Month: February 2016

We escaped to Danang today. Hoi An became a trap when bike problems and Chinese visas conspire against us. Danang feels different. There is a dragon bridge that breathes fire. 

Tomorrow we hope to go to Chu Lai and run around a bit. But maybe I need a new tire, mechanics will own us soon. We hope to be in Hue on the second if the bikes hold up.… Read the rest

So here we are in Hoi An. Probably the tourist capital of Vietnam. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site. Fai Fo, now Hoi An, started as a trading centre for China and India. The Japanese and Europeans came along and the place blossomed. Around 1700 the river silted up and ships couldn’t get in so the place lost its greatest asset for traders.… Read the rest

We left Boun Ma Thuot this morning. We arrived in Pleiku at 5 pm. A chain fell off and we got some oil changes. The road to here curved a couple times. The ride was not exciting but it was nice pavement and a wide shoulder for us. The scenery is coffee farms or rubber farms. Sometimes they are burning. Arriving in Pleiku happens gradually it sprawls out on the plains like Fargo.… Read the rest

Here we are in Boun Ma Thuot. We rolled in at noon or so. We stopped at a gift shop then went to the grocery. Coy and I ate at KFC. Yes they have one here. The last time I ate some KFC was in Virginia. I devoured a bucket with Rob and Leah over the kitchen sink after the beach.… Read the rest

We are in Lien Son tonight. Next to Dak Lake. We rode from Phan Rung on a crowded and pot holy, or smooth and empty road. We will arrive in Buon Me Thuot tomorrow. We might walk up a big rock on our way. Jill has a phone call so we have a schedule though. The bikes ran well today. Coy lost a blinker light cover but that’s it. Emperor… Read the rest

We decided to stay in Phan Rung another night. The clutch cable broke on Jill’s bike and Coy’s bike starting dripping a lot of oil from the gear box. We took them to a mechanic and Coy got him to fix the lights as well. So here we are. Yesterday we went to a supermarket/department store called Coop Mart. And today we went to another called MaxiMark.… Read the rest

It seems like we’ve been in Vietnam for weeks yet it has been only one. We arrived in Saigon with apprehension so thick and we had nothing to break through it with. Before the end of 48 hours we were motoring our way to the coast on temperamental motorcycles. I’ve ridden something like it in distant memory and Jill drove one never before.… Read the rest