Popular Post chrissables Posted July 28, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 28, 2018 Day 59 12 June. Sapa Day 60 13 June. 7.5 hrs 196km Sapa to Xin Man. Via Muang Khuong, Jeff had decided to call it a day and was leaving on the night train to Hanoi, where we would meet up again later I left in heavy drizzle at 6am, but as I rode up into the mountains north of Lao Cai the weather was ok and it was a good days riding. Quite cool up the mountains though. The route is here: http://vietnamcoracle.com/ha-giang-extreme-north-motorbike-loop/ 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post chrissables Posted July 28, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 28, 2018 Leaving Sapa looking north in the morning. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post chrissables Posted July 28, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 28, 2018 Great roads winding through the valley. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post chrissables Posted July 28, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 28, 2018 Day 61. 14 June Xin Man to Dong Van. 10 hrs 295 km. There was light drizzle and bad roads for the first 100 km, but with great views again. In Ha Giang heavy rain. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post chrissables Posted July 28, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 28, 2018 Day 62. 15 June. Dong Van to Chinese border (Cho Xin Cai 1500m high) 6.5hrs 100km Today the weather was not good for photos. But I wanted to get to another Chinese border point. The road from the valley up to Xin Cai was bad at times, but the views great! Once I got to the border point I walked as far as I dare into China, the Vietnam side was a muddy track, the Chinese side a newly laid concrete road! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post chrissables Posted July 28, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 28, 2018 The view were so good even the locals could not stop looking! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post chrissables Posted July 28, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 28, 2018 The well guarded border. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post chrissables Posted July 28, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 28, 2018 Day 63, 16 June Dong Van landslides. 70 km My original plan was to go to the North Pole, but many road works and landslides followed by a blocked road stopped me. I had been on my previous trip and today the weather was very overcast and foggy, so I was happy to ride around seeing different sights. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrissables Posted July 28, 2018 Author Share Posted July 28, 2018 Day 64. 17 June. 206 km. 8.5 hrs Dong Van to Cao Bang. My route was south to Meo Vac and DT217 to Bao Lac. From here I found a road not on my maps that cut across to Cao Bang, slow going on road DT204 I left early in the fog and rain, after only a few km I came off on a particularly slippery part of the road. It was quiet strange as I had ridden across this stretch two times already and knew how bad it was. Both front and the rear wheels slid sideways from under me, I can only think there must have been a ridge left there by a truck for that to happen. As I was aware of it slippery I was riding slowly, but still banged my knee hard and cut my foot. After 50km I found a roadside water pipe and cleaned myself up. The rest of the day there were patches of bad road and weather. Also great views were ruined by the poor visibility. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post chrissables Posted July 28, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 28, 2018 I found a nice place to clean myself up hahaha 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post chrissables Posted July 28, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 28, 2018 On a sunny day this ride would be great! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post chrissables Posted July 28, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 28, 2018 Day 65. 18 June. 9 hrs. 215 km Ban Gioc Waterfall I received a bollocking from the hotel owner as he thought I used his towels to clean my sandals. But it was the ingrained clay from the accident! I was too hurt to scrub it hard, so washed as well as I could, but when drying it the clay stained the towel. Today’s ride I was really looking forward to, the Ban Gioc Waterfall, which is half in Vietnam and half in China. I went here on my last trip also. There is a temple complex that has been built on a small hill that is great for taking photos, when at the waterfall is was too wet to get near with lots of mist blowing everywhere. I then rode along the river trying to find a place I had read about where you can get across to China on a smugglers boat and walk around the market there, but I could not find it. I did spot some smuggling going on and was told “no photos”! I did eventually find a road that arrived at the Chinese border, but there was no way into China. On my return trip I stopped behind the top of the waterfall where there is a market and I could shake hands with the Chinese tourists and take selfies, but not cross into China. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post chrissables Posted July 28, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 28, 2018 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post chrissables Posted July 28, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 28, 2018 Smugglers boats. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post chrissables Posted July 28, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 28, 2018 Day 66. 19 June. 127 km. 6.5 hrs Cao Bang to Chinese border near HCM’s cave. The ride today was very remote and filled with stunning scenery. Again my plan was to try and sneak into China. I headed north on DT208 and turned right on a very small road at Ha Quang which wound its way through the mountains. I continued on that road until I found the New Great Wall of China! Nobody was around so i walked through a gap in the railing to take some photos before returning to Vietnam and Cao Bang. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrissables Posted July 28, 2018 Author Share Posted July 28, 2018 At the New Chinese Wall, the bike is in Vietnam and i was in China. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrissables Posted July 28, 2018 Author Share Posted July 28, 2018 Just before the Chinese border i found that evening's dinner looking very nervous! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post chrissables Posted July 28, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 28, 2018 Day 67. 20June. 324 km. 9.5hrs Cao Bang, Ba Be back roads to Thai Nguyen. The weather was clagged in until Ba Be Lake, after that some great views but a hard day. The back road out of Ba Be Lake is a wonderful ride through the countryside. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post chrissables Posted July 28, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 28, 2018 Day 68. 21 June 324 km. 8 hrs Thai Nguyen to Cam Pha via Lang Son A great road across to Lang Son, but my seat was getting so uncomfortable I found it hard to enjoy the ride. Cam Pha is a industrial City looking over into Ha Long bay. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post chrissables Posted July 28, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 28, 2018 Day 69. 22 June 188 km. 4 hrs Cam Pha to Hanoi Today was an easy ride to go and meet Jeff for a few days. The road was full of crazy truck and bus drivers! Day 70 23 june Hanoi Jeff and I decided to get very pissed, Jeff was more successful than I was! A great night! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maximillian Posted July 28, 2018 Share Posted July 28, 2018 2 hours ago, chrissables said: This 18 year lady, aged a lot riding pillion with me! Still very beautiful... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post chrissables Posted July 28, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 28, 2018 Day 71. 24 June I stayed in my room all day resting, except for an evening meal. Day 72. 25 June Hanoi to Hue I left Hanoi at stupid O’clock, 4.45am in the dark and arrived at Hue 12.5 hrs and 689km later! It was the longest and hardest day of the trip as well as difficult due to the traffic on the main north to south road. Day 73.26 June Today I walked to Hue Citadel and enjoyed looking around again. But lots of it were being renovated. When I was crossing over the bridge back into town I was offered a blow job by someone on a push bike, the trouble was he needed a shave! 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post chrissables Posted July 28, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 28, 2018 Day 74 27 June. Hue I serviced the bike and spent time relaxing. Day 75. 28 June 200 km to Hoi An Today’s ride was stress free and I had time to explore the Hai Van Pass area again. I was lucky with the weather, hot but good visibility. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post chrissables Posted July 28, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 28, 2018 The Hai Van Pass viewed from the top, looking north,west and south. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrissables Posted July 28, 2018 Author Share Posted July 28, 2018 Day 76. 29 June. Hoi An Stayed local. Day 77. 30 June 282 km Ride to near the Laos border. A pleasant ride, I had intended to go right to the border, but was suffering with the seating again and cut it short. Day 78. 01 July Hoi An to Quy Nhon 5 hrs 304 km An extremely hot and tedious ride, a day of other road users trying to kill me. Day 79. 02 july. Quy Nhon to Nha Trang 4 hrs 235km A nice ride along the coast from Quy Nhon, very hot again. Day 80. 03 July Nha Trang Stroll on the beach, relaxing. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post chrissables Posted July 28, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 28, 2018 Relaxing at Nha Trang Beach! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post chrissables Posted July 28, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 28, 2018 Day 81.04 July 117 km along to coast to a reservoir. It was a nice ride, an easy day, but again so hot! Also the road around the reservoir was closed. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post chrissables Posted July 28, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 28, 2018 Day 82. 05 July to Day 85 08 July I spent getting pissed in Nha Trang. One of the nights I had another claustrophobia attack. About 3 in the morning the whole area had a power cut, so the room got very hot very quickly. I decided to open the window and get some fresh air. It was barred like a prison, this started my attack. So I dressed and found my way down 4 flights of stairs in the blackness to find the front door was locked to. But security was sleeping in the reception and let me out. By this time I was feeling so ill and sweating, but not just due to the heat. When the power came on I was back in the room and was actually vomiting with the stress of it all. Really strange and I can’t explain it. I decided to relax with the lights and TV on, and just as I was feeling better the power cut again! So the whole procedure was repeated, with me bollocking security for actually locking the door. Day 86. 09 July Nha Trang to Mui Ne. 250 Km 5 hrs On the sand dunes just outside of Mui Ne I saw these interesting graves. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post chrissables Posted July 28, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 28, 2018 (edited) Day 87. 10 July. Mui Ne Day 88. 11 July. Mui Ne Day 89 12 July HCM 240 km 5hrs 45 min An easy ride, but I wasted an hour lost in the back roads along the river in the center of the city. Day 90 13 HCM Day 91 14 HCM Day 92 15 Home to Thailand! What a trip! 37 hotels to check in and out of and 12,791 km of mostly fun riding! Edited July 28, 2018 by chrissables 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrissables Posted July 28, 2018 Author Share Posted July 28, 2018 1 hour ago, NCC1701A said: Amazing trip! Thank you for sharing. It is a lot of work to edit photos and write a description. Thanks! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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