Vietnam reminds me of my former home state, California. Both are a single state/country and yet each offers rich geographical and lifestyle diversity. In Saigon you can smoke Cuban cigars from an elegant rooftop bar on Monday night and then hop a short flight to explore the caves of Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng.
With some friends in town, my girl and I flew from Saigon to Hanoi and gradually worked our way South, back to Saigon. While in Huế, located centrally in Vietnam, we all decided to rent motobikes to take the trek further south to a relaxing beach town – Hội An.
We got a guide, which I’d recommend. Navigating through Vietnamese streets can be a bit daunting at first. Also, the guide handles the logistics of setting you up with a motobike and he will know how to keep you out of too much trouble.
The drive itself could take you two hours (if you sped) or six hours (if you stopped to smell the roses).
The map from Huế to Hội An.
The guide arrived to the hotel with motobikes and took us on our way.
I would look cooler on a full-sized motorcycle, but these motos’ get you around swiftly while in ‘Nam.
Vietnam is the 13th most populous country in the world, and there’s no California Clean Air Act here. The air inside denser areas like Huế and Saigon can be nasty, which is why we look like bank robbers in this pic below.
Face masks are a necessity.
Once outside the city, the air was clean.
As we drove up the mountainside, we were greeted with views like this.
After a long ride, we arrived safely in Hội An.
I hid out in the shade.
Others enjoyed the sun.
Do you enjoy these travel updates? If so, I’ll keep posting them. I’m keeping a travel journal, anyhow, so I can share it with you all or keep it to myself. Either way I’ll be writing.
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