Till I left Hoi An

21/1/11

Road out from Quy Nhon over the new bridge to head up the new coast road. Howling southerly going straight over some sand dunes where they have cleared all the plants and leveled a massive area ready for an industrial estate, but it now means when the wind blows you get a sand storm. This also means the road gets covered in sand so there are people constantly digging the sand off the raod.

Didn't make it all the way up the coast on the new road, took a wrong turn somewhere, but it did mean I got to meet a fellow rider from Finland, Matti who was doing the same ride has a honda wing. So we road together up to Hoi An. Got here in the dark which I didn't like very much, but that's what you get when you leave late.

22/1/11

Took the bike in for a service and tried to get the carby fixed as i'm having power problems at the top end, but didn't manage to improve it actually managed to make it worst so will take it into Danang hopefully to a Suzuki shop and see what I can get done.

Hoi An in a nice little place for walking around, lots of tailors making suits for everyone, not me though wouldn't have enough protection in a crash so no point. Had a few drinkies with nice Irish and England women.

23/1/11

Woke up to late to go to My Son today so will go tomorrow. Went to the beach for a bit, there where 2 other people where I was and atleast 4 resturants so I feel sorry for the locals, 3 touts as well, who where not too pushy considering the clients available to them.

The weather has been pretty ordanary here close to ran most of the time. Found a resort that had some cool Ural side cars.

24/1/11

Went to My Son which was great, it's surpose to be Vietnams Ankor Wat. Nice ride out there, we left early so didn't have to many other people there. I only saw 2 other tourists and they where Vietnamese tourists. The towers and statues are good, not to much damage done by the bombing in the war (that I could see).

 The Cham seem to have had very long skinny penis by the look of this condom

Or maybe it was a snake skin

On the way back to Hoi An we passed atleast 6 tour buses coming in so it was worth getting up at 6am to beat the crowds. Found out on the way back that my bike is sold in Australia yea. 

25/1/11

Went to Danang to get the carby fixed on the bike, which was very difficult. The first suzuki shop I went to just said no and shugged. I finally got a the hotel lady on the phone and asked her to tell them what I wanted and they sent me to another Suzuki place. At the second place they all just sat reading the paper till they finally got sick of me standing there. They worked on it for a while and it's a bit better now, changed the headlight bulb and a few other things. Enjoyed a last night drinkies with the French women and Matti.

  Everyone here in Vietnam is always so happy.

26/1/11

Got some US dollars ready for the cambodia border. Saw Matti off this afternoon. Went for a ride to Danang and out around the blob off the side, although there was a lot of road works so had to get the bike cleaned on the way back. Stopped at the Pogoda on the way, also stopped at Marble Mountain.

Till Quy Nhon

16/1/11

Went to Ba Ho Falls today, nice ride out there although highway 1a is a bit busy. Found an unfinished resort on the way.

Also got to watch a guy training his fighting Cock, padding on feet so cannot damage each other as much. The falls are a three tear one bit of a climb to get up to the second tear but at least there was no one there so I could go skinny dipping which was fun but cold.

Sorry i don't have a photo of me skinny dipping but you can imagine it lol. I had to put that picture in your heads.

17/1/11

Tried to leave Nha Trang to day but realised 75km up the road I had left my washing behind, which wouldn't have mattered except for the fact that my favourate t-shirt was one of them. Will try to go again tomorrow. On the way back to Nha Trang, well waiting at a bridge that was getting repaired so shut down to one lane, I got to watch the passanger on a bike lean over and vomit on the riders foot. Then as the bike was about to take off he fell off the back of the bike well being sick. Luckly they got him off his back quickly so I didn't have to stop, he had been eating rice and probably drinking the local rice wine. yes i looked at the vomit.

18/1/11

Made it out of Nha Trang to tady and up to Tuy Hoa. Nice enough road but it is the main highway north so loads of traffic. Found a nice side road which come up to here without so much traffic, was lucky because the cobbled path down to the road was steep and I don't think the bike would have made it back up. Made it to Tuy Hoa at about lunch time but took a while to find a hotel that looked in the right price range.

Then went for a ride up a large hill here, which the bike didn't make it up all the way lol, but there was a great view.

No photos from up top as there was a sign at the bottom of the hill saying no movie cameras and I didn't want to confuse people. Nice dinner down the beach. Blowing a gale and I wouldn't swim there looked a bit dangerous.

 Found a boat being built on a trailer down a unused side ride in town, but it may be being done up for Tet (Vietnam new years)

19/1/11

Road up to Quy Nhon today, didn't take long as it's only a little over 100km. Almost got squished into a barrier by a bus was not inpressed. Some nice views though and it almost rained. Well it did enough for me to put my waterproof covers on the bags and take the things out of my pockets that I didn't want wet. Got 1km up the road and it stopped then found out I was only about 5km from Quy Nhon when I stopped oh well.

Found Barbra's cafe (kiwi lady) so staying at the hotel next door.

  Went for a walk around town to find some pagodas and cham tower but got a bit lost so walked for 2hrs and didn't see any touristy stuff, was a lot of fun though. A lot less toutes here which is a change.

Went to a Vietnamese place out the back of the hotel tonight, i'll admit there had been a lot of noise from there for a long time, and when I got there a group of 30 was drinking and eating away. I got the menu and no english on it so I ordered the Com (rice) Chien (fried) Hai San (didn't know but seafood) and the waiter said no rice, what a Vietnamese resturant with no rice. So I had to have Chao (a type of soup it turns out) Hai San (seafood) + Tom (Shrimp) Muc (squid), I knew Tom and Muc so I had a good idea of what I was getting, fun night ordering though most places up to know have either found someone who spoke a bit of english or a menu with atleast a little english on it.

20/1/11

Went to the Long Khanh Pagoda in the morning.

  Went for a ride out to the Banh It Cham Towers in the afternoon which was good, got ripped off at the gate though, my fault I didn't have anything lower than 100,000VND and the guy didn't have enough change.

  Then took the road out and over a big new bridge which had 4 people painting the edges white, poor buggers but then they will have months of work. There is an unfinished resort at the end of the bridge with lovely sculptures of pengins and seals, I didn't know that pengins came over the equator but maybe they do.

 Well I'm off up to Danang area tomorrow.
  Enjoy. I am

Till Nha Trang

 3/1/11
  Went up to the light house today but went the wrong way which lead to finding some shrines in caves in the hill side.

 It turned out to be the wrong way to the to get to the light house. I accidently went through a bit of a militry barracks, luckly i didn't get shoot. Made it up from there to some old war turrets and adventually up to the light house where i saw a crane in  the harbour probably for the oil rigs

   The light house had a good view, not massively impressive in it's self though.
 Spent a bit of time at a place called Belly's. Owned by a kiwi who was very helpfully in finding a place to get my new flag made, also gave me a hat and t-shirt (for free adverticing).

   They do love to do funny garden sculptures over here.


 

4/1/11

Went up Big Mountain in Vung Tau today.

Walked around the waterfront.

Saw some cool sculptures on the way to big hill. One was of large breasts which i don't understand because they don't have large breasts here.

They have a park thing up there, cable car ride up the mountain. Then with rides, lakes, statues, and parks. Probable better at night but the view was great. Also the fact that they have the place open and not finished I find great. Us silly westerners would never open it at that point of construction.

5/1/11

Road from Vung Tau to Mui Ne via Long Hai. Was a great coastal road not to much traffic. Little bit of twisting and lots of wind. Bike stuggled a bit as it was a head wind.

The new silver fern flag is not holding up to well they ripped me off a bit there. The one I got in HCMC was much better quality.

6/1/11
 Mui Ne is ok a bit russian resorty for me though. Romm was $20US a night 

Went to the white sand dunes today. They are ok nice little lake in front of them.

The ride was also very good. Not much wind in the morning. Blowing a gale in the afternoon when I went to the beach. Lots of people kite surfing surf was strong with a bit of a cross current.

There is a nice outside seafood market place for a good feed.
 I think you would love it here uncle lorie not so good for blow carting though dad.

7/1/11

Road up from Mui Ne to Dalat today. Bloody good ride

very happy to be up in the hills and out of most of the traffic. Found a bueatiful place for a drink. It had a veiw down the range to the coast (if it was clear enough) and also a waterfall across the gully, the owner is lucky to have the veiw and probable doesn't realise as the cafe part is just a balcony tacked onto the side of his house on an orchard.

Went to the night food market, was a bit of a tourist ripoff but you get that. I did get to see some veitnamese boys loving boxs just as much as western kids.

This was my tenth hotel

8/1/11 

Tried to ride to Elephant falls today but the lonely planet wasn't very good at saying where it was. I did have a ball, the road down to Nam Dam was brilliant. So I spent the day riding around some of the back roads around DaLat. I didn't manage to get to any waterfalls but I did have fun. Once back to DaLat from the morning ride I went to Tuyem Lam Lake not quite as good a ride but lovely place at the moment.

A shit load of resorts are being built there though so it want last. The Truc Lam Pagoda is on the hill by the lake lovely place, very serien wind chimes, drums, symbols monks and a bueatiful garden.

Once back at the hostel I meet a group (first ones) who are doing a bit of a ride around vietnam,one of them has been riding around the world for a while now, they are from spain (www.eltaravitazo.com his blog)

9/1/11

Road down the new road to Nha Trang, bloody brilliant highly recommend to any rider just watch out for the pot holes. Beautifull waterfalls on the way down as well, twisting turn roads often with a droppoff on one side and cliff face on the other.

Finally got to use the side tread on the tyres and loved every minute of it. Got to nha Trang around 1300 so had plenty of time to get in touch with Rod and organise the Hotel $150,000VND a night.
  Great place balcony room dead end street. Eleventh hotel Nhan Duc

 

10/1/11

Bought parts for the bike and found out where a mechanic was to get a service done. Checked out dive courses. Got washing done. Found a street cafe that does 2 fried eggs and a bread plus a twister orange juice for $20,000VND that's one dollar.

11/1/11

Got the bike serviced, put shorts into a tailors to get to more made with zip off legs, $30 US but I need long pants and nothing here fits me. Went for a swim and booked in for a fun dive tomorrow.

12/1/11
   Went for a fun dive which was good the first dive we got down to about 14m and the visability got too bad. Same sort of thing on the second dive but could see quite a bit in shallower water. Had a instructor go with me as i was the only one not doing a course, which was handy as he has been diving here for 10yrs so knew the sites really well and showed me some of the little stuff i wouldn;t have noticed otherwise.
 Found out about Vinpearl and it's waterslides. Had first red meat in about a month, venison was very nice.

13/1/11
  Went to Vinpearl which is a theme park come resort, you get to it by either ferry or cable car.

They have a games arcade there which is all free so yet play both people on the shotting games and hold both guns, no pinball though boo hoo.
  But what i went there for was the 20 waterslides, and did i have a ball, there where speed ones, dark ones with color strips letting in light every so often. One that was like a skate ramp where you drop in and go up and down the sides, one eanded in a funnel that you spun round till dropping out the center.  mmm was so much fun.

14/1/11
  Went for a ride to Cam Rhan and back nice new road along the coast, the bike is running well after the service. Checked my pants and she has missed out a pocket so will not be ready till tomorrow. Tried to find a good road map of Vietnam because i left mine in DaLat and there aren't many good ones here in Nha Trang.
 Some of the hotels here are very narrow.

15/1/11
  Got up to late to go to monkey island and the waterfalls out that way, so finishing this blog instead and will go there tomorrow. 

 Yeah i'm up to date about bloody time. Now time for a beer.
   Enjoy Your life. I am