All Entries in the "Vietnam" Category
Chiang Mai to Hanoi – Introduction
For all the years I have been here in Thailand, it has been a goal of many to ride their own motorcycles into Vietnam and tour the Communist country. With only a couple exceptions, many have tried and most have failed……Now, with a little help (OK, with a lot of help) from my friends, it was our turn to try. And we did it!
Follow the multi-part story here……..
Laos to the Vietnam Border and Beyond (Pt. 1)
We found a restaurant, but we lost Silverhawk.
It was one of those embarrassing funny ones. I was riding tail end Charley, with Armin & Joe at the front with Silverhawk in the middle, except there was no Silverhawk.
We all rode around Lai Chau eating dust looking for Silverhawk, but no one had any luck, so we gave up after 20 minutes; & had lunch.
Sapa, Vietnam (Pt. 2)
DAYS 5 & 6 SAPA playing tourist
A tweaking of the master plan – slow down, look at things, meet some people & learn something.
Arriving in Sapa after 5 days on the road in the heat & smoke was like arriving at exquisite oasis in the desert. Sapa was green & cool from the altitude 1,500 [...]
Bac Ha to Hanoi (Pt. 3)
3 nights in Sapa were a delight, but it was time to push on. Time would soon start running out on our entry permits & we needed to hit the road yet again.
Bac Ha beckoned. Silverhawk had done some intelligent research & picked up that Bac Ha was the market place to go.
Hanoi, Vietnam (Pt.4 )
Absolute chaos, maniacal traffic, but some very nice people. A couple days of semi-rest, but still locked into an unchangeable itinerary. We did the tourist sites which included the “Hanoi Hilton” prison and the John McCain memorial. We would have loved to have more free time here and a little less structure. We had some extremely nice dinners with our travel hosts, and soon were on our way again.
Mai Chau, Return to Laos (Pt. 5)
After leaving the hussle of Hanoi, we chose a much less hectic route to take us into Xam Nua, Northeaster Laos. The heat was nearly unbearable but I still enjoyed this part of the ride as we had again left the tourists behind.
Set Free in Laos (Pt 6)
When we awoke in Xam Nua and prepared to hit the road, I did feel a little like my leash had finally been removed (no offense guys). I love riding in Laos and I am fairly familiar with most areas. I had told the group prior that I was cutting across Laos Highway 1c, south of Xam Nua, to Nong Kiew. The others had business in Luang Phrabang and were headed there via Phonsavan.
Pt 7 How We Did It
In the links on this page, in post #6 you will see a full list of what was necessary to make this trip.
