alt="" />Honda XL125 dirtbike!! I was excited but damn what a tiny motor! This was my first time ever on a dirtbike. Note the front brakes. The drum looks like the size of tuna can! I was excited and I think either it was the only bike Anh had left or it was a "gift" upgrade because my old one died on me.
The guys this morning went to visit the Citadel without me since I told them Id be resting up to take it easy on my stomach. When they got back we hitched up our gear and left Hue. I gotta admit I really liked this town and I was gonna miss it. First place ever since arrive to the country that I said to myself "I could actually live here." Though it was sad to leave, exiting town was just gorgeous. This was the start of the mountainous curvy roads along side the ocean. It truly was like rider paradise. The XR was a fun bike, but man it was gutless. I was riding last, and I had to wind it out to catch up with the guys. Going up hill left me straggling way behind only to have a chance at catching up by opening up the throttle and riding full tuck going down hill. But none of this mattered because it just hit me that we had entered the start of the beautiful Hai Van Pass.
Maybe youve heard of it, its the road that connects between Hue and Da Nang. I can't even begin to describe the sublime experience I had riding through this part of the trip. Imagine riding some of the most amazing twisty roads on some of the most beautiful terrain that takes you up close to low level clouds, AND off to your left is the glimmering turquoise South China sea, lined with uninhabited white sand beaches.. I kick myself for not having pictures for it, but if you put yourself in my shoes, you could probably imagine how difficult it would be to whip out your camera while youre completely speechless and in awe(and trying to keep eye on the road). Please go check out Flickr and search Hai Van Pass.
Hai Van Pass is pretty short however.. only 21km long. Once it was over, the riding was pretty standard straight road. Far from boring though, because Rte 1 is just insane. Its pretty much the main highway that runs north/south. You can expect busses, vans, cars, trucks just blazing by, all driving like there's noone in front of them. At one point even I saw a bus overtaking another bus in the opposite lane. And behind him was a bus trying to pass him even further to the left!! It was pure insanity! There's just one rule out there and that there are no rules. We all ride with full vigilance and our heads on swivels. This is truly defensive riding at its most extreme. The majority of 2 wheeled vehicles are completely aware of who's behind them and you'll find that its commonplace for bikes and scooters to be riding the shoulder. Its almost like its become a lane for 2 wheelers. While we have already hit sections of Rte 1 further back on our trip, I have to mention that my particular situation is extremely dangerous now because the passing power of my XL125 is very limited. With the GL160, passing buses and trucks was no big deal at all, but with the 125, I would have to make sure there was a wider margin between the vehicle in front of me and the next oncoming vehicle. There were a few times during a bus pass, Id have to nail the brakes to abort the pass because a truck was just coming up too quick. Gotta know what youre doing. If you can ride here, you can ride anywhere. Except for maybe India, dunno. Other than this, things were smooth into Hoi An.
When we enter the town, there's something really quaint and upscale about it. It is a very popular destination for tourists, and you will find quite a few luxury hotel resorts here, and prices that would probably rival Days Inn. This also is the place to go if you want top quality garments custom made for amazingly good deals(relative to custom work done here in the US). Again, we park at the hotel, wash up and we all split up and go walk into town. Al and I again head into town. Very pretty town, and amazingly quiet for being such a tourist town. Apparently in this area, they crack down on illegal solicitors. One needs to have a license from the tourism board to provide services to tourists. Personally, I didn't care.. To me the chaos adds to the bustle, which in my eyes is kind of neat. Al and I end up finding a bar where we sit around and have beers and chat. Later we meet back at the lobby to grab dinner Quynh has planned for us. Another upscale joint, but this time serving french and vietnamese dishes. A place that had everything for everyone. French for the Canadians, Vietnamese for me and Quynh, and a pint for Al. ;) Afterwards, Al and I do the same routine. Walk about and enjoy. I found a little cart that served something similar to Taro Boba tea, but a little thicker.
No comments:
Post a Comment