Vietnam (part 8)

*Warning! picture heavy post*

With a long stretch out of the city and up near the border of Laos towards Hoi An, I couldn’t help but take a deep breath and enjoy. There was a local scooter that was making good time passing everyone else along with me. I didn’t wave or say hello till a long time down the road, as we kept keeping pace with each other. When I couldn’t take it any longer I decided it was time to break the ice, waving and smiling really big. He and his girlfriend pulled up next to me smiling back, and slowed down to chat. I found out he wasn’t going all the way to Hoi An, but we cruised together for quite a while.

After they split off and I had been driving by myself for a while I saw these dismal looking clouds in the distance and started to head into the rain.

The rain kept soaking me and making it difficult to see. I hadn’t brought a rain jacket and this high up in the mountains was cold. After singing to myself in efforts to keep morale high, I decided it was time to warm up and take a break. I pulled into a gas station where the worker took pity on me and told me to come inside to warm up a bit. Within 10 minutes some other travelers showed up and we all had some hot tea together. The gas station had a tiny amount of things for sale like Ramen, a couple drinks, and some rain ponchos. All the stuff for sale would have fit in a large cardboard box. The items were set in the windows and it was quite the contrast from U.S. gas stations.

When I was leaving (with a new rain poncho!) one of the girl found a HUGE insect.

Much dryer now, the rain did eventually let up, and my path took me through the most lush and gorgeous valley I have ever been in.

The tour buses would be going so fast through these roads, laying on the horn, and zooming by like race car drivers. I can’t even believe how fast they would go, and wouldn’t feel very safe riding in one. The rest stop areas on the side of the roads have hoses left out for, what I assume, cooling down the brakes.

I am a pretty confident rider and you can go especially quick on a motorbike through the curves but this guy would definitely be passing me again. I think it was a race track to him.

Other big trucks I saw on the road didn’t quite make it. : / 

Here’s one more picture of how beautiful it was here. When the buses passed, the road was pretty quiet and I got a newfound sense of how much I love nature. I could see a water buffalo down at the river having a bath with only the sound of my engine pushing me along and through the magnificent landscape. What a sight.

The roadside stands here were filled with pineapples.

The rain came back and as I was getting close to Hoi An. I drove past this guy that looked like he had a scooter on the back of his bike. Unsure that my eyes saw what I thought they saw, I whipped around to catch up to him and snap a picture.! Hahaha. Crazy. I love it. I would think it would feel so unstable riding like that.

Over the next couple of days I explored the charming Hoi An with all their shops selling clothes, the walking streets, and the beaches.

I ordered a coffee at a coffee shop and was surprised with the “iced milk coffee” that came.

There was an interesting computer lab that happened upon my strolling eyes with locals playing video games.

This small town is very charming with everyone bicycling around. One section in particular in “old town” doesn’t allow any kind of motorized vehicles.   

One thing that looked kinda funny was all these people being taken around by these bicycle taxi’s. It wouldn’t have looked as strange if there wasn’t about 20 of them in a row. Must have been a tour.

There have been a LOT of people I have met at almost each destination who I know from my last stops! It’s fun seeing all the familiar faces and all your friends that just keeps going up the coast with you. : P Today I went to the MySon sanctuary with Kirsten, Anthony, and Mauricio. The buildings really reminded me of the Jungle Book.

 Looking good guys! : )

 

Until the next time then.