A Vietnam Adventure – “From child hood dream to the ramblings of an old solo biker"

Learning to road trip all over again

This isn’t my first road trip, in fact I’ve been road-tripping on bikes for over 10 years. Nevertheless, every trip feels like the first time and whilst you never know how a trip is going to go, there are definitely some things you can be sure of:

1.There WILL be near misses (although hopefully not serious incidents).

2. You will make mistakes – even if they are things you’ve learnt to do on previous trips.

3. You will have moments/days when you wonder why you decided to do this.

4. You will wonder why you brought so much stuff and why you left chew one thing at home that you could really do with.

5. You will have amazing moments that make it all worth while.

Multi-day road trips and bike riding in general is a passion of mine. The excitement of exploring new places and the freedom you feel from being on a bike brings a level of connectivity that you just don’t get while sat in other forms of transport. All of your senses are heightened and as a result you ‘live’ the experience far more than you would if using other forms of transport. You see a lot more, hear a lot more, smell things you wouldn’t when you’re locked inside a steel box and, as silly as it sounds, you feel the environment on your skin.

However, first time road trips in new places always bring a certain amount of trepidation and uncertainty, and despite my years of looking forward to this trip, I have to admit to being more than a little nervous. When I woke on Day 1, lots of questions filled my head…

“Now that I’m here, it’s a lot further than what I’d thought before I arrived.”

“Doing this solo, what if I have an accident or breakdown in the middle of nowhere?”

“What if I get lost?”

“What if I get ill while in some remote area on my own?”

“Do I have the stamina, physical fitness, energy and resilience to do this own my own?”

I had to remind myself that this is normal, it always takes the first few days of any new road trip to settle. It’s all part of the ‘learning to road trip‘. It’s just part of the adventure and excitement of solo road-tripping.

And so, with all of that circling around my head and my best self-calming strategies in full flow, I got out of bed and started to prepare everything (for about the 10th time)…trying to ensure that I’d anticipated and prepared for every eventuality (which is never possible):

1. Is my passport, driving licence, wallet and other essentials are easily available and can be taken with me if I need to leave the bike – for a coffee, the bathroom, visit an interesting site etc.
2. Have I got enough food and water to keep me going for a few hours just in case I breakdown.
3. Are all of my electrical items charged and is the battery pack (and power leads) easy to access.
4. Have I downloaded the maps and route – just in case I loose the network signal?
5. Have I dressed appropriately for the weather and the activity – this is always a difficult decision to make (and I’ll definitely be doing another post on this)?
6. Have I shared my route and timings with someone back home? (just in case I don’t report in at the end of the day).

Packing a bike for long road trips is a fine art, and after struggling my way down the narrow set of stairs from the 4th floor (hostels don’t normally have lifts), bruised elbows, glasses already steaming up from the sweat running down my face and suncream now streaming into my eyes, I made it to the bike.

Schoolboy Error #1– Apply your sunscreen just before you get on the bike.

Schoolboy Error #2– When booking a hostel, always ask a for a room close to the ground floor.

Now, one of the challenges I’ve always had when travelling: whether it’s overnighting on a staycation; heading on normal family holiday; a days hillwalking in the mountains OR road-tripping on a bike; is that I always pack too much!

I suffer from what I refer to as the “what if complex” or the “just in case syndrome“. However, in preparing for this trip I set myself the challenge of trying not to take too much with me. The good news is that as I left the UAE I had succeeded in a chivvying this, carrying. only one small 15KG bag with me.

However, after 3 days of sightseeing in Ho Chi Minh City and the opportunity to visit some of the markets that sell all sorts of interesting and appealing items, my complex and syndrome kicked into overdrive and by the end of the 3 days I’d bought 2 new bags (one of my other obsessions), a variety of clothing items, toiletries and a load of food for the trip (‘just in case’ I got stuck somewhere or ‘what if‘ the food on the road wasn’t to my liking).

So here I am, stood by the relatively small Honda 150XL with 3 bags weighing upwards of 60KG and only 2 straps to tie everything down with!

Schoolboy Error #3 – Never take too much on a road-trip. Pack what you think you’ll need then half it!

Schoolboy Error #4 – Always do your shopping at the end of road trip and NOT at the beginning!

However, in my excitement to hit the road it was just a case of strapping everything, trying to ensure that they wouldn’t fall off. Besides, I could always adjust as necessary while on there road.

Heading out into the early morning rush hour of Ho Chi Minh City was far more daunting that I’d expected, especially as I was trying to man-handle an overladen bike that felt like it was going to tip over at any point. The roads were packed with scooters, buses, cars and lorries. There didn’t seem to be any agreed road etiquette…..it was every man for himself and this man was already very nervous! With one eye on the GPS and the other on the road; the traffic; and the thousands of pedestrians that peppered the walkways (often just jumping out on the road without any notice); I slowly made my way through the streets of city, desperate to reach the outskirts and get onto the QL55, which I’d been told was one of Vietnams best roads to ride.

The aim for today was to get to a small town in the southern hills of Vietnam called Bao Loc. The GPS said 5 hours but I knew it would be more than this, accounting for taking some wrong turns, stopping for photos and adding in some refreshment breaks! What I didn’t factor in was how long it would take me to leave the city! The GPS said that the QL55 was just under 2 hours away but in reality it took me 4 hours due to the fact that motorbikes are not allowed to use the highways in Vietnam and therefore the 2 hour trip to the QL55 was actually 4 hours when using the backroads. Not the prettiest of rides but eventually I reached the start of the QL55. Any nervousness or apprehension that still existed disappeared, now I was just excited to see what lay ahead!. And, the next 4 hours didn’t disappoint! The QL55 lived up to my expectations…..very little traffic, stunning scenery, lots of curves to ride and a near perfect road surface. I was also getting used to the feel of the bike and, despite the additional weight from the bags, it seemed to be handling very well. Obviously I couldn’t ride it as hard as I would my bigger bikes but it was still fun to ride and was eating up the kms beautifully.

Six hours after leaving the hostel in HCM I realised that I hadn’t taken a break, and with another 2 hours to go, I thought I’d better stop for a bit. Given that the temperature was 35 degrees and the humidity was around 85%, I needed to find some shade but that proved far more difficult than expected. It felt as thought the locals had set up their shops, homes and Vongs (Vietnamese version of a Premier Inn or Travelodge) under every bit of shade!

And so, heading back into the mountains, I decided to venture down a track in search of some shade. Eventually I came across a beautiful little areas of trees….perfect! Stopping the bike and putting down the stand, it was at this point that I realised my next Schoolboy Error……shorts! Now, normally I would never wear shorts on a motorbike but given that I was travelling so slowly and the temperatures were so hot, I thought I’d do as the locals do and ride in shorts. However, as I readied my legs to dismount the bike, I realised the consequence of this decison…..sunburned thighs! They were rosy red! With the breeze constantly hitting them as I was riding, I hadn’t felt them burning. But now that the bike had stopped and I needed to move them, it became apparent!.

Schoolboy Error #5 – If you’re going to wear shorts on the bike, wear ones that come all the say to the knee when sat on the bike!

Thirty minutes later: after-sun applied; trousers on; a lunch consisting of crackers with soft cheese, an apple, Pringles and some cashew nuts; it was time to hit the road again…..refreshed and ready for the last 2 hours of the days ride. And the road continued to keep giving…..view after view, curve after curve and for most of the time, the whole road to myself! A seriously beautiful ride and a perfect start to my trip.

It was just starting to greet dark when I pulled into my accommodation for the night. A beautiful Homestay in the middle of the Vietnamese Jungle. The perfect place to end an almost perfect days ride.

The evening was spent unpacking the bike, sorting through everything and preparing for tomorrow’s ride, showering, dinner and bed. Although, the dinner bit didn’t quite go as planned. As beautiful as the accommodation was, it was in the middle of nowhere and all the restaurants were closed by the time I’d arrived. Thankfully a small shop was still open so it was a dinner of processed cheese, rolls, Pringles (again), apples and pretzels! But, after such an amazing day it didn’t matter – I was still buzzing from my first day on the road (despite all the Schoolboy Errors….and the burning thighs).