralia corner someday...

 

It's the real deal TK. It weighs probably just under half the weight of Mrs SB's new lid. But hers also has the double screen and chin lift mechanism.

I'll pop some more photos of the evening up shortly.

Cheers, The Travelling 'Bears

 

Mattson, head on down and We'll look after you in Australia and Teeks may just show some care for you in the seventh state - New Zealand

Cheers, SB

 

After the monsoonal downpour, we ventured out to find dinner.



Mrs SB sniff testing the seafood and cocoanut soup.



Seafood on the barbeque - and it smelled just magnificent.

So after all that, we settled on a little roadside stall at the Ben Thanh markets and had pork, rice, egg and Asian vegetables with a Heineken each. $7 AUD to feed the both of us.

Checked out the street wiring on the way home................





Cheers, The Travelling 'Bears

 

Missed the start of this one Seb, hope you and Mrs Bear have a great time!

Stay safe and enjoy

 

Thanks Hawk, but it doesn't really start until the bums are on the bike seats anyway!

Cheers, SB

 

Quick post - more later.

Got the call at noon.30 to collect the bikes.......

ATGATT in the taxi to Saigon Train Station, much gesticulating, looking and eventually 2 cardboard swathed bikes were wheeled into our presence. Shipping cost for about 2,000 km train travel for the two bikes was a VERY modest $80 USD for both. Compare this to a mate of mine in the Adelaide Hills who has his BMW GS650 shipped to Cairns (about 4,000km) for $800AUD. G'day Kenny

Cut off the cardboard, find fuel at 30,000 VND/litre and head back to the hotel - all of about 4 km.

I did not know it was possible to sweat so much in a helmet without drowning!

Mrs SB rode like the Hanoi veteran she is and we 'flowed like the fishes' with the traffic, not getting lost once.

Both our helmets are great and our new Ray Bans set the tone nicely

We're off to find some lunch.....................and a towel.

Cheers, The Travelling 'Bears