Tuesday 2 June 2009

Easy Riders

You cannot leave (or infact 'see') Vietnam without doing the Easy Rider tour, it was capital A awesome.

The journey: Da Lat > Lak Lake > Buon Ma Thout > Plei Ku > Dak To > Kham Duc > P'rao > Hoi An.

I have seen waterfalls like Niagra.
I have seen breathtaking valleys and fields.
I have seen green.
I have travelled on winding roads through lush mountains.
I have visited tiny minority villages where white people dont venture.
I have seen proper rural life with communities living off the land.
I have seen the scarred landscape of the war.
I have seen remnants of ex-American military bases and weapons.
I have visited silk, wine, coffee, pepper, latex and tea plantations.
I have visited and seen places not even listed in my guidebook.
I have enjoyed sunshine, mist and epic thunderstorms.
I have been propositioned with offers of daughters and sisters.
I have become addicted to coffee.
I have broken down in the middle of nowhere.
I have seen a thousand smiles and waving hands.
I have welcomed Vietnam's hot showers after 5 months of cold ones.
I have enjoyed breakfast, lunch & dinner with the locals.
I have seen the real Vietnam.

I will however say this: The trip is good because it's 7 days with a guide but the trip is also bad because it's 7 days with a guide. Stefan was a little difficult and was a bit of a headache sometimes (especially because I couldnt communicate with anyone else) but as the days went on we gained more of an understanding and by day 5 we had become pretty good friends - the riding inbetween stops was always king though despite any annoyances, my driver could have been Kerry Katona (ha) and it still wouldn't have mattered. Stefan is a war veteran who has had a very difficult life so I always respected him but I guess it's just natural to get annoyed by people you spend 15 hours a day with. Like I said, now we are good friends and even now in Hoi An I still meet him for a drink. He's on the lookout for a client to travel back down to Da Lat with so is also staying here a few days.

Cant believe it's June 3rd! Got so much to see in Vietnam before my visa runs out on the 14th, in hindsight I regret spending so much time in the Mekong. Nevertheless, onewards and upwards. X

4 comments:

  1. HELLO.... glad you arrived ok i bet your abit sore... :( hope you had a good nights sleep , & oh boy are we looking forward to this story ..

    mum & dad xx

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  2. Hi Tom well that seemed pretty exciting albeit maybe a bit scarry at times?.I guess you have to feel sorry for these people we don't no what it is like to live through a war when you are involved in that way.I suppose it must be frustrating for the guide when his client can only communicate through him but that is all part of the job you know that when you take it on,you know take the good with the bad he got paid so what is the problem. Will be trying to sort out the places on the map by using the times atlas and the internet.
    Keep on enjoying yourself and take care.
    Love Christine and Malcolm

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  3. Hi Tom, we've be following your blogs, all sounds pretty AWESOME! Looking forward to hearing all about it when you return!

    We've had a couple of sunny weeks here which has been nice, but we've been pretty busy with planning stuff for the wedding, we've booked most things now so can relax for a while! Not much else going on here to update you on! We're going to look after Benson this saturday because no ones in so we'll give him a hug from you!

    Well keep having fun!
    Love Amy & Nick

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  4. Hi Tom wow what a journey... i have sent you an email i hope you get it..
    speak soon mum x

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