Top Gear Adventure 2- Vietnam Boogaloo! - Mike_Veine
This blog will chronicle the further travels of a Yank abroad while I purchase a small motorcycle and travel Vietnam and SE Asia. There may be challenges involved and definitely ADVENTURE!

Day 4 in Ho Chi Minh City and trip begins tomorrow!
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Greetings Top Gear Fans! It is time for me to start my homage to Top Gear's Viet Nam Adventure.
I am on Day 4 of my visit in Ho Chi Minh City and I have had a wonderful
time here so far. I like my little guesthouse where I have a huge double room for about $17 a night (expensive here) and the people who run it and their relatives have been very helpful.
The first couple of days I walked all over District 1 where I'm staying. It is like a big downtown area and the backpacker hotels are all pretty much near me with the skyscrapers about 2 kilometers away and all of the fancy hotels there. I visited a Palace and several museums including the War Rememberance Museum which was very affecting. I also went to the Ho Chi Minh Museum where they were preparing for a special anniversary on June 6th and I was interviewed by Viet Nam State Television. I never saw it on TV so not sure how that came out....
Day three I test rode motorbikes owned by backpackers who rode them from Hanoi. I tested a Suzuki GN125 and a Chinese Honda copy called the Win which comes in a 100cc or 110 cc flavor. The Suzuki is a bigger bike and good for someone my size. It also has more power and pickup for passing and hauling. The downside of this one was that it was beat. Turn lights broken and not working, electric start not working, speedometer not working and would not go into neutral! Plus it just looked bad and poorly maintained. The owner was a nice enough Aussie bloke, but he did nothing to improve the bike. Just rode the hell out of it! The answer when you point out problems like this is either- no one uses that, or, there all broken over here (speedometers), or, they can fix that cheap! (if that's the case,why didn't you fix it?). I liked the size of the bike and the seating, but that was it and the guy wanted $450 for it although I could have bought it for 400 or maybe even 350.
I thanked the Aussie and passed on the bike and waited for my next bike to turn up, the Win.
The Win over here is easily the most common motorcycle of the clutch/non scooter variety. To be noticed on one of these it would have to be on fire at a gas station! So perfect for basic transportation with a broad support network of parts and mechanics. Suzuki would probably be much harder to get parts for even if it was a much better engine than the Chinese Honda copy.
The Win I tested was a 100 cc variety and the seat was coming off on one side! Typically the speedo was busted (no on uses it!) and lights were broken and the engine did not seem really as strong as it should be even at a lower horsepower rating. It was really filthy too.
I am test riding on the road I will take out of town so I can familiarize myself with the area and so I can run each bike at highway speed and check the performance. I let the owner drive me out a bit and then switch off and drive myself back into town. It's fun mixing with the traffic, but you have to always stay alert. They have set aside a seperated area on the right side for motorbikes to keep them from mixing with cars close to the city on the major highways, but outside of town you need to be ready to yield to cars and buses. Not too much different from the road train situation on the Cairns to Darwin Bike ride. They honk (alot) to let you know! That is another important part on the bike- the horn!
The Win I tested was in such bad shape that I had the guy drop me off down the street from my guesthouse and walked, but it was good experience for me for checking out the bike I had my eye on- A very clean Win 100 for sale by the guesthouse across the streets owners. My guesthouse owner, a girl named 'Bic', told them I was looking for a bike and they showed it to me, but it was getting late in the day and rush hour traffic was starting which I wanted to avoid and i was raining so I asked if I could test it first thing the next day. "No problem " was the response so as soon as I was done with breakfast I walked over and got th keys and a borrowed helmet and off I went. What do you know? The speedometer worked! and so did the lights. and turn signals (though the left rear needs some duct tape lol). The engine seemed strong as well- good sound and pickup. These bikes are pretty light so unfortunately you have to deal with a lot of vibration, but this bike smoothed out a bit on the open road. I drove it around 15 minutes in town and out on the highway for 20 minutes and I was sold.
I bought it for 6,090,000 Dong which is about $290. The owner had a nice helmet for me with a clear face shield that fit like a glove for only 70,000 D ( about $6) and she had me follow her 4 blocks to a man that put a larger luggage rack for my big duffle bag for $5. Back at the guest house they arranged tie down straps and got me gas all for under 100,000 D. Later the woman brought me back 20,000 D because her husband told her she had charged me too much for the petrol! I loved that!!
After cooling off I walked to an area that had book shops and bought a nicely bound road atlas very much like the one my buddy Carl uses in Australia with cross referenced map locations on each page and extremely detailed road info. Of course, it is in a foriegn language, but that should spur me to learn a little more and will help when I question locals.
Tonight is devoted to packing and studying the maps for an early departure tomorrow! Wish me luck, Gear Heads! Some pics will be posted for your pleasure soon! Cheers!!!!
written by  Mike_Veine on June 7, 2013 from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
from the travel blog: Top Gear Adventure 2- Vietnam Boogaloo!

On Thee Road- Days 1 and 2
Da Lat, Vietnam
Hello, Gear Heads!
Well, the adventure has truly begun as I pulled out of Ho Chi Minh City at 9 AM yesterday. My Guesthouse hostess 'Bic' gave me big hug goodbye and her mother helped me tighten the load down with my new bungies. Bic tod me to call her if I had any trouble and little did I know how soon that would be! I am heading to the town of Da Lat situated about 350 kilometers North and a little East from HCMC. This will be a two day trip to the destination.
Traffic was moderate on the streets around the Backpacker area so it was easy going. My habit is to find someone who is driving well and follow what they do- which has been working very well so far. Onto the highway and th divided motorbike are and out into a much more industrial area on the other side of the river. After an hour on the I hit an area where the car and truck traffic was completely stalled across all the lanes and motor bikes were forced into a construction area where we slowly made our way towards a narrow break in a chain link fence with only enough room for 1 1/2 bikes so naturally they were trying to cram two in! When my turn came I had to downshift all the way into 1st gear to negotiate the tight and rough terrain. As soon as I exited I upshifted and the bike went into neutral. Keep in mind that I had been trying to find Neutral unsuccessfully for and then it found me!
Back down to 1st and try to go up to 2nd and still in neutral. I rode over to an onramp area where there was some space kept trying, but no go. The bike hd broken in ONE HOUR! I looked around for a mechanic and as luck would have it there was a HONDA sign beside a stall across the onramp from me. I rode the bike in 1st gear over through traffic and honking horns (did I say they like their horns?) to the shop and hit the language barrier. I quickly got my problem across, but had trouble with some of the things he was telling me so phone call to Bic to the rescue! Bic talked to him and then he handed th phone to me. Bic told me that it would take one whole day and cost 1,200,000 VND, about $56 US. She offered to bring me back to the guesthoue, but I did not want to put her out and told her I would find something nearby. I ended up just hanging out at the shop in some chairs for customers and decided to get an ice tea from the tea stand beside me. I asked th mechanic if he wanted one (did I mention it is very hot here?) and he nodded 'yes'. I gave it to him and settled down to study the traffic for anything that could help keep me alive and after about fifteen minutes the mechanic came over and told me the bike would be ready in two hours! I like to think my small gesture of kindness was reiprocated and indeed, by noon the bike was ready to go!
Back on it- I find it is hard to ride for much over an hour and a half at a time because of the hard seat, the vibration on most of the rough roads and the simple stress of the constant focus you need to watch for all the traffic variables. At any one time you're tracking known threats (Buses and Trucks and cars, bad road surface), possible threats (other bikes, pedestrians and tractors, construction equipment and workers) and stuff that comes from nowhere (like water buffalos and small dogs). Also it is dusty so it is great to take a 20 minute break or so with a cool drink. You get your road focus back and you can check the map and GPS to be sure you're headed the right way.
After a couple more hours I made a turn off of Highway 1 onto a two lane rod and finally broke into the countryside- it is very green with hills, neatly cultivted fields, and trees planted in long rows (possibly rubber trees, don't know yet). It was so great to be out of the city!!!! And the traffic was lighter for a while and I got to enjoy the fun of riding for the first time. You get the smells and sights like I did on the bicycle ride in Australia even if you miss some of the sounds because of the engine noise. Fun, fun...then through another area with market stalls, people, buses and cars and back comes the stress.
I hadn't eaten since a light breakfast and it as 4pm, so I stopped at a Pho sho and had the delicious Vietnamese soup! It has a beef or chicken base and tofu and a meat and very good rice noodles. With the soup you also get assorted greens like basil, or leafs of cabbage along with hot peppers you can add to the soup. There is also sweet sauce and plum sauce (I think). You eat it with chopsticks and a spoon. Very refreshing and tasty, especially the fresh greens.
After dinner I deicided I wanted to end the day soon- I have a rule that I will not drive after dark so I started looking for a guesthouse. I asked the woman wh made the soup and she just pointed down the road and so down he road I went. After a bit I saw a sign with the english word 'HOTEL' and pulled in to find two very aggresive and yappy little dogs- the burgler alarms, no doubt, and the owner, a middle aged woman. I smiled and asked for a room and she seemed confused so I got my language book out and we figured it out. I paid her and started to unload the bike. The room had no A/C and very little in the way of running water and it was not very clean. I wouldn't use the sheets or pillows that night! Sleep came hard even though I went to bed early, but finally out. I had been heading to Da Lat in the mountains 350 kilometers from HCMC and I had made it a little less thn 1/2 way...Day 2 I will make it.
written by  Mike_Veine on June 9, 2013 from Da Lat, Vietnam
from the travel blog: Top Gear Adventure 2- Vietnam Boogaloo!

Day 2
Da Lat, Vietnam
Day 2 brought rain into the riding equation. It really isn't too bad a rain, fairly light and warm, in fact it takes the heat off of the day quite a bit. I was awake at 6 and on the road by 7:30 wearing my bike rain pants and a raincoat. It was surprisingly comfortable!
The little bike stated right up and I got the headlight on with no hassles- great when things work! No time like the present so off on the road again...
The naigation today would be much easier because most of the trip was on one road- Hwy 20. Hwy 20 passes through a couple of medium size and one large town before reaching Da Lat and I had 190 Kilometers of it to cover.
I continued my practice of following sane drivers when I could and I felt much more comfortable and even more vigilant than yesterday. Experience is the best teacher and I expect to improve each day. After riding for about 45 minutes I decided to stop for coffee and gas at a very neat and tidy gas station/restaurant with several grinning kids playing with a couple of dogs. Somehow I ended up ordering coffee and a pot of tea, which was fine- you just can't get enough fluids here! A full tank of gas cost me 130,000 VND which may be a little steep, but it was a nice station with good gas and locals were using it. Back to the road! Construction is going on constantly all around but at a low level- 3 guys working on a house or one backhoe on a road project. No mass, 100 man project like you see in the States and Austrlia. Almost looks improvised although I am sure there is patronage and central control in the mix. I haven't seen many military or police around so the impact of the government is hidden from me in that sense.
Now the terrain was changing and I made my way up a steeper winding road with some great views that I had to mostly ignore while I watched the buses and cars come at me on my side of the road when they passed slower vehicles. But it was pretty and cooler and the rain had stopped.
There are old red and white painted stone signs with the distance to the next major town and I finally saw Da Lat 88 K on one. There in a couple of hours and after a lunch of more Pho I passed through another large town, Di Linh, where I saw the first obvious backpackers on motorbikes. They had big packs with raincovers on the back and were riding Minsks, a Russian two-stroke bike that Richard Hammond rode in Top Gear's VN Adventure.They were riding a little more aggressively through town then I was comfortable with so I never caught up to see where they were from, but they are the first I've encountered.
Mostly, the motorbike traffic is slow and local and they keep to the right. The speed limit in town is 40 k and outside 60 or whatever. I ride in 3rd gear in town and outside of town if the traffic is heavy. The engine brakes the bike pretty quickly to help in tricky situations. Outside of town in the open areas I can get a little Top Gear action in 4th and let the bike unwind. I keep to between 50-60 when everything is PERFECT only or I ride at a lttle over 40 so 200 kilometers takes awhile. And I am climbing to 5,000 feet which makes me shift to 3rd so the little bike can carry me and the gear up the steep sections.
On one stop I had a very pleasant visit with a family while I drank a coke. Grandad and two grandaughters wanted to chat and play respectively. Grandad took my language book and we used it to practice his English and my Vietnamese- a fair trade. One of the GD's was only three and cute as could be and she sa next to me and poked me every once in awhile and I would poke at her back and we would laugh and laugh. I gave her a guitar pic and the whole family ha fun pretending we were Rock Stars! A bellyfull of laughs from that one!!! You make a small investment of yourself and you get a huge return of joy and connection- awesome.
I was well and truly in the mountains now and the sun came out revealing the green all around me. Even though the trees are different it reminds me of home and Melbourne with the green hills. Beautiful.
I finally came to the main road into Da Lat- only about 25 k to go. The road divided into a Tollway for cars only and a narrow, old road for motorbikes and anyone too cheap to pay the toll (which is ALL the buses, taxis and some cars!). But the big vehicle are on their best behavior for once and drive sanely. I guess they figure the hassle of an accident here would delay them more than sharing the road!
Coming into Da Lat there are very stately old archetecture hotels with pefect lls and gates and all about are manicured lawns and flowers. Flags are clean and everything looks very tidy. I hit a traffic circle and randomly picked "Left" and slowly picked my way down the street looking for the lower rent district. I saw a sign pointing down a much smaller street and turned in to find a brand new hotel called the 'Hotel Kim'. The owner, named 'Mai' was very proud to show me around the rooms and made sure I had good wifi access (so I can report to you all) and the room was clean with A/C, HOTWATER and a western style toliet WITH toilet paper! JACKPOT!!!!We negoiated a price and helped me arrange a Guide to take me to a mountain to climb tomorrow. The Guide, Mr. Chen, says it is a 3 hour trip up and back a well defined trail so I will get a Vietnamese summit in! More Motorbike adventures in 3 days when I head for Nha Trang on the coast- about 130 K. Til then, My friends and family!
written by  Mike_Veine on June 9, 2013 from Da Lat, Vietnam
from the travel blog: Top Gear Adventure 2- Vietnam Boogaloo!

Da Lat Day 3- Mountain Challenge and Sightseeing
Da Lat, Vietnam
Hi Family and Friends! No driving for the next two days but adventure just the same! Today I have a guide taking me to Lang Biang, a pair of mountains about 40 K north of Da Lat. They are famous in history as representing a Romeo and Juliet story where two kids from different tribes fell in love and married which was forbiden. They hid out on the mountain until the girl, Lang, became ill and the husband, Biang, had to go the the village for help where they kille him and the wife died of her illness. The headman of the villages was griefstricken by this and so the tribes gathered and agreed to intertribal marriage so it would never happen again. Legend has it that the spirits of the starcrossed lovers live on in their respective mountains.
Most tourists take jeeps that are for hire at the entrance to the park. The jeeps take them to the top of Lang, over 1,900 meters high. Today I was going to the top of Biang which is 2,160 meters and a trail hike. My guide knew of a connecting trail I could take so I would not have to walk on the road for 2 k and he showed me on a large map approximately where it was. He wa staying behind since he is a touris guide and not a climbing guide. So off I went. After about 20 minutes walking up the road I saw a small trail to my right that made its way down on a slight descent to cross a meadow area. Then it was into a steady climb with some switchbacks and sometimed petered out which left me scoutin and guessing at the route, but I had a compass and knew the direction to go. I actually started hearing birdsong here for the first time in the country and it was very green, but hot and muggy. Clouds and the shade on the trail helped and after an hour I came to the road again and beside it was a kiosk and another trail which was the true trailhead on the climb.
The young man at the trailhead was tribal Han and he said the mountains were his peoples and they were conserving them and the entrance fees went to that purpose. Very cool! I paid and thanked him and started off- wide trail with some very slippery clay which caused me to slip on my ass once. The trail soon changed to a much narrower and wetter area and started descending. I hate losing elevation on a climb! After 1/2 hour it began to climb again. Much of my hiking was in pine forest- did not know that would be the case. All of the needles on the ground and the smells reminded me of home; but when the trail got wetter the pines disappeared and jungle plants and vines and some kind of hardwoods prevailed. After an hour of climbing with some views to my right I hit a signpost that said the summit was 650 meters ahead and the trail changed to a very steep embanked staircase.
The heat and elevation were taking a toll on me by this time so it was slow going up the stairs with rests and drinks frequent! Finally I made it to the open summit after 3 hours total from the bottom. It was beautiful with views all around and blue skies. Butterflies of several types were cavorting all over the summit- Amazing! Took a long sit and several drinks and pictures and time to head down!
After I reconnected with my guide, Mr. Chen, he took me to lunch where I was hoping to get some good veggies, but no such luck- not easy to find such a thing here for some reason. I settled for tuna and rice which included three very thin slices of tomato and three equally slim slices of cucumber buried under the rice as the "veggies". For some reason the restaurant made me sit in an upstairs area away from the main downstairs dining room and I could definitely feel the stares as I went up the stairs! Sometimes you feel like a cat at a dog convention here!!!! But it was a meal.
After lunch, Mr. Chen took me on a sightseeing tour I had not really asked for, but what the hey...First stop wa The Crazy House which is kind of the Vietnamese answer to The Winchester House in the US (Google it!). The house is, indeed, very unusual in that there are no straight lines and it looks more like sculpture than a living space. Winding staircases indoors and out take you to towers and lookouts and the w all around the house is topped with jagged glass. I guess it is a functioning hotel, but I never saw the guestroom area. After photos it was time to move on. Next stop- Buddhist medatation center!
The Meditation Center had beautifully manicured grounds (which is the norm around Da Lat) and flowers and bonsai. Also a temple with a nice Buddha inside and another smaller temple with a wild looking green Buddha in it. Many people were dressed up and on bus tours with the family so I felt pretty underdressed in my grubby, dirty and sweaty cl imbing clothes so I really wanted to skip the next stop on the tour. which was a waterfall. Mr Chen assured me we would "drive right up to it", so I thought, "O.K., that will be easy and quick, so why pass on a waterfall?". Off we go into a modrate- light rain/drizzle...this was only a harbinger of the storm to come!
When we arrived at the waterfall area it was like an amusement park- pay your admission and go through the gate, only when I got through- no waterfall! There was, however, the strangest amusement ride I have ever seen! It was a rollercoaster that consisted of small, two person cars that had individual brake for the riders to stop and slow it. Mr Chen said that was the way to get to the waterfall, so another 45,000 VND ticket and into the line. Being huge compared to most of the Vietnamese I received my own car and I was behind two high school age girls. The cars are on very sturdy and very well kept rails and there is really no way anything could go wong, but the girls ahead would scream and jam on their brakes everytime the thing really got going so I had to jam on my brakes as well to keep from plowing into them- like being on the motorbike all over again! At bottom there is no graceful way to exit the little cars so I kind of rolled and stumbled out. The waterfall was not very high but it as roaring and 15-20 meters across. Now it was starting to really rain though and I was beat and just wanted to go home. Looking around I saw another set of rollercars that were being towed up a cable to bring you back to the start. I smiled as I handed the attendent my ticket at the head of the line, but he expressed a view that I needed to purchase another ticket to get out. Now I am sure there is a way to walk out of there for no charge, but I had done enough climbing for one day, so I bought the ticket and got into my little car just when the skies completely opened and let a deluge, gulley washer, flash flood of a storm loose. So I sat in the open car being pulled straight into the teeth of it. By the time I got back to the top I had no dry spot left on my body and my socks and hiking boots were soaked through. I stood under a table umbrella and knew there was no sense in going on th bike no- we would drown!
The storm went on for about 45 minutes and then showed signs of let up. I found Mr Chen had kept dry in a restaurant nearby the bike's parking spot and off we went to my hotel. End of long and tiring day (and this long blog post!
written by  Mike_Veine on June 11, 2013 from Da Lat, Vietnam

Da Lat Day 4- Walking aound town and doing chores
Much shorter post for today (I promise)....I forgot to mention that yesterday my inkeeper, Miss Chi, let me know that the bike was leaking oil. I could see where it was coming from- a seam where the
oil sump meets the transmission (I think). I wanted to know how much it was losing so I resolved to wash the bike today and put a clean piece of paper under it to check the size of the leak. Before that I wanted to see the town on foot so I set off to walk around some of Da Lat. After wandering for about 40 minutes I saw a large lake probably 5 k around with a green space all around it. I strolled along enjoying the green and the views and the traffic and came to a large garden park with tour buses all over and people taking pictures of each other in front of the 20 meter tall gate. A ticket was only 20,000 VND- about 50 cents - so why not?
Inside were many interesting sights- dragon, giraffe and other animal topiaries, a covered rose garden, walkways with fountains and statues, a cactus garden and many different flower beds. Also there were men with horse carts and pony photo ops which the aduls seemed to enjoy as much as the kids. Many muligenerational families with the grandmas all dressed up and the kids in their shorts and sneakers, but all very neat and tidy. Today I had prepared by wearin my nicest dress shirt and clean slacks to explore so I wouldn't feel so out of place.
After awhile I found some small sack stalls and bought an ice cream cone and I felt very at ease and relaxed. A beautiful experience watching the families and seeing how we are all the same when it comes to sharing the joy! Cool...
Leaving the garden I continued around the lake finally coming to downtown area with highrise shops and some modern looking storefronts. I had three shopping goals today- 1) get snacks for the room, which I accomplished by buying chips at the garden's little snack area. The bags are unusual in that they are puffed up like a balloon and taut. I don't know if that is because of the manufacturing process or to show the consumer they really are sealed!
2) check on a new sim card for the phone; I had made a mistake when I got my sim card and only purchased 60 megs of data when I could have had unlimited for pennies more, really, and I wanted to dump my card and start with a new one or pay a little more an upgrade. Somehow I never found a Mobiphone place and the Vietphone people did not understand that I wanted to change plans and just kept pointing across the street or somewhere and saying "Mobiphone".
I never did find where the pointed area was. So failure!
3) Buy oil for the bike- found it and bought .8 liters, kind of expensive at 70,000 VND, but it was a posted price so I know I was paying what the locals do. Nice little family ran the shop. The had an empty birdage in front which had obviously had a bird at some point, but no bird now.
On my travels I found a restaurant that served pizza so I figured I'd go there for dinner. Found another one at the main traffic circle in town and was delighted to get a menu with pictures and prices! They had a fruit plate that looked awesome in the picture and they had glass of milk on the menu which sounded really good. Placed my order and settled in to watch the traffic circle ballet.
These guys can carry anything on motorbike! The wildest thing I saw today was a chest of drawers that was being balanced on the seat between the rider and the passenger!! Just fun to observe.
Fruit plate came and it was good but competely different from the picture. It included avocado though which was great and salty and hot spice you could dip the fruit- hot peppers so needed to go sparingly, but quite good.
After getting home, changing and cooling off I put the bike across the street and using a wash basin borrowed from the guesthouse I started washing it. I think everyone within four blocks came by to see me do this. They may even have called their relatives! I think they get used to backpackers having dirty bikes or paying someone to wash it so I was an abnormality. My Landlady had a small coniption when she came out and checke on me and saw how dirty her washbasin was getting. I had carefully explained it was for washing the Mowtow, but I felt bad anyway. She brought me a five gallon bucket and some soap powder though and asked me politely if I ould clean the buckets with the soap when I was done. No problem. Took an hour to give the bike its first wash and clean up then back into the hotel with a fresh piece of paper and a new rag fromthe landlady under it to check the leak. After 5 hours it was less than a teaspoon so I will just add oil every couple of days and keep an eye on it inbetween. When something else breaks I will see about getting it tightened up, but little bikes like this are probably going to leak now and then.
For dinner I walked back to the pizza place, but apparently they are only open for lunch! It was pouring again and I was in my full rainsuit and OR Seattle Sombrero for the trek. I saw a very fancy place and went in for a really expensive dinner intead- french cuisine- and my first glass of wine in Asia- a delicious French Cabernet Saugvinon and m Chicken in Rosemary reduction sauce with Mashed Potatos and mixed vegetables (steamed carrot, broccoli, and cauliflower) was very good- especially the rosemary sauce! Topped off with Creme Caramel and black coffee mmmmmm...but expensive- first time I ever spent a million on a meal! Still, in USD it wa only about 60 bucks for a fine french meal including a Ceasar Salad (with anchovies, Dad), so no complaints from me, plus it was the FIRST place to take my check card! Hurrah!!!
Back home stuffed and now done with my writing I will check out tomorrow and flip a coin to see what direction I go- Heads, the Beach- tails, the Hills!

Day 5 Da Lat to Nha Trang
Nha Trang, Vietnam
Hello All! Welcome to another day of traveling by a small motorbike in Vietnam. On today's route we will go from the mountains of Da Lat over a pass and then have a long, winding descent to a valley then to ocean. Heading ENE today.
After paying the inkeeper, Miss Chi, I took the bike out and checked the oil- I have a leak of about a teaspoon every 12 hours. It was on the bottom of the stick which is ok, but add terrritory. Last night I cut up a water bottle to make a funnel so I could neatly and easily oil up and today it worked like a charm as I added about .2 liters. Checked it again (yes I am on level ground with the bike level) and vowed to recheck after about 40 minutes on the road. I waved Goodbye to Miss Chi and hit the starter button- nothing happened. I figured the battery was probably dead from something I had left on so I kickstarted the bike. After remembering to turn the key on I kickstarted again and it immeadiately fired up and so did the wiring under the speedometer!!!
The wires were shorting out with smoke and the nasty smell of tortured insulation. I turned the key off and the smoke stopped. Inspectin the damage I could see where a black tapped wrapped bundle was the culprit. Miss Chi brought me a coffee cn of tools and I used some scissors to cut away the melted tap, Bare copper in some places and two wires with open ends, not attached to anything were discovered within.
Using my head I took a screw driver to the battery cover and removed the Positive terminal cable so I wouldn't shock myself, then I removed all of the tape and isolated the 5 wires inside. I bought electrical tape from Miss Chi and carefully wrapped each wire until there was no exposed cable and then wrapped a loose bundle to secure it.
Putting the battery cover back on I busted off part of the brittle plastic on the bottom of the securing bolt hole so I will need a washer down the road to make sure it stays secure.
Ok- good to go. Fired up the bike- of course I now have no horn. lights,turn signals, or electrical start, but who needs that stuff. I will get it fixed in Nha Trang. Off down the road to the gas station and then out of town and running into the usual road construction at the edge of a city. Just taking it slowly, and after about 40 minutes I pulled over and rechecked the oil- all good. Neat, small family houses were around and look much like Australian bush blocks, very self sufficent with tin roofs and simple, sturdy consruction of wood. The sun was out now, but there were dark clouds on the horizon- I have decided to ride in my rain pants all the time when I am on the road to keep my pants clean as well as dry, so I just had to pull on my jacket. As I climbed a winding mountain road I was downshifting all the way down to 2nd at times to cruise up the steep sections and then a light rain started followed by a downpour. I saw a sign for a village in 7 K and decided to get out of the rain there. What I found was barely a wide spot in the road with a small house and a covered front porch that held a small store and a table with four low plastic chairs and a teapot and cups. A youngish woman smiled at me and and I asked for "please a cup of coffee" apparently well enough for her to understand. One of the very cool, but strange things here is that when you order coffee they also pour you a cup of tea! It is very good green tea usually (I understand the best comes from the north) and I sipped my tea and dried off watching the dark skies dump. Very relaxing. So far today has been a good ride with my comfort level increasing all the time, but no drop in caution or awareness. There s no much traffic other than me headed in my direction so way fewer buses and trucks, which makes the riding fun.
While I was drinking tea I could hear and see the owners inside the house entertaining friends with their kids. One boy, about 4, poked his head out for a long look at me and when I smiled at him he turned and ran back to Mom. An older woman with a beautiful lined face and extremely relaxed composure sat with me. She was probably Grandma to the little boy and was dressed in a typical style of matching silk pants and top. She poured herelf a cup of tea and we sat in a peaceful ssilence and looked at the rain, which was stopping. When she finished her cupa she turned it upside down and set it on the tea tray. I decided it was time to get going and finished my tea and also turned my cup over onto the tray and I was rewarded with a smile and a nod. Wonderful communication!
Back on the bike I soon hit the top of the pass and after a short time the road opened up into an incredible vista of green pointy mountains wih cascades pouring off from hundreds of meters above me and turning into wa pterfalls. And deep below me was a valley that looked like it could have been "The Lost World" so riotously lush I could belive dinosaurs would thrive there!
The road turned into long sections of gentle descending curves and long straights which let me safely open the bike up and really get a cruising experience- so fun, worth the small troubles right there. I got to the valley floor too soon, but the rain had started again and it was ahalf hour to the next village where I stopped for lunch. At a table in front of the covered porch of one section were 6 teenage boys joking with the owners teenage daughter. The daughter saw me and as is typical, seated me 20 meters away in a different covered area where I was by myself. One of the boys must have teased the girl because they all started laughing and one boy was pointing at another as if to say, "he said it, not me". The teenage girl made a face back that only a teenage girl can make to express her displeasure and the boys just laughed harder. I ordered Pho soup, my go to meal, and a coke and while I waited a small, black bitch, maybe a terrier mix, who had just whelped came over and lay beside me. Kids and the dog! When I washed up before lunch I could see a couple of houses out back that were made out of cunningly interlaced thin slats of wood maybe 6 inches across woven like a basket. Never seen that before, it looked good!
Soup came and it was packed with noodles and some reddish mystery meat and a very good, rich broth. It is esy to enjoy soup on a rainy day when you're drenched so it was just right.
After lunch I had another 50k to my destination and it poured buckets the entire way. The road was very good, but I kept the speed down anyway and I had studied the route into town carefully at lunch so the only surprise was flooding as I got into the city. I was part of a line of cars, bike and buses making our way through water that hit the top of my footpeg and a little more at times. I was worried about stalling , but used the experience to practice the low speed handling skills you need in these cities. Still, it felt more like being in a motorboat than a bike sometimes with the wakes of the other riders washing over my feet. Boots and socks officially full of water!
I haad no idea of a place to stay so I rode the main highway in until I thought I was close to the beach and turnded down a side road looking for a guesthouse. I saw a nice high rise with lots of marble and a covered underground parking and went inside to check availability and as embarrased because of the water streaming off of me onto their nice marble floors- someone was going to need a mop! Three women of assorted ages greeted me at the desk. We quickly figured out this place was over my budget- they wanted 400,000 VND a night and didn't want to negotiate and I was back in the rain. I hah trouble getting the bike into Neutral when I had stopped and found it difficult to divide my attention from the road hazards while looking for hotels at the roadside so I decided to push the bike instead of riding it. The sight of a oriegner pushing a Honda Win must be typical in this popular beach town because other than a few honks, no one really paid anymore attention to me than usual. 15 minutes later I came to the the Hotel Ankhang and got a very nice 250,000 a night single with a very comfortable bed and A/C, cable TV, and western style toliet. Luxury!!!
Good WiFi as well. The owner made me a map to show me where the mechanic she recommended was and I turned in early beat to the bones. Tomorow is another day!
written by  Mike_Veine on June 12, 2013 from Nha Trang, Vietnam

Day 6 Nha Trang & Day 7 to Song Cao
Hoi An, Vietnam
TGC Day 6 & 7
Day 6 Nha Tranh
Up early found coffee and bread by hotel
Walked around neighborhood & farmers market.
Went to Honda. Dealer, would not work on bike. Drove around looking for mechanics.
Asked some men at a garage, one led me on his bike to a shop. Met Mr T, owner & chatted. Biked fixed in 1 hour. New ignition installed. Put washer on battery cover! Cost 7 bucks.
Rode around town and by beach just to get feel. Back to hotel and walk to beach. Many Russians here on package tours?
Hot, walked with feet in surf down to end of the beach about 3 k.
Late lunch are a very nice place which would not have been out of place in Maui. Green curry veg. And rice, French fries. Fruit and ice cream dessert.
Back to hotel late afternoon stayed in.
Tried to watch replay of Canadian Grande Prix but electrical storm knocked out power for the whole race.
Day 7 Nha Tranh to Song Cao
Tried to get an early start but out at 9.
Found route out of town to Hwy 1. Today about mileage . Riding conditions vary so always on my toes. Two stops, one for coke and one for lunch. Tried to eat a lot because missing dinners. By about 3:30 I had covered 186 k and I was tired. I found Hotel Laura in Song Cao fishing village. So beautiful. Room overlooked the bay and could watch all the little boats and the families go to beach for evening swim. Love it here but back on the road North early tomorrow.
written by  Mike_Veine on June 15, 2013 from Hoi An, Vietnam

Day 8- Song Cao to Hoi An
Hoi An, Vietnam
Quick notes day 8
You might ask "What do you see along the road?" There are bicycles and motorbikes beside rice fields, people harvesting and planting, practicing aquaculture - harvesting clams, crabs, even lobsters.
Water buffulo of all sizes grazing by roadside or herded along the road helping out with the weed control Many women in the fields wearing lightweight two piece matching garb some plain and roughspun some with patterns or the basic black, kids & dogs playing together. People sitting having coffee in thatched patios,green hills, small fishing boats and canoes, smells of garlic sauteed, fishy sea odors, such beauty.
2 hours out of Song Cao it started raining so time for a coffee break. The coffee is served with a metal drip container over a drinking glass that has swee milk at the bottom. You also get a bowl of ice and a cup of tea. While the coffee drips (it take a couple of minutes) I drink the tea and empty the glass, then I carefully over the dripper over the tea cup so I can stir and drink my coffee and get the rest that drips more slowly into he empty cup to transfer when it is finally done. Add ice to the coffee glass after stirring the sweet milk and coffee mixture and you have basic Vietnamese coffee.
For lunch I bought a banana leaf wrapped something of deliciousness from a gas station I filled up at. I have seen these square banana leaf packages thayt people would buy at the open market so I figured it had something good to eat in it and man does it ever! I was only about 20 cents and th size of a hamburger or about 1/2 of a King Burrito for my Portland friends, and is made up of seasoned rice cloely compacted around what looked like spiced, cooked egg and a sweet and tasty piece of pork. Definitely their version of a burrito and very filling, oould not have eaten two! Great eats for really cheap.
Today was the longest riding day I will do over 360 k. I rode a two hour session, then a three hour session and then another 3 hours or a little more. I kept going when I saw I was only 60 k from Hoi An of Top Gear Vietnam Adventure fame. Rode the extra hour it was rough. Passed the off ramp 2x it looked like a goat path! and unmarked. Then wandered around on the bike looking for the Hoi An Beach Resort that the Top Gear guys stayed at for 45 min. Finally gave up.Found a hotel and soaked in tub. Saddlesore :(.
Tomorrow: Exploring the Old City of Hoi An
written by  Mike_Veine on June 15, 2013 from Hoi An, Vietnam

Days 9 & 10 Exploring Hoi An & Hoi An to Hue
Hue, Vietnam
Day 9
Today I checked out a hotel bike which I rode around Hoi An to the Old City. So many dress and tailor shops one after other, this town is famous for its cheap tailored clothing. I easily found the old city which is a 15th century trading port that has been missed by time and looks very much like it would have looked 500 years ago. The buildings now house restaurants and tourist shops instead of the warehouses and whorehouses that are common to all ports. The old city was divided by the water with the Japanese on one side across a bridge called reasonably enough, the Japanese bridge. The bridge is ornate with gilded dragons and other decorations.
There are some very good places to eat here so I had lunch in sections at three different restaurants. I had roast duck at one of them on one side of the water than rode the bike over the Japanese bridge to a place famous for its fish cooked in banana leaves which was very good and then went to another place for a dish called The White Rose which Hoi An is famous for inventing. The White Rose is a shrimp dumpling made with translucent rice,dough that is crumpled like a rose. The locals called it 'wrose' and it was the French who called it white rose. Delicious. For drinks I had local beer and finished with coffee.
After the I just spent the day riding the bike and relaxing, going along rice paddies and the water and down narrow streets where the locals live just cruising. Easy day. Tomorrow I head to Hue the old Imperial City 156 k away up the coast. A good distance for a days ride. In bed early for an early start in the morning.
Day 10
Up at 6:30 to be out and on the bike by 8. Studied Google Maps for the best way out of town. When I finish riding today I will have covered over 1,000 k on the bike and have 700 k more to Hanoi. I added oil and decided to get an oil change in Hue.
It was a clear and hot day but cool when moving on the road. The bike has some rattles that seem new so need to check that out. Riding is getting easier as I gain experience and I feel much safer, but still very wary and watching everything. I gor lost once and took a 40 k detour- good thing for Google Maps! After a couple of hours I came to a section that led to a tunnel and they would not let me ride the bike through. A man nicely turned me around and I was at a loss what to do next. I saw a covered area with motorbikes parked around a central trench with flatbed trucks and realized it was a land ferry! You buy a ticket for you and your bike and a bus takes you through the tunnel while the bike rides the flatbed.
The tunnel was very long, took us about 15 -20 minutes to get through it and then we drove to an offload area with a sign that said 'Hue 63 K'. After carefully repacking the bike I set off following the signs until I rejoined Hwy 1. Hue is another big city and a tourist city. I found a beautiful 4 star hotel with a 4th floor infinity pool for $30 a night including breakfast buffet which seemed like a good deal. After having a swim and cleaning up I took the bike to a Honda place to get an oil change and see if they could check the oil leak. It was a busy sales and service garage that they hotel had recommended. Mechanics all in spotless uniforms. They sneered at my bike! " no parts " they said. They made me pay in advance for the oil change, first time that has appened and I left it to pick up tomorrow. Back to hotel for a couple of drinks and dinner in the 12th floor lounge and then reading and relaxing in the room. Tomorrow I will tour the Citidal that contains the Vietnamese Forbidden City! V
written by  Mike_Veine on June 18, 2013 from Hue, Vietnam

Day 11 Exploring Hue and getting Repairs
Hue, Vietnam
A Day 11 Exploring Hue
I had my best nights sleep on the best mattress I've seen in Vietnam- most are rock hard! My included breakfast was a buffet and had many interesting Chinese foods as well as Western style foods and juice and coffee so I figured I would chow down now and have a light lunch.
After breakfast and cleaning up I decided to pick the bike up from the Honda Dealer, work before play after all...when I got there the bike was on the sidewalk out front and the right side battery cover was gone! The people there said it wasn't on when they got it but I'm sure it was and we went round and round for a bit. Another man about my age pulled up on his motorbike and he spoke English better and helped plead my case and translate and when it was clear Honda was not going to give an inch, he told me he could take me to a mechanic who would have the part for under 5 bucks. His name is Mr. Tigh and he was a guide. I hired him on the spot to help me get the bike sorted and to show me around Hue and the tourist sights.
I followed him on my bike to an area over the Perfume river where there were parts stores and mechanics and the first two places couldn't help me, but the third one was an expert on my type of bike. He had the part and test rode and inspected the bike and recommended some parts replacement and quoted me a price including labor to fix the oil leak and do the repairs which seemed very fair. I left him the bike and Mr. Tigh and I toured.
First we went to a Buddihist monastery with a 300 year old Pagoda then to an Emperors tomb complex. Everything is made of stone and wood with tile floors and roofs. There is a manmade lake the Emperor designed as well as temples and tombs for wives and consorts so very much a family affair.
Next we went to the Hue Ancient Coloseum, 300-400 years old it is a 30 foot high walled circle about 300 feet across with seating on top of the walls. There are two gates to enter, but I couldn't get in as it is blocked off as a archeological research site. My guide says the Emperor staged animal fights here including declawed.tigers fighting elephants. You can easily imagine the royalty in their colorful silks and their attendants on these ancient walls cheering the fighters on and the roars and bellows of the animals fighting for their lives.
One more stop down very narrow roads and alleys at a battlefield where American GI`s fought off attacking VC during the Tet Offensive in 1968. You can still see bullet holes in some places. It is on a beautiful hill covered with young pine trees and a view of a bend in the Perfume River. The Perfume runs thru Hue and was named by the French during their colonial era for the lovely scent of the flowers, herbs and trees that grow along it. Very cool.
After this it was time for a light lunch. I asked Mr. Tigh to take me somewhere he liked and we drove about 25 minutes to a neighborhood outdoor cafe where you sat under shade trees with the river close below you. Not fancy. We had Bun Bo which is noodle soup with a light chicken broth and some pork chop in it. No way to get vegetables around here. We also had two beers each of the local brew called 'hadu' and made from the water of the Perfume River. Their beer here is pretty hoppy and refreshing. We had a relaxing lunch and spoke of family. He has two sons, 25 and 30 and the eldest is a master wood carver like Mr Tigh's Father was.
Nice to chat about.
After finishing lunch we set out for me to do some shopping and then to The Citidel which was the official home for all of the Vietnamese Emperors and included their version of the Forbidden City, like China's, the personal residence area for the Emperor and family. Unfortunately much of it was destroyed during the war so most everything is restorations which made me really glad I went to the other sites which were all original. Without Mr Tigh I would've missed them.
After an hour or so wandering the many acres of the Citadel I met up with Mr Tigh to go see if the bike was done. It was and Mr Thien showed me the parts he replaced:
Internal oil seal that was leaking oil into the piston
Rear brake pad
Rear bearing
Rear Sprocket and new chain
New left rear turn signal
Cost me 700,000 VND, under 40 bucks. He gave me his card to call if I needed more help or for referrals and it was a pleasure to do business with a pro. Back to the hotel and thanked and settled up with Mr Tigh and back to my room to clean up for cocktails and dinner at the rooftop bar- retired life is really tough!!!!
Tomorrow I am riding 176 k to Doan Hoi on the beach. See you then, Gearheads.
written by  Mike_Veine on June 19, 2013 from Hue, Vietnam

Day 12 Hue to Dong Hoi, June 19
Dong Hoi, Vietnam
Dateline June 19th, South China Sea. VN
Day 12 Hue to Dong Hoi 176 k
Today is sunny and hot. The road is dry and in fairly good condition especially along the shoulder where the little motorbikes ride. I left Hue City just after 8 for a 176 k ride to Dong Hoi which is a beach town with a small harbor.
After I clear the city I find myself riding with open fields on my left side leading to layers of hills with mountains with sharp peaks behind. The fields are bright green and the mountains in the distance are bkue-grey. To my right are palm trees and occasionally sand dunes that are 60 feet tall and have ground cover and scrub growing on them.
The kilometers roll past uneventfully through towns, roadside villages, and open areas. The sun is pretty relentless and I am glad to have a long sleeve sunshirt and sunscreen on my hands and face.
Today there is a head wind with a bit if a left front quarter component that's stiff enough to move the little bike. Definitely more wind noise and when passed or passing on the right you feel the winds blast when you come out of the shadow of the vehicle on the left ( truck or bus). It gives you something to think about.
Rougher road equals more need for a break so I stop for a tea break after 1 1\2 hours and again for a leg stretch with about 33 k left on the day.
When I pull in to Dong Hoi I can quickly see that there are many hotels and I choose one about 1 k from the beach that has a view of a picturesque canal that leads to the harbor. My room looks South along the canal which has quaint streetlights along the right bank stretching for 500 meters or so. There are hotels, coffee shops and restaurants lining both sides of the canal. Not so bad a view. Later I walked to the beach and watched the fishing boats going out to sea for some night work. Back to the hotel with some supplies purchased from a local market and watching soccer on TV before turning in early for another day's riding. Easy life.
Tomorrow to Vinh, 196 k.
written by  Mike_Veine on June 19, 2013 from Dong Hoi, Vietnam

Day 13 June 20
Vinh, Vietnam
A Day 13. June 20
Very much a 13th day with several incidents of bad luck and unfunny stuff happening.
This morning I left Dong Hoi at 6:30 am. I was up early and never unloaded the bike at the hotel so I just had to pack my toiletries and get dressed and out the door. I rode for an hour and stopped for coffee at a very busy sidewalk shop which was between a Honda Dealership and a Yamaha Dealership. It looked like the salesmen and a few mechanics from both shops were swapping gossip before work. When I arrived I was the center of attention. It is hard to get used to the stares, but they seemed friendly enough and there were smiles as well. I heard someone say My which means American.
I ordered coffee and an older gentleman at a table near the back gestured that I could sit with him. At first I thought he might be the owner because he was sitting with the young man who worked there so I thanked him and sat and he poured me some tea from the pot on the table. We didn't chat, just sipped our tea and after my coffee was served he paid for his drink and shook my hand warmly and gave a "good morning" greeting and left. I shifted chairs to sit with a view towards the street and I saw a man from the front table by my bike and then the bike was over on its side and the man was gesturing to me. I picked it back up while he sat down with his buddies and watched. The clutch handle was hanging off broken at the stem. I shoved it back into place and there was enough stem on it so the clutch cable tension kept it in place and working. Also the left turn signal housing was damaged.
It was clear that I wasn't going to have someone step up and be responsible so I smiled and went back to my coffee. You can bet that if I knocked over a bike there would be hell to pay!
I paid and left soon after with a bit of a sour taste in my mouth and not from the coffee which was excellent- too bad.
Then it was back to the ride, still 150 kilometers to go! Riding consists of three speeds mostly: third gear thru town and traffic, sometimes second briefly around road construction and bad congestion. I was also in second while I was part of a kilometer long parade of bikes with everyone flying a Vietnamese flag. A Police car with lights flashing led that, no clue what it was about!
Most of the time you are in fourth, Top Gear, either cruising at around 50 kph when cars or trucks are close or running almost flat out, up to 70 plus kph in the wide open areas with light traffic. The bike is very responsive and decelerates quickly when you back off the throttle or downshift to engine brake. Because of the wide areas for bikes on the shoulder you can pass slow traffic on the right or the left making sure to leave yourself a reasonable out left or right. So you ride with traffic, pass traffic or are being passed 75% of the time. You also need to watch for the traffic passing in the oncoming direction especially around bottlenecks like construction zones and hills. So you are too busy on the bike to take good looks at the scenery and you really appreciate the times when it is wide open and you can take a look around. The rhythm of the drive can be fun as well with the weaving and mixing with the traffic, but you need a break every couple of hours at least.
At my next break I pulled over to an umbrella shaded area where a sugar drink machine was. They use the machine to press the slim canes and mix in juice as well. The young man who made it set it on the small plastic table while I was walking around stretching my legs and when I went to sit down I kicked the table and most of my drink went to the concrete! More 13th day woes!! I tried to ask for another, but sadly couldn't get my point across, so I sipped the quarter cup that was left and ate the ice. A young man at another table chatted with me briefly before his friends joined him. I sat for awhile just getting my focus back and then headed to the bike. I pushed the electric start and it turned over but wouldn't start. I tried this a couple of times and then checked the gas tank- it was empty! I thought I had at least another 50 k left but the bike had other ideas I guess. The young man I had spoken with was leaving so I asked him if he knew where the nearest gas station was. He kindly pushed my bike with his and took me down the road out of his way I am sure to help me out! Finally a good omen. Filled up for 200,000 VND and back on the road with 80 k remaining. The rest of the trip was uneventful but very dusty and dirty with approximately 30 k of road construction passed through today so I was glad I wore the surgical mask.
Made it to the town of Vinh by noon and done for the day!
I will hunker down inside today and let Day 14 get me a little closer to the Top Gear Challenge end in Hao Lon Bay!
written by  Mike_Veine on June 20, 2013 from Vinh, Vietnam

Day 14 June 21, The Accident
Quang Phong, Vietnam
Day14 Vinh to Quang Phon
Up at 5:30 for breakfast just after 6.
On road just after 7. So much construction creating dirt, confusion and snails pace on the highway so I will take what comes today. Filled up with gas trying not to make the same mistakes twice. Stopped after 2 hours for coffee break. It looks like I could maybe make Ha Long bay tomorrow at the end of the day which would be awesome.
For coffee I found a place where the kids are watching cartoons- way more interesting than me so no stares for once. Seems like a very nice place and shady and cool. Already 90° out here.
At about 11 am I had an accident in Quang Phon. A taxi made a left turn in front of me and stopped in the road. Not enough time to dodge him, I was probaby doing 30 kph and I hit the rear brake and turned left I think. The rear tire slid out and I was on my right side sliding along the road with the bike trapping my right leg under it. I slid about 15 feet, did not hit the taxi. He drove away and several bystanders ran to me and lifted the bike off. At first I could not move, just wanted to lie there but I recognized this as shock so I let them help me to the side of the road. A man examined my scraps and put mercuricrom on them. I had a rip in my pants over the right kneecap and a large abrasion under that. Both heels of my hands had abrasions as well. I got one of the people to hand me my drink bottle and took a long drink to help clear my head.
The accident happened right in front of the Honda Dealership and one of the mechanics came out to assess the damage to the bike. The clutch lever and left mirror were sheared and hanging from the clutch cable. My left wrist is sore, but nothing seems broken. Gradually I got myself together enough to go into Honda and find the sinks to wash up in. They had good soap for the mechanics so I used that and slowly cleaned each wound taking care to get all of the dirt and grit out. The I got my large bag off the bike with the first aid kit in it and the iodine. I cleaned the wounds again with antibacterial wet wipes and then took the iodine outside and burned out each wound. Stung a lot. Sterile gauze over the knee and bandaids on both hands. Now clean and dressed I drank some more water and recovered. The mechanic said 2 hours for the repair. He was replacing the whole clutch housing with the light switches and all. After a half hour I was feeling a little better and went across the street for lunch- Chicken noodle soup, funny enough, I guess it can cure anything!
I decided to rent a room here, wherever here was and recuperate from my injuries a bit. When the bike was ready the very nice mechanic showed me what he had done and said it would be, " much better".
He advised me to take it slow at first, good advice. The repair cost came to 13 dollars. I started riding just as it started to rain and I saw a hotel sign across the boulevard and decided to pack it in.
Lesson learned, once bit, twice cautious.
I will practice some emergency stop scenarios tomorrow before I leave and get it automatic so I'm not surprised by this again!
Please don't worry too much, it was what it was and I am sore, but will heal. Thanks for your well wishes!
Mike
written by  Mike_Veine on June 21, 2013 from Quang Phong, Vietnam

Day 15 & 16, Stuck in Thanh Hoa June 23
Thanh Hoa, Vietnam
A Days 15 &,16 Stuck in Tanh Hoa June 23
Well I am on my third day in Thanh How now. Originally I planned to leave this AM after recuperating from my injuries a bit, but a Tropical Depression was scheduled to hit right where I was heading today with high winds,rain and a possible storm surge I decided to just spend another day.
I don't feel much like exploring unfortunately and there really is not much to do in this town. I found a coffee house nearby yesterday and went back today and was invited to sit with the owner and his,wife while the daughter waited tables. It is Sunday here and business was definitely slower than yesterday.
We chatted for an hour with me mostly explaining where I had been and,where I was going. We all laughed when I said I was not going to China and the owner shook my hand,like I was making a very wise,decision. Funny! We talked about kids and the crazy drivers and somehow we understood each other about 70% of the time. It was fun just to hang out with them for awhile.
After that I went to a street food vendor and bought two oh her delicious steamed dumplings with egg and mystery ingredients. Very tasty, I had one yesterday and bought an extra one today to put in the fridge for lunch. We are on the edge of the storm zone so it was rainy and windy here off and on all day.
I read and relaxed, then tried to work on my language skills with my book. Also watched children's TV where they sing songs with the words printed below so I can get an ear for the pronunciation.
Not doing too well though, ordered roast chicken for dinner and they brought fried anyway. I sent it back. They brought out my rice and a bowl with greens in a broth and I was not sure if it was soup or a rice topping, I decided soup and ate some that way and it turns out it was. After a bit I was served a roast chicken leg and thigh and some sliced tomatoes and cooked garlic. Pretty good. You can tell the chicken is free range, skinny legs that were probably running around the yard this morning. Meat is very fresh here.
I made sure thank them profusely for the chicken, they could have easily pleaded my poor communication skills as the problem, but we all saved face on this one I think.
Packing up tonight and I will leave Thanh How tomorrow finally and see if I can get 100 k down the road or so. Modest goals and humbled traveler.
written by  Mike_Veine on June 23, 2013 from Thanh Hoa, Vietnam

Day 17 Back on the Road Again, June 24
Nam Binh (1), Vietnam
A Day 17 Back on the Road Again
Hi Gearheads!
Wounds healing and Typhoon wrung out it is now time for me to leave Thanh Hoa and get a few k's under my belt. I went for coffee at my usual place and joked around with the owner. We practiced my pronunciation of several words. Funny. It was raining all morning so I had my raincoat on as I walked back to my room. I decided to check on the bike before going up to pack and I found I had a flat front tire. I knew from my travels around the neighborhood exactly where to go, so I packed my bags, but left them in the room and then I walked the bike across the street to get the tire fixed.
A young Vietnamese man named 'Viet' actually, was having his tire fixed as well and wanted to practice his English so we went to coffee and chatted. Viet was studying to be a CPA and his wife is a teacher. After we spent 45 minutes over coffee he invited me to have lunch at his house. I thought about it for about 10 seconds and said, "sounds great!". He waited while I checked out of the hotel and we drove our bikes with the newly fixed tires over to his apartment, about 10 minutes away.
His apartment was two rooms and a bath and it was very nice. His wife, Tin, was very sweet and understanding, she spoke some English as well, and their son was 8. They both looked in their early 20's.
I visited with Viet while Tin prepared lunch and he gave me a gift of a mounted medal with a portrait of Ho Chi Minh on one side and scales on the other. He said he got it when he was working for the Department of Justice. I gave him a pair of Smith sunglasses and he seemed to like them, they had a nice leather case and are aviators style. Then he showed me his English language books including his Accounting and Business Textbooks and for fun he reads Mark Twain and Sherlock Holmes stories which I also enjoy very much.
Lunch was served on a large platter with serving bowls on a woven mat on the floor. We sat cross legged and they put rice in my bowl first and then some slices from a delicious duck egg omelet Tin had,made. There was also cucumber soup served hot and fried fish. Everything was very good and whenever I got close to finishing my serving Viet would put more of something in it! Finally I was able to politely decline more food, the rice was,very filling and I loved the eggs especially.
We took some pictures and we exchanged contact information and talked about some other stops ahead of me and then it was time to drive again.
By now the sun had come out and the roads had dried up and it was smooth sailing out of town. I am keeping it in third gear in town now being one of the little fish and learning my lessons in schooling.
I had a very modest goal of 63 k today to get to Nam Binh, the first large city down the road. Still seeing lots of construction in progress, but no workers at most of the sites. Very dusty and I've misplaced my face mask so I will need to buy one soon.
I found a Hotel just inside of town and they had a mechanics shop so I am getting the bikes oil changed according to Mr. Thien's instruction, around every 500 miles. Up to my room and kicked back for the night.
Quick note about traffic cops- they wear tan uniforms and stand by the roadside on the outskirts of a town and wave a nightstick to signal trucks and bikes over to them to check papers or whatever. Last week I was waved over and before I could even get at my papers the cop saw I was foreign and laughed and waved me out! He didn't even want the hassle of dealing with me!!! Funny, funny.
Tomorrow it is either towards Ha Long Bay or Hanoi, not sure yet, I will sleep on it and decide tomorrow.
written by  Mike_Veine on June 24, 2013 from Nam Binh (1), Vietnam

Top Gear Challenge Completed, Mike in Ha Long
Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
A Top Gear Vietnam Challenge Complete-
Mike in Ha Long!!!!!
Well, my friends, I've made it to Ha Long Bay, a World Heritage Site and amazingly beautful place in our world.
I got here at 2:00 PM and chose a hotel on Cat Ba. the largest island in the archipelagos and also the home of a National Park where I intend to go hiking tomorrow.
According to Google Maps the most direct route to my currrent location is 1816 kilometers, but I did not take the most direct route so I am abititrarily adding 300 k for a total of 2210 kilometers or if you figure in miles, over 1300 miles thereabouts. I calculate I had 13 driving days for an average mileage of 170 kilometers or 100 miles a day.
That may sound easy with all day to do it, but sometimes the miles came hard, paid for with tension, sweat and blood!
Right now I am sitting in a retaurant across the street from my hotel watching the lights of the fishing boats on the water, the only sound carrying is the sound of a single piston engine working hard to put to sea. It reminds me of Croatia and the Aegean Sea and the family boat I went calamari fishing on- same engine, same lights, and reminds me that we are all knit together by our shared experiences. Fishermen are Fishermen wherever they are and the tools of the trade share more similarities than differences.
I notice this when I am rewarded with a smile when I turn a cup upside down or share my language book with the people I meet and we share a laugh at how I say the words, and they help me. I have been lucky to mostly meet people who don't mind a stranger who travels in a respectful way and wants to learn from them.
Like all good adventures, this one is just begining and changing at the same time. After chilling out in Ha Long for a few days and maybe a short cruise it will be off to Hanoi, another big city to put down some roots for maybe a month and take some real language lessons. Not sure why, but I think it is the challenge to be a better communicator and a better guest and host to the people I meet and the new friends I make that drives this desire.
There will be more beautiful places down the road and I will also try traveling by train and bus as well for the experience.
Thanks for sharing this trip with me and please check the blog for updates and I wil continue to share photos by email with you unless you sic your SPAM filter on
me.
So, on that bombshell, I say "goodnight to all of you, until next week!"
written by  Mike_Veine on June 25, 2013 from Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

My Honda Win 100

Monkey & Dragon Painting

Painting from Australian Art Exhibition

American War Era Painting

Contemporary Painting of Woman Revolutionary

Contemporary Bronze Mother & Child

Ceramic Dragons on Saigon made pot early XX Century

Kids ar

Vietnamese countryside- so green

Street in HCMC

Grounds of Presidential Palace

Uncle Ho memorial in Presidential Palace

Meeting Room, Presidential Palace, Saigon

Reception Room, Presidential Palace, Saigon

Presidential Palace in Saigon

Presidential Bedroom in Bunker

Command Office in Bunker

Underground Presidential Office in Bunker

Presidential Bunker

Tank that brought down the gates of the South Vietnamese Presidential Palace, 1975

Warplanes

School/ Bombshelter during the war

Pictures of Children at War

Huey Chopper, War Rememberence Museum

Cuban support for North Vietnam during the American War

Examples of Peace Posters

Examples of Peace Poster

Examples of Peace Posters from around the world

Caption for photo

Portrait of American Family affected by Agent Orange

Story of Photo of American family affected by Agent Orange

Picture from War Rememberence Museum

HCMC Street

HCMC Street corner near Ho Chi Minh Museum

Worship in Temple

Temple for blended religions group, Christian and Buddhist

Tunnel Tour HCMC

Look how small the entrance really is!

Tunnel Entrance

VC Encampment example near HCMC

US Tank destroyed by VC in 1968

Viet Cong Tunnel Complex outside of HCMC

My first Guesthouse room in HCMC

View of Starting point from the trail to Mt Lang Biang Summit

Trail Guide Marker to Summit of Lang Biang

Summit of Mt Lang Biang, 2000+ Meters

Summit of Mt. Lang Biang

Buddhist Temple Gardens

Buddhist Temple Gardens, Bonzai

Golden Lion Gate Guard, Buddhist Center, Da Lat

Beach where families swim in the evening from my balcony

View from hotel in Song Cau

Roadside Temple, Rural Hoi An

Small Roadside Temple, Rural Hoi An

Hoi An Street Corner

Stairs to Emperor's Tomb, Hue

Example of Building Construction

Detail of Wooden Door

Good Luck Charachters in Emperor's Tomb Complex

Emperor's Tomb Complex

Detail of Wooden Stairs, Empress's Memorial Complex

Large Brass Planter

Emperor's Tomb Complex Porcellin Planter

Courtyard. Emperors Tomb Complex

Stone Monument

Detail of Stone Work, Emperors Tomb

Detail of Column from Forbidden City Hue

Stella with Emperor's Biography etched in charachters

Emperors Tomb Complex

Hotel Room View, Thuan Island, Ha Long Bay

View from Hotel in Thuan Island near Cat Ba, Ha Long Bay

On Ferry to Cat Ba, Ha Long Bay

Win on the Ferry to Cat Ba- 1 hour trip through Ha Long Bay

Ferry to Cat Ba, Ha Long Bay

Ferry to Cat Ba

Bike Hitchiker on Ferry- you find a seat wherever you can LOL!

Ferry trip to Cat Ba- Natural Beauty

Deer in Cat Ba National Park

Cat Ba National Park

Cat Ba Island