Vietnam: more than just Migs and Skyraiders

Vietnam: More than just Migs & Skyraiders

Bikes of burden.....


attachment.php

A fellow traveller all set for a RTW trip



attachment.php

The company's most careful rider, or an omelette waiting to happen ? Each tray contains 25 eggs.



attachment.php

Piglets on their way to market



attachment.php

Banana bike


.........to be continued
 

Attachments

  • 191.JPG
    191.JPG
    91.3 KB · Views: 973
  • 224.JPG
    224.JPG
    88.8 KB · Views: 1,012
  • 218.JPG
    218.JPG
    96.4 KB · Views: 1,016
  • 323.JPG
    323.JPG
    104.2 KB · Views: 1,037
Vietnam: More than just Migs & Skyraiders (Part 5)

Week 4: Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)


attachment.php

The waterfront of the old town, Hoi An. The main streets are probably more congested than its bigger cousin up the road, DA Nang


Just outside Hoi An are the ancient ruins of My Son. A world heritage site, it's a 'must see' for anyone passing this way. Again, not well sign-posted, but the convoys of tourist buses are a give-away as to its location; just follow one:D. Being in close proximity to the tourist trap of Hoi An it has its fair share of daily visitors. If you want to explore these 10th century temples in peace, best to go after midday when all the tourists are back at their poolside retreats sipping cocktails. You can easily spend 2 hours+ here wondering about.


attachment.php

The ancient temple ruins at My Son. Not a tourist in sight. Note the bomb crater in the foreground-left.


Back onto the Asia Highway 1 (AH1), the dual carriageway that hugs the eastern coastline of Vietnam, and my next destination was the city of Quang Ngai less than 100 kms to the south of Hoi An. The AH1 is easy riding, with fewer potential hazards, but still expect to see the odd stray buffalo in the fast lane:eek: The views are pretty mundane along this flat stretch of the country; endless paddy fields. Just outside Quang Ngai I pulled into a Honda dealership to have the XR's oil changed, the XR had a complicated lub system, so I wanted someone who knew how it worked. They were so efficient that by the time I'd taken my helmet off, downed half a cup of Che Da (iced tea), the manager summoned me to say the bike was ready; price including the 3litres of oil was 180,000 VND (£7). In Vietnam mechanics recommend an oil change every 1,000 kms (600 mls); back home my GS gets one every 5,000 mls.
The following day I headed for the village of My Lai; the reason for my stop at Quang Ngai. The village, a few Kms east of the city, became a household name in the late 1960s because of a barbaric act carried out by the US Army which ended in the slaughter of 504 Vietnamese villagers; from babes in arms, to old folk in their 90s. Probably the saddest place I've ever visited (and that includes Oradour sur Glane in France). As I looked around the site of the former village (partially reconstructed to depict burned-out huts) I glanced at the floor. Imprinted on the paths which link the mud/bamboo huts of the former village are footprints set in concrete, some are bare footed (depicting villagers), others are boot prints of soldiers; a striking exhibit. Even spookier, on my visit I had the place to myself and while reflecting on what had happened here, the sound of two small rice cultivating machines could be heard in the adjoining field. The two sounds resonated at the memorial and, I kid you not, sounded exactly like the sound of small helicopters landing nearby; this is how the 'helicopter soldiers' arrived here on 16th March 1968.
Tears were now running down my face. There is also memorial sculpture and a museum at the site which is managed by a team headed by Mr. Pham Thanh Cong, a teenage survivor of the massacre. For further research into his story I'd recommend his book 'The witness from Pinkville'; Pinkville being the US Army code-word for the operation. The general in charge was court-marshalled when the event became public; but was pardoned by president Nixon soon after. I left My Lai angry and puzzled :confused: as to why soldiers of a so-called 'civilized' nation, who helped us Brits out in two world wars, could conduct themselves in this way. There were also good guys in this story, a US helicopter pilot, not involved in the operation, actually stumbled across the operation and contrary to orders 'med-evac'd' some of the villagers to hospital. A sombre day on my trip which, emotionally, I hadn't been prepared for.


attachment.php

Footprints of villagers and soldiers intermingle at My Lai.


attachment.php

The My Lai massacre memorial


I stayed in Quang Ngai for another day and visited the Thien An pagoda just out of town and a huge waterfall at Minh Long.
I left Quang Ngai on a sunday afternoon and after a few Kms down the boring AH1, headed south-west on a cross-country route over the Central Highlands to Buon Ma Thuot. I was back in rural Vietnam with twisty roads fringed with dense jungle; the road surfaces were of excellent condition, far removed from what I'd experienced on the earlier part of my trip. The climate became chilly, but after days of 30.c+ heat and 90% humidity, it was refreshing. I rolled into Buon Ma Thuot after two days having covered 350 kms. Along this route on the second day I experienced a few hours of what I can only express as a sensation of euphoria; I've had this feeling on solo trips previously, but not that often. ....The sun was shining, I was riding amongst beautiful scenery, people along the road were smiling at me as I passed them, giving me the 'hi' two-fingered salute and the sound of 'Wonderful land' by the Shadows was playing in my mind. A day I shall never forget. I was in motorbike heaven :thumb2
This feeling of well-being was probably the reason why, that day, I clocked-up over 260 kms; quite a distance for a day's riding in Vietnam.


attachment.php

Central Highlands of Vietnam.


Buon Ma Thout is a big city and as a treat, the following morning I walked into a 5 star hotel (having stayed in a 3 star the previous night) and bluffed my way to the restaurant for an Italian machine-made flat-white. I was westerner and the staff probably thought I was a guest, even though after nearly a month on the rode my stubble was beginning to look unkepmt, not to mention my rather dusty riding outfit. On my way out of the hotel I even managed to get invited into a photo-shoot with some young ladies in smart national dress posing for a tourist promotion; not sure if I made it into any brochures, lol.
Next stop was Ben Cat on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City. I stayed here the night before visiting the Cu Chi tunnels the following day. The tunnels were part of a network of Viet Cong-backed villages, right on the doorstep of Saigon; headquarters of the American run administration. It was never fully taken by the US Army despite numerous 'tunnel rat' operation. There are many facts and figures which a guided tour will amaze you with; one being the large number of Alsatian dog remains found in the excavated tunnels; Alsatians where the type used by US and ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam/south Vietnamese army) troops. Another is that some tunnels have had to be widened to accommodate the larger western tourist's waist line !
As I left the tunnel museum I couldn't resist firing off a few rounds on the nearby firing range. At 70p per bullet, I opted for the iconic AK-47. Having only bought 5 rounds I set the gun onto single shot. Even with ear-muffs the sound was deafening.

The town of Trang Bang is only a few kms from Cu Chi and the modern-day QL1 runs from here into HCMC. Many people won't recognise it by name, but when I describe the photograph of a young nine-year-old Vietnamese girl running naked down a road screaming in pain from the effects of napalm burns, almost everyone will know of it. On 8 June 1972, Kim Phuc and her family had been taking refuge from an AVRN air-strike on nearby Viet Cong held positions. Running south along the QL1 in the hope of escaping the battle they were caught in the open by an ARVN Skyraider pilot who, mistaking the civilians for Viet Cong troops, dropped his load of naplam bombs onto them. War photographer, Nick Ut, was also on the QL1 that day and took, what was probably to become, the photograph that most defined the Vietnam war.

As I headed down the QL1 into the mega-city of HCMC a storm unleashed its rain and the ride into town became more of a long river crossing. Again I'd timed it for rush-hour:( and paid the price.

Vietnam factfile:
Some useful words:
Cam on (cam urn) thank you
Xin chao (sin chaw) hello
Com (come) rice
Pho (fur) noodles
Lon (lon) pork
Ca (car) fish
Ga (gar) chicken ...can also mean train station ! eg. Ga Hanoi
Vit (veet) duck
Bo (boar) beef
Tom (tom) shrimp
Muc (muck) squid
My (me) pasta
Lau (low) hot pot
Nha Nghi (could never pronounce this one) guest house
Xe hoi (ex i hoi) lorry or car
Chu (chore) dog
Meo (meow) cat. It's true, the Vietnamese word for cat is pronounced 'meow' :D

Numbers:
Mot (more) 1
Hai (hi) 2
Ba (ba) 3 ....can also mean father
Bom (bomb) 4
Nam (nam) 5
Sao (sow) 6


......to be continued
 

Attachments

  • 484.jpg
    484.jpg
    92 KB · Views: 893
  • 496.JPG
    496.JPG
    81.5 KB · Views: 891
Vietnam: More than just Migs & Skyraiders

Yet more pics.........


attachment.php

Vietnam market food. Squirrel, I think ?



attachment.php

A typical roadside bill-board poster that you find all over Vietnam.



attachment.php

Cu Chi tunnels firing range. Boyz toys ? Note the bolted-down barrel; this is to protect the supervisor from being shot ! One hell of a din, even with ear defenders.



attachment.php

The QL 1/AH 1 south of Trang Bang. Kim Phuc and her relatives had been sheltering in the Cao Dai temple, on the horizon above the red on-coming moped in this photograph. Though not the original road, it's now the AH 1, the course of it would be the same.
Camera man, Nick Ut, took his famous photograph from somewhere near this point.



attachment.php

The waterfall near Minh Long, Quang Ngai. Most waterfalls in Vietnam are spectacularly high.


.....to be continued.
 

Attachments

  • 326.JPG
    326.JPG
    56.5 KB · Views: 836
  • 305.JPG
    305.JPG
    78.9 KB · Views: 905
  • 601.JPG
    601.JPG
    58.5 KB · Views: 831
  • 514.JPG
    514.JPG
    84.9 KB · Views: 896
  • 597.JPG
    597.JPG
    94.2 KB · Views: 829
Vietnam: More than just Migs & Skyraiders (part 6)

Week 5: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to Pho Quoc Island

Finding a hotel within walking distance of the main hub of Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) was a good move as the city seemed more congested than Hanoi. Though HCMC has a population of around 12 million (Hanoi has around 7 million), it's the addition of cars into the traffic equation that are the cause of the jams. When the roads become grid-locked, the moped riders simply take to the pavements:eek: If I were to name two of HCMC's main tourist destinations it would be the Museum of War Remnants and the Reunification Palace; both are within a few hundred yards of each other. Don't be fooled by the former's title. Naively, I thought it would be just another 'Migs & Skyraiders' /hardware of war, museum. On the contrary, I spent a very thought-provoking 3 hours within its walls. The Agent 'Orange' and war photographers exhibition (Vietnam War Requiem) are very powerful displays. Across the way is the Reunification Palace. Standing on the lawn you can't help but imaging the scene on 30th April 1975 when a column of tanks broke down the grand gates leading to the palace and ended Vietnam's 'occupation'. Two of the tanks can be seen in the grounds, their guns still aimed at the building. I found HCMC a tad more expensive than other cities in Vietnam, even more so if you eat at one of the many western food outlets: 150,000 VND (£5) for a bolognaise, 70,000 VND (£2.50) for a latte.
The 3 star Hotel was $20 per night. Something that struck me about HCMC was the level of poverty you could see at street level; I will always remember the man paralised from the waist down, crawling, catapiller-fashion, on his side along the edge of a busy road selling lotto tickets; so much for the 'Socialist' Republic of Vietnam.
It was nice to stretch my legs in HCMC, but the road south beckoned me on to my final destination, Phu Quoc Island.

attachment.php


attachment.php

The Reunification Palace

The road to Phu Quoc Island took me across the Mekong Delta. Due to the fact that most people who live here are only about two metres above sea level and live on the banks of what is mostly a waterway highway; living space is at a premium. The roads are fairly modern and run dead-straight for km upon boring km :( They are also riddled with pot-holes all the way to Rich Gia, one of the ferry ports which serves Phu Quoc Island.
On the way I stayed at Vong Cong, a main ferry terminal for crossing one of the larger river junctions. Waking up the following morning I found an opened condom wrapper beside my pillow; strange I didn't recall any night-time visitor ? More likely left by a previous occupant :confused: The following day I entered Rich Gia and the ferry to Phu Quoc. Arriving a few hours before the scheduled ferry, I was confused at the ticket office by the ticket seller's reluctance to allow the XR on board. The language barrier didn't help, but from his frowning face and body language, the XR was not going on his company's ferry. Outside I pondered on how I was going to get the bike to Phu Quoc; the company's (Sea Dong) web site mentioned 'motorbikes welcome'. In the blistering heat outside I was approached by a gent offering to sell me a ticket in return for cash, mmmm:augie.
He seemed genuine, but after working hard for my cash, I'm one of those people who is reluctant to hand it out willy-nilly. He then phoned another chap who explained that he was indeed a genuine ticket vender and that he would photograph my number plate and forward it to his ferry company (Ngoc Thanh) which carried bikes. With no other option I handed over 900,000 VND (£30) and took his ticket; not knowing whether I had been conned, or not. Sometimes you just have to go on your gut feeling. As it happened I returned to the ferry port at the appointed time and with a little hassle, only resolved when my ticket vendor friend arrived, boarded the ferry. I watched on tenter-hooks as the XR was man-handled across a plank and then along the very narrow side of the boat with nothing to save it from going to the bottom of the Gulf of Thailand if the two men lost their grip. It was then strapped to the bow, where the 2 hr crossing gave it a good wash. All passengers were accommodated inside the high-speed catamaran.

attachment.php


A few anxious moments as a moped is loaded onto the Phu Quoc ferry. The XR was a bit heavier and wider:eek:

Arriving on eastern side of Phu Quoc Island I rode the sort distance to the main town of Duong Dong on the west coast and booked in at one of the many hotels here. With the gin-clear sea and white coral sandy beaches only 100 yards away (across the main road), it did indeed feel like paradise. Phu Quoc was a place to for me to relax and reflect on my journey all the way from Lao Cai on the Chinese boarder to this peaceful and tranquil haven in the south. Whatever happened now, the feeling of accomplishing that north-south journey was one of satisfaction, but also sadness, as I knew that my time in this pretty country amongst wonderful people would soon come to an end.

attachment.php


Duong Dong beach, the main resort town on Phu Quoc Island

attachment.php


Chez Carol on the NW coast of Phu Quoc.

The next few days were spent lazing around the splendid beaches of Phu Quoc, but I was painfully aware that time was slipping though my hands. It was already six days into December and my flight home was booked for 11 December. Before I left I visited the somewhat incongruous old POW camp on this charming island. During the American war Phu Quoc was the location of a notorious torture camp for captured VC and NVA troops. The exhibits behind the barbed wire fences were as shocking as any I'd come to experience on my trip. The dioramas of the differing forms of torture wouldn't be allowed on public display in the UK.

I left Phu Quoc and its sun-drenched tropical beaches and retraced my route back to HCMC along the Mekong's pot-holed dyke routes; I'd looked at other routes, but just gritted my teeth and rode. The journey back only took one whole day, I was on a mission to get to Hanoi to catch my flight, but it was punctuated by two break-downs. Firstly my clutch cable snapped and within the hour, the XR's chain parted. Both were rectified promptly (and inexpensively, about 60p for each repair) by the roadside Vietnamese mechanic; a person who will always hold a place in my heart. Always willing to help, no matter what the hour :thumb2

Finding my way into HCMC was confusing at first, especially as it was after dark and pouring with rain, but once I'd located the main down-town area I re-located my hotel easily. The following day I went to the railway station about 300 yards away and within 30 mins of arriving at the freight department the XR was de-fuelled by a young lad orally siphoning the last dregs of the XRs tank into a can, and on its way to Hanoi; cost 900,000 VND (£30).
The train journey takes 30+ hours !!! and the three seat classes are wood (hard), sponge (normal) or night sleeper (bed). I 'chickened-out' of this endurance test and flew up to Hanoi in 1hr 30 mins, cost 3,000,000 VND/£120, but worth every penny after seeing those wooden train seats.
Arriving back in Hanoi I caught the shuttle mini bus into the city (£3) which was a fraction of the cost of a taxi. I stopped first at Mr Phung's to thank him for allowing me an extra week's hire of the XR; which he never charged me for (what a guy :thumb2:thumb2). Phung seemed genuinely pleased to see me safely returned.
Hanoi was a tad cooler than HCMC and it was pleasant to walk about without sweating one's bollock's off. At the end of my trip I had planned to spend some time at Halong Bay; a tourist hub just off shore, but alas it was not to be due to my departure date of the 11th. Instead I spent the last few days looking at Hanoi's architecture and enjoying its parks while sipping the odd iced-coffee. By this stage I'd been weened off Italian coffee and was firmly hooked on the local stuff; so much so that about 5 kgs of my return baggage allowance was taken up by the stuff:thumb2

The XR turned-up as planned at Hanoi railway station two day's prior to my departure; phew. Its collection was as pain-free and easy as the delivery procedure; simples, just show the office clerk my receipt and collect the bike. Petrol was on sale in the nearby street (in bottles) and off I went to the Ho Chi Minh Trail museum about 15 kms out of town. The museum isn't easy to reach by public transport, hence my last mission on the XR. Next to the museum was a small army garrison, the guards to which usually have an average age of 20. Since arriving in Vietnam I'd longed to get a photograph of these 'well turned out lads', but most, if not all, will give you a stern look and say 'no photo, no photo'. Almost giving up on the idea, I tried my luck one more time (as the garrison was off the beaten track with no senior officers supervising them) and was taken a back when all three of them, one with an AK47, stood in front of the XR for a pose; it made my day.
Before handing back the XR to Phung I gave it a well-earned wash; underneath all that Vietnamese dust and grime was a tasty looking XR400. I'd ridden an XR400 previously as part of my job (not many jobs out there where you get paid for riding an XR 400 around the forests of Wales..... legally) and this Vietnamese bike had well and truely lived up to the robust and hardy traits of the Welsh beast I'd ridden previously. I wished my Welsh version had been fitted with an electric start, lol.

There endeth my Vietnam trip, total mileage nearly 4,000 kms (2,500 miles).
Thrill factor: 100%. I'd recommend it to anyone.

Top tip: Never take your eyes off the ball (road), not even for two seconds.

Before I sign-off I'd like to say a big thank you to Phung Nguyen and his daughter, Ngoc at Phung motorcycles, Hanoi for renting me a great bike and to the Khan family of Dai Pham village (near Yen Bai, north of Hanoi) who, after fixing the regulator on the XR during the first few days of my trip, also put a roof over my head and fed me. Something that when you're far away from home, feeling dejected at the side of a lonely road in the middle of no-where and can't speak the 'local tongue', is heart-warming :thumb2:thumb2
 

Attachments

  • 764.JPG
    764.JPG
    62.4 KB · Views: 794
  • S74.jpg
    S74.jpg
    42.5 KB · Views: 785
  • S87.jpg
    S87.jpg
    47.5 KB · Views: 786
Vietnam: More than just Migs & Skyraiders

Last few pics....

attachment.php


attachment.php


Some friendly faces along the way. Most knew of Wales, probably because of the Welsh football success a few months previously.


attachment.php

Yours truly. Some parts of Vietnam suffer from poor air quality and dust.


attachment.php

Phung Motorcycles, Hanoi. No.1 :thumb2


attachment.php

Vietnam, endless charm. The country shaped like the letter 'S'.
 

Attachments

  • 818.JPG
    818.JPG
    89.5 KB · Views: 756
  • 774.JPG
    774.JPG
    95.4 KB · Views: 770
  • 570.JPG
    570.JPG
    117.2 KB · Views: 798
  • Phung logo.jpg
    Phung logo.jpg
    54 KB · Views: 804
  • Vietnam map.jpg
    Vietnam map.jpg
    53.6 KB · Views: 753
Just caught up on this, excellent. I'm addicted to the place, ridden the far north, ha long bay, Hanoi and HCMC. Hoping to get another couple of weeks out there in Nov/Dec.
 
Just caught up with this ... great reading and photo's :thumb

Thanks for posting

:beerjug:
 
Don't venture into the ride reports section very often, Just seen this and caught up. Great write up and shall be venturing over more often.:beer:
 
Cracking report, i had not initially realised it's not a current thread, but reports like this are timeless anyway.

I liked the Fact File format, great stuff.
 


Back
Top Bottom