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Published: April 18th 2005
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Well, I have just completed one of, if not, the best weeks of my life. Spent the last week riding through the North of Vietnam, from Hanoi to Sapa. Was on a bike called a "Minsk." It is a motorbike that was built in the Soviet Union and is the most basic of bikes. It has a 150cc engine, off road wheels, needs to be kick started (which was a first for me) and needs oil to be mixed with the petrol in order for it to work. This also ensures a smokey muffler.
I won't give you a day to day dairy of the trip but will tell you about the highlights.
On the second day we hit the off road track. Dirt tracks with loose rocks everywhere, massive potholes, most of them filled with water and steep climbs up dirt tracks. As I was riding through the dirt tracks, surrounded by forest, these three young village girls were waving and saying hello. Naturally, I waved and smiled back taking my eyes off the road. Next thing I know there is a huge puddle of water in front of me. I quickly swung the bike to the right
of the road to get up on the grass that was next to the potholes, I got the front wheel on the grass, then tried to swing the back end of the bike around and straighten up. As the grass was wet too, the back tyre went right out from under me and I went down like a sack of potatoes (to the childrens amusement). I grazed my knee a bit, ripped a hole in my pants and ended up with very wet shoes, socks and pants. The most damage done was that to my ego and confidence. I started riding very cautiously until I felt at ease again.
Another amussing moment was when we were faced with a steep climb up some lose rocks. The fear being that if any speed or momentum was lost, then the bike would simply start to go backwards. I stopped before the climb, revved the shit out of the bike, and being a typical macho Aussie thought I'd have no problem. I released the clutch, causing a small burnout to occur on the gravel and pulled the throttle right back. The bike was screaming up the climb. After about 3 seconds, it
was me who started screaming, "F@*k!." I lost all momentum and tried jumping off the bike whilst holding it up-right at the same time, looking like a rodeo clown, only this was not my intention. There was no chance of getting the bike up from where I was, smack bang in the middle of this hill. Sweat was dripping down my face and my arms were getting tired and sore as I was trying to keep my bike up. Finally, assistance arrived and we pushed the bike up. Again, a damaged ego was suffered.
Riding through mountainous Vietnam was simply breathtaking. We rode through dirt tracks or roads under construction, consisting of huge loose rocks lying all over the road. It was hard riding at times but heaps of fun. But then all of a sudden you would find yourself near the top of a mountain, looking down at a valley that had running water through it and lush green trees everywhere. I would park the bike and just sit there (ciggie in hand) and look out at what lay in front of me. There were also smooth roads that I rode on and when I went down the
mountain I would put the bike in neutral and roll. We approached a broken bridge at one point, marking the end of the line, only to be rescued by a small boy who ferried us across the brown swirling river in his bambo raft.
The best part of the trip however, was being greeted by the people in the villages that we rode past, especially the children. They could hear our Minsk's coming and they would run out of their houses and start waving and shouting, "hello, hello." They had these big smiles on their faces and were so excited when we would wave back and say hello. Sometimes I would stop and they would start jumping up and down and scream from excitement (or horror?). The funny part was though that when I took my camera out they would run away, but once they saw their faces on the screen, they would start posing for the camera. Their faces were full of life and excitement and everytime I interacted with them they were able to put a smile on my face.
It was the perfect way to travel through Vietnam. It was purely a sensory overload. At
times I would ride at about 10kmh, taking in everything that surrounded me. Then there were times when I would hit the throttle and weave my way through the roads. We would complete each days ride with a good feast and a very decent supply of alcohol, and when you go to Vietnam, you have to try the alcohol soaked from dead snakes. Also, if you're feeling up to it, smoke a, 'Tuk - Low." It is a long wooden pipe filled with water and you smoke pure tobacco threw it. Sounds harmless enough. Try to walk to the nearest door after smoking this. I couldn't even reach my beer that was sitting on the table in front of me.
We covered around 1000km, we were a days walk from Laos and went right up to the border of China. Looking over at China from Vietnam was very surreal and the difference between the two countries was evident from the buildings and roads.
Taking a bike opposed to other means of transport does provide you with the freedom that can't be experienced any other way. I did not know what to expect in Vietnam, but I was overwhelmed
at the beauty and magnificance that Northern Vietnam had to offer. We ended our trip in Sapa, which is a beautiful town that has a snow capped mountain for a back drop. It was the perfect way to end the perfect trip.
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anonymous
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Biking Vietnam
Sounds like the trip of a lifetime Doulsey. The people seem particularly cool. I can't get the image out of my head of you taking a tumble in front of the local village people. The photos are spectacular. We miss you back home big man. Keep posting here when you get a chance; you're a damn good writer. And keep living the dream. Peace. Bootzy - Jason Rosen