Backpacker tour in Halong Bay

Hanoi is the other big city in Vietnam besides Ho Chi Minh City. Immediately this feels so much better and more laid-back. Can’t really put a finger on why though, it’s just as chaotic if not even more, but it’s prettier with more older buildings dating from the French occupation. Also, the salesmen (half the population it seems) are less pushy. Here when you tell them ‘No, I don’t need a cap/sunglasses/lighter/taxi/motorbike/massage/cigarettes/banana/t-shirt/painting/or-anything-else’, they react like ‘OK, whatever’. Instead of like in HCMC where a ‘No’ is received like you just called their mother something horrible.

Group of elderly folks doing Tai Chi at 7am in the park in the ‘Old Quarter’, Hanoi.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
History Museum *which is closed on Sundays, for all of you planning to visit Hanoi. This being cultural is not really agreeing with me*

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interesting restaurants (please lookup in the dictionary if you’re not familiar with the meaning)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
You are not allowed to leave Vietnam without visiting Halong Bay, a World Heritage site of 2000 limestone islands rising from the emerald waters of the Gulf of Tunkin.
I join a Halong Bay trip which was recommended by a Canadian guy I spoke to in Hue a few days ago. It is a low budget trip organized by a backpacker hostel called the Hanoi Backpacker Hostel, what else.
We first spend a day and a night on a boat (the Jolly Roger… doesn’t sound much promising I know) where we meet the new surroundings.

Halong Bay islands

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
What do you do after a day of swimming, canoeing and socializing with a group of 35 Western backpackers with an average age of 25? Correctemundo, you get hammered! And worse, bizarre drinking games are introduced to speed up the process. In these games you pick up a card in turns and then have to drink constantly for some sort of reason. You also make a fool out of yourself or out of somebody else on occasions and we all have incredible fun beyond imagination.
Around 12 O’clock a line from the film Lethal Weapon pops up in my head…: ‘I’m too old for this shit’. And I retire to bed.

A boat heading to a deserted island with a herd of hung-over backpackers *pfff went to bed 5am,pfff I’m still drunk, excellent pfff*, looks something like this.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The island is gorgeous. The beach bay is only leased by this hostel, and therefore is ours alone. Facilities are very basic, we sleep with 6 persons in an open air bungalow, there are 3 tiny cold water showers and crappy toilets, but really, it’s all you need.
That is besides the 150-horsepower-speedboat for the wakeboarding of course.

Halong bay island, home for 2 nights

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Reading, canoeing to caves in the rocks, wakeboarding and talking nonsense are daily duties.
I try wakeboarding for the first time in my life, and honestly this seems the first water-sport I master in no time. I guess it is because it is similar to kite surfing, but still the guy from the boat seems rather amazed and on the second day I even manage some airtime (a jump from the wave).
Also, to be speeding on a surfboard right between high limestone rocks, a world heritage for jibe sake, gives me a high-on-life sort of experience

Yeeehaaa.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
There is also a deaf couple from the USA and Colombia. They are an inspiration. They seem so happy and so in love with each other. She is also the only other person doing water sports and enjoying it soooo much, smiling and laughing throughout her waterski ride. Funny detail is that he can by lip-reading nearly even catch my accent, because I speak more from the throat instead of in front of my mouth like Americans. How bizarre is that?
But anyway, imagine never hearing a word, or not ever hearing music or the sound of the ocean or your kids or anything. And still they genuinely seemed the most happy and grateful people of the whole group…. What does that teach us? Indeed dear reader: Stop Moaning!!!!

Life coaches

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
At sunset I chill on this rock with this fantastic hat. I swear I wasn’t posing…. Really

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
This ends Vietnam for now. After Halong Bay I go back to Bangkok, Thailand, to be reunited with my love Immy for a month of Holiday with my partner. God, I can’t wait!!!

Easy Rider day 6-9: Galactic

Marble Mountains lie between Hoi An and Danang, these are quite vertical rocky looking mountains of about 300m high. On top and inside are caves with temples and Pagodas of several centuries old. The climb is steep, but the pictures are cool.

Many Buddha’s carved out of the rocks

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Funky temples

 

We ride on and when I thought I have seen the most of Ho Chi Minh Road, it turns…it turns... (I’m looking for the right word that corresponds with my emotions…. got it)

...it turns galactic.

Remember the snake wine from the Mekong Delta? In a local shop along the road I found, let’s call it, Lizard wine. Very good for ‘boom boom’, assures the shopkeeper with a grin. In other words the local Viagra hehe

*&^%$$##* thinks the lizard

In Hue at the Imperial Enclosure, a Citadel of several emperors since 1800, we’re back amongst fellow Westerners with English, German and French speaking tour guides. My hero stays behind though, watching the bags at the bike (and more importantly saving himself the entrance fee).

Chinese influence over the centuries has left her footprint especially in Northern Vietnam, as you can see for example at architecture.

Inside Hue Citadel

 

 

Quiz time:

What does not belong in this picture?

After a long ride a man’s got to do, what a man’s got to do.

We go quite a bit out of our way to see an impressive war cemetery, where ten thousands casualties of the American war are buried. It is a beautiful peaceful place with several temples. We are all alone there, which makes it also kind of special. Each grave has fresh incense on top of it and many were burning too. I was wondering what an immense job it must be to light all that incense, and whether they do that every day.

Then come two busses filled with teenaged school kids, who first had a communal Buddhist prayer and then they all go out on the cemetery to light fresh incense on the graves…

War casualties

I end the day in a hotel room with a view to think this all over

Take off to our end destination Dong Hoi.
One last look at last night’s scenic hotel

We ride towards Vinh Moc tunnels along the coast

During the American war a little village with a population of 300 people went underground and lived there for 6 years. There are 3 layers in Vinh Moc tunnels, the deepest at 23 meters below the ground. We go all the way down… very impressive to walk around these tunnels and realize people were cooking and having babies here while bombs were exploding above them.

I mention to the guide that 12 babies born during 6 years time was actually not that much. She mentions that in such a small place with 5 people staying in each tiny room, producing babies was rather awkward… Which I can somehow imagine.

Vinh Moc family loft apartment

23 meter deep…

Many things in life I understand but some things are a mystery to me. Su has a habit of filling his tank only half full of petrol every time. And then of course we are the next day or so out of petrol again, I stressfully watch the meter going deep into the red while we hope to pass a petrol station. And when we finally reach one Su rides on! I tap him on the shoulder and say: ‘Oi! We need petrol’. He then wiggles his hand and mumbles ‘not very good’. (?????)
But then again, we seem to find a ‘good station’ just in time, coz we never ran out.

We reach Dong Hoi early and during a walk along the beach I get a hint of how it must be to be David Beckham when I pass a group of teenagers. They all start screaming and each wants to go individually and in groups on a photo with me. Rather funny, and it puts a smile on my face for the rest of the day.

My fans

On the last day we ride through Phong Nha national park, the reason I wanted to go so high up in this trip. To be honest it is a bit disappointing. Phong Nha cave, the largest cave in Vietnam of approximately 50 km, could not be entered by boat because the river water was too high. Instead I walk into the dry parts, but although stunning I want more, I want the wet cave :-( (maybe I’m getting spoiled).

Phong Nha dry cave

The ride through the National park was mystical and beautiful and makes somewhat up for the missing of the wet cave.

Rocks of hundreds of meters high covered in mist towering above the road

Coming back in Dong Hoi means the Easy Rider trip has come to an end. It was a great experience, which will be locked in memory for ever. But now I am rather excited that tomorrow I’ll be staying in a luxury hotel in Hanoi and will find pizza(!) for dinner.

Bye bye motorbike and mr. Su

Easy Rider day 3 - 5: Rare jongens die Vietnamezen

Day 3 is mainly a riding day, we spend at least 6 hours riding northwards towards Kon Tum.

The usual road show today

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The usual agriculture lessons. Lesson 26: Black pepper

Lesson 45: Rubber trees

A real home coming in the ‘Family Hotel’ in Kon Tum with internet, live premiership football on tv and warm water. Hmmmmm.

The next morning I wake up 6am and stroll through town to see it come alive. In the small streets I somehow manage to lose my way. I inform with a police officer and get a deja vu of my all agreeing soldier outside Saigon.

Me: Good morning officer, lovely weather init.

Him: hmpff

Me: You know the Family hotel? F-A-M-I-L-Y-H-O-T-E-L

Him: uhm... yes!

Me: Excellent, wouldn't wanna miss breakfast hahaha. So how do I get there?

Him: uhm...

Me: Me, Famility Hotel, how? While making a walking sign with two fingers.

Him: uhm...

Me: Should I go left?

Him: Yes!

Me: Sure? Shouldn't I go right?

Him: Yes!

Me: Ok thanks.

Found it 5 minutes later

This day has the best scenic views so far.
Its a great ride

The road cuts straight through the mountains past the Cambodian and Loas border. During the war here was the famous Ho Chi Minh trail, used to move weapons by the VC. It was heavily bombed by the US, we could still see the bomb craters in the land. Several memorials here, Su told the stories, ending most sentences with a painful face saying ‘terrible’.

Ok we can’t blame the Americans for everything. This flooding was caused by the typhoon of 2 weeks ago. I guess I had good timing.

Typhoon damage

Entertaining pitstops.

*Gimme candy and give it fast!*

These VC tanks are posted here as a memorial for Charlie Hill.

Bravo1 to Bravo3: Open fire! Takatakatakatak (ok sorry)

Breathtaking views again along the way

We end the day in Phuoc Son, a small town at the end of the Highlands.

*Welcome in Puoc Son* says the water buffalo *Everybody is welcome in this town... but only few ever come out, Moooohahaha*

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Next morning on our way to Hoi An, back to civilization.

So far I haven’t seen a western person in this trip, we eat at local road restaurants, some good and some shabby. Still my stomach is coping so far.

Also most people along the way are not used of seeing anything like me (uhm, so handsome that is of course). But most of them smile, wave their hands and say helloooo, it’s all a very pleasant experience. Also, Su stops anywhere along the road to invade people homes, and they all seem quite welcoming.

A few times I am reminded that this all isn’t without danger. At a certain point we pass a road accident, where a truc (on the wrong side of the road) had hit somebody on a bike. I saw a body with a blanket over it and incense burning next to it, while people were gathering around the bus.

I’m still not used to the scenery. We all have our preferences, but long roads and natural surroundings is really my thing.

Road shot

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We stop at a pineapple plantation for Agri lesson 256, but we don’t seem very welcome here. What to me sounds like hostile shouting and aggressive arm movements is completely ignored by Su, who says something with 1 syllable like ‘whooi’, and walks around their work yard looking for things to explain to me. I prepare for the worst, but before I know it there are smiles all around and I am invited to their lunch. Rare jongens die Vietnamezen.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

But real lunch came later

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
After lunch we pass a Cao Dausm temple. Cao Dausm is a growing Vietnamese religion or sect that basically combines Eastern and Western religions. I was lucky to be in time to see a prayer ceremony. When they are finished I look as humble and respectful as I can. I hope they are not enraged by this stranger uninvited checking them out in their temple, before you know it you’re boiled and sacrificed to the sun.
But all the priests come smiling to me, shake my hand and invite me for tea. Who would have thought..


Chau Dau priest

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ending the day in Hoi An a beautiful town in French colonial architecture, where suddenly there are loads of tourists.

Easy Rider Day 2: Tropical thunderstorm

The night chased away the loneliness and day two starts in high spirits.
We go into Lac Lake village to meet more ethnic minorities. Well, we actually invade their space shamelessly. Mr. Su is quite a character, far from shy I'd say. He walks through their backyards like he owns the place, ordering them around and explaining to me what they are doing. He also tries to hook me up with any single girl we meet. He knows I have Immy, but I guess he sees anyone who is not married as single.
This morning felt quite special, all these people were very welcoming and warm, I really got an idea how they live.

90 years young

Making some sort of rice wine (agriculture lesson 14)

Girl talk (and correct Gerry, the one on the right is the single one)

*Please go away scary man* thinks the little girl

Elephant ride, you can’t live without.

Now you might think, pfff an elephant ride, been there, done it.

But did your elephant also swim across a lake? Well mine did, much to my astonishment (I nearly jumped off).

*land ahoi*

Time to head further north

We reach the Dry Nur waterfalls during a heavy heavy rain session. Su stays behind with warm soup and coffee while I fight the elements.

It is a bit like Mario Brothers... first you have to cross this bridge with a few loose planks before you get any goodies.

But I lived to tell the story...

It is a powerful sight.

While some people are having coffee (Su), and others pretend they're working (yes you!), I am getting completely soaked by some tropical thunderstorm

Enough adventure for one day, we rush for our end destination Dac Lac, where we have BBQed goat for dinner. Funny detail is that this restaurant only serves goat (BBQ goat, fried goat, boiled goat, goat pie, goat juice, I think you get the idea), and nothing else not even rice.

Hot pot goat, not bad at all