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After finding a place to stay in Nha Trang, I boarded the early bus to take me 4 hours to Dalat. On arrival I was greeted/pestered by 2 chaps who were trying to get us to sign up to an ‘Easy Rider’ tour, whereby they take you across the country on the back of their motorbike. The tours can range from a single day, up to as many days as you can afford. The guides told us of a group of Norwegians who booked them for a month! I had heard good reports about these tours, so long as you get good guides who speak good English, which these 2 did, so I decided to listen to what they had to say. They tried to sign me up for a 4 day trip, but time was against us and the maximum we could allow was 2, something that would turn out to be a real regret. They outlined our itinerary over lunch and it was agreed that we would start the next morning, making our way from Dalat in the hills, down to Mui Ne on the coast, which isn’t a massive distance but could be broken up en route, stopping at various points of interest along the way to maximise the trip. The tour cost $70 per day per person, which was about $20 more than the guide book suggested, however as time was not on our side, we decided that the extra investment could be worthwhile. The rest of the day was spent wandering around the markets of Dalat, which was mainly just to kill time as there little else to do.

So, Kenny and Son (not Kenny’s son, another fella who went by the name of Son) were true too their word and picked us up at 08:30 on the 20th December and strategically loaded our backpacks onto the back of their bikes. We then hit the open road! Well, for at least 5 minutes we did anyway, as our first ‘point of interest’ was the train station of Dalat, which is no longer in use. It was not the most interesting of places we could have visited and I hoped that hadn’t set the tone for the rest of the trip. Next on the list was a silk weaving factory - here we go again I thought - but in fairness it was actually quite interesting to watch the ladies skilfully weaving the silk into some incredible patterns. The prices of the finished articles matched the intricate skilfulness of the creators, which loosely translates into nobody will be receiving a present from there! We stopped at a couple of scenic lookout spots before Kenny suggested a walk to the top of a hill where the view was excellent and he’d meet us the other side. That done, I really wondered where the ‘motorbike’ part came in, as we had both spent a lot more time out of the seat than on it! I needn’t have worried. From then on the time on the bike became greater and the scenery more and more spectacular. We saw very few white faces that day which made us really feel as though we were seeing more of the real Vietnam, than those tourists who stick to the traditional backpacker routes. Kenny and Son then showed us a flower factory and a coffee plantation, neither of which were particularly fascinating, before pulling up outside a small building with a sign out front which had the word ’welcome’ and a picture of some crickets! I may not be the sharpest tool in the box at all times, but it didn’t take me long to realise we probably wouldn’t be riding or stroking them! The farm bred crickets in different sizes, and once we had been shown where they were kept and the size range, we were then shown to the restaurant. I say restaurant, but what I mean is a round wooden table with an array of condiments, some napkins…and a plate of about 25 deep fried crickets. They certainly looked a damn sight more appealing than the duck embryo from my last blog entry and I wasn’t too fussed about popping a couple into my mouth and having a good chew. They were crunchy…and that was about all that was too it, crunchy. No real taste, no big deal…especially with a dollop of chilli sauce.

After a brief stop at a waterfall, we were in a small restaurant having some typically local food, recommended by the 2 guys. It must be a common meeting point for other Easy Rider groups, as there were a few other Westerners in there, but it didn’t detract from the experience or the quality of the food, which ranged from deep fried prawns, fried fish, spring rolls, boiled chicken, tofu (most pointless ‘food’ ever) and a range of veggies. Washed down with a beer, it was a top lunch, although I’m glad we saw the kitchen conditions after we had eaten - Gordon Ramsey would have blown up!

Just down the road from the restaurant was a silk factory and we were able to witness the process of removing the silk worms from their cocoon, the spinning, drying and the end product. They first boil the cocoon, which kills the worm and softens the silk, before putting them into a larger tray of cooler water. The silk is more manageable and the workers then unravel a strand, attach it to a machine that then unravels the whole cocoon. As the process is repeated, the ravels are spun and join together forming the thread on a large wheel before being dried. Once dry, it can the be spun, weaved and made into clothing etc. (Please note: this process may not be totally correct, in fact I’m sure its not, but it was over a month ago I did this and the details are hazy at best…but you get a rough idea!). It was actually very interesting and was certainly something completely new to me. Son also explained how the workers don’t often get hungry at the factory, as they attach the dead worm to the hot water pipes to dry out, before popping them into their mouths for a snack. Lovely…and yes we tried them too. Not as good as the crickets, a bit more powdery - maybe mine had been left to dry for too long?! Another tick in the box..

En route to our guesthouse we also stopped at mushroom farm, a pepper farm and a place that makes rice paper, that they sell on to restaurants. All quite interesting and only spent a few minutes there, so wasn’t overloaded. The last part of the drive went through a couple of smaller villages before entering the biggest town we had seen all day (and whose name I cant for the life of me remember). Kenny and Son had asked us what we had wanted to eat, to which we replied we would leave it to them, as we both wanted to eat as authentically as possible. Our first stop was at a beer shop and a crate of 24 cans of lager were purchased - I knew I could trust them! Dinner consisted of some fresh spring rolls that we made ourselves, rolling fresh veggies and pork sausage into rice paper, drizzling with a touch of lime and destroying them in a couple of bites. The lads had also arranged some meat for the main course, which was appreciated. We were told it was some sort of bird - chicken, duck, turkey maybe - or more realistically something that resembled a sparrow…whole…complete with head and beak! Sweet…! We were told that we should eat the whole thing, although to be careful of some of the small bones. That was the least relevant piece of info I required. Apparently the head is the best bit, a delicacy in fact, so when in Rome…or Vietnam somewhere…in it went, and with one bite, the insides of the little birdies head exploded into my mouth. All I can say is that it wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but I don’t think I have reached for a can of beer so quickly in my life. Another interesting experience!

It was good getting an insight into their lives and I thoroughly enjoyed being in the company of 2 local guys who were in so many ways similar to us. They enjoyed a drink, smoke, good food and they’re job…but underneath it all were big family men who were hell bent on providing for them. Lovely blokes!

The next day was more about riding and the scenery, than continually stopping to look at attractions. The surrounding areas were lush green and very vibrant; we passed up into the clouds and admired landscape views from spectacular vantage points. There was very little traffic on the road and it was a pleasure to be a part of it, even for just a small amount of time. I was thoroughly enjoying life right then! We passed through some beautiful little villages where different dialects of Vietnamese were spoken, stopping at one in particular to give the kids some sweets. The look on their faces was one of uncertainty, however that soon changed once the sweets were offered and the smiles emerged. These people literally have nothing to their name, live in tiny huts made from scrap wood and plastic and the children are dressed in the bare minimum, yet the smiles they deliver are priceless, but breaks your heart at the same time. Adults and children were so forthcoming in Vietnam, always smiling or waving and just wanting you to reciprocate the act. The thing I find funny is that it doesn’t get annoying either and if I can brighten that persons life for what may only be a split second, then I’m only too happy to do so. I don’t know poverty and hardship like these people do - and hope I never have to - but it is fascinating to see that they really aren’t as affected by what we in Western terms would call squalor. They are happy people, at least they seem happy people and has made me realise that certain things we moan about or worry about back home, really are so very insignificant!

We stopped for lunch at a roadside restaurant and again feasted on local specialities. The food in Vietnam was always good, never overly spiced and sometime a bit bland, but it was always to a good standard and very filling. From there to Mui Ne was about an hour and I just sat on the back of the bike, relaxed and took in the scenery. It had been a fantastic 2 days and a highlight of my whole trip, something I really hadn’t expected. I was gutted it was over so soon and really wished we had opted for a longer trip - I think 4/5 days would be about right. Kenny and Son were not only great riders - safe and considerate - they were also really nice guys with excellent knowledge of the areas and of the English language. Although it had only been a couple of days it was quite a sad moment seeing them ride off in the direction we had just come from, although it was nice to know they were looking forward to seeing their wives and kids!

For anyone interested, the contact details for Son are: [e-mail] / 063 3 829848.

Our tour finished on the 21st and my mate Daniel, the German who I met way back in July was meeting me again in Mui Ne on the 23rd. He hadn’t really enjoyed Malaysia and decided to take a 6 week trip to South Africa to almost complete his trip and judging by his photos he hadn’t made a bad choice. We had gotten on so well throughout Indo and Malaysia and was pleased he was making the effort to come to Vietnam to spend Xmas with me and then continue travelling together until mid January. He joined us on the beach and after the introductions, we had a beer and caught up on what he had been up to - it was like he had not been away - a good sign of any friendship. That night we went for a seafood meal, right on the sea front and indulged in prawns, squid, fish, muscles, scallops and a few veggies, all washed down with a couple of waters. We found Mui Ne a strange place to go out. It is spread over quite some distance and apparently Russian mafia control a lot of the bars/clubs etc. There were a lot of Russian people there, due to the good natured relations between Russia and Vietnam, which makes my previous point easier to believe. Anyhow, my Russian isn’t quite up to scratch, which made socialising awkward, at best!

I never knew that Germany celebrates Christmas on the 24th December, which meant we both had to celebrate 2 Christmases…which wasn’t too much of a hardship! We had decided to stretch the budget for both nights and ended up going to the same restaurant. The food was excellent the first night; spring rolls and calamari for starters and king (bloody massive) prawns for mains. Was amazing! Beers obviously flowed and we went to a couple of bars afterwards, but as I said, it was difficult to find where the ‘party’ spot really was and the night kind of petered out. Waking up on the 25th was a strange experience. It was the second Christmas away from home and although it was blue skies and sunshine outside, it would still have been nice to be around friends and more importantly family at this time. I know its only a day, but it’s a pretty poignant day in the calendar and its important to be around those close to you at these times, in my opinion. I didn’t let it worry me too much and spending the day on the beach as opposed to the confines of the front room at home, eased the fact I was miles from mates and Mum’s xmas dinner! It was good speaking to people on Skype etc and made the distance not so great! Daniel and I had another good night, although this time wine flowed a bit more freely, he got a bit more pissed and we ended up finding the ‘party’ bar and drank too many jager bombs with a Swiss couple we had met! I think some dance moves even came out…!

We took the bus on Boxing Day to Ho Chi Minh City, checked into a guest house and the went to an Indian restaurant that Daniel had eaten in previously. Was a good meal, ate too much and went to bed looking like a little Buddha! The following day was spent walking around HCMC, which can only be described as chaos. I have never before seen so many motorbikes, so much traffic and so little regard for road regulations. If you didn’t have to concentrate so much when crossing the road, it would be funny, but again it is something you get used to and invariably the moto drivers manage to swerve around you with consummate ease. Nothing really stood out too much, just another big city and to be honest I was already looking forward to getting into Cambodia and my next country. We went to the War Remnants Museum, which is a must see in HCMC, a place that describes and outlines the atrocities of the Vietnam War and the pain and suffering the Americans caused to so many innocent Vietnamese people. Obviously the museum was biased against the Americans, but even so, the despicable behaviour of their soldiers and government was plain to see. It amazes me how the Vietnamese can forgive so quickly. It was a real eye opening and humbling experience and a place you need to wander at your own pace.

We arranged a trip to the Cu Chi tunnels the following day, opting for the full day tour which also incorporates a trip to a Cao Dai temple, a religion that adopts the principles of many of the world’s main religions. Although we were picked up early, Daniel and I were still the last on the mini-bus, which meant we got the 2 worst seats - Daniel behind the front passenger seat, which had about as much leg room as would be required for Douglas Bader, and I was next to him, sat on the Worlds Most Uncomfortable Seat (fact) with no seat belt! Every time the driver jumped on the anchors, I had to grip onto either Dan or the fella next to me to prevent me sliding forward. Luckily we only spent 7 hours in the bus that day!

The temple was impressive and we got to see the monks participate in the Catholic equivalent of Mass, which although I had no idea what was going on, was still interesting to see. What has fascinated me so much about travelling, is how big a part religion plays in so many cultures and in so many peoples lives, yet it is something I really cant get my head around!

Then it was back on the bus, off for some lunch and then onto the main attraction, the Cu Chi tunnels, which are a network of tunnels in and around HCMC (formerly Saigon) used by the Viet Cong army - the Vietnamese party who tried and succeeded to adopt a Communist stance within Vietnam. We were told a bit about the history of the Viet Cong and how they came about, the methods and techniques used against the opposition and how they systematically constructed a network of nearly 250km of tunnels. We were then walked around a circuit that shows the different weapons used throughout the conflict, the types of uniforms worn, how they sustained themselves and how they used the different types of bamboo traps to maximum effect. These traps are brutal contraptions, usually involving exceptionally sharp pieces of bamboo that clamp down on the body once they have been activated. Eye watering stuff! They are usually set in the ground and go off when trodden on. How they came up with the inventions I have no idea, but when you see them, it gives you an insight into the sheer determination of the Viet Cong! No wonder they won so easily!

We then had a chance to walk down one of the tunnels which was 100 metres long. They have had to widen and heighten the tunnel to accommodate the larger frame of the western tourist, yet they were still bloody tight, especially for someone who is 6 foot 3! The tunnel narrows and lowers the further down the tunnel you go, which obviously gives a more realistic impression of what they were really like and how small the guys were who were fighting. I couldn’t tell you what it was like to make it to the end because at every 20 metre interval there was an exit. I was bent over double and breathing in…and bailed at the first exit!

We got back to HCMC, went for another sushi dinner which was superb and then got some shut eye. We were booked on the bus to Phnom Penh, Cambodia the next day and my Vietnam adventure was over. It had been a brilliant 29 days and I had thoroughly enjoyed it. The food, people and scenery are spectacular and it’s a place I can definitely see myself returning too. When I get towards the end of one country I begin to look forward to leaving it and entering the next place. I had heard many good things about Cambodia and was keen to get there, hoping that if it was anything like Vietnam, I’d be a pretty happy guy!

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