DAY 9

Hours driven: 8.30am-7.30pm

From: Hoi An, to: Khe Sanh (North Central Coast)

Distance covered: 310km

Total distance: 1375km

From Simon:

After our pit stop we were back on the road, but I think we could both have happily stayed in Hoi An for a few more days. The bike had been serviced and off we went to re-join the HCMT, though it would take most of the day to reach it. The journey started with a coastal stretch going up and over a mountain. A new tunnel took 99% of the traffic so we had this steep, windy path to ourselves. Thanks to the blue sky and beaming sunshine this was a spectacular ride, absolutely stunning. After 3 hours and many short camera stops we joined the infamous Highway 1 which suddenly felt like a runway with very little traffic. This had been the only time I wished the bike could go over 80kmh. We then pulled off this road to take us onto a much smaller road heading east.

We must have been about 20km from joining the HCMT to take us north when we hit road works, on what was more of a mountain road. There was no traffic, only the road works machinery, and the mud became thick and wet on a pothole-riddled road. I felt the trick was to keep the momentum going and put my trust into the bike's ability. On a couple of occasions I had to lower my feet to the ground for balance, which soon became covered in mud - I couldn't work out if flip flops were a good or bad idea. At last we cleared the road works, only to come across more later, this time they looked to be in response to a landslide. More thick slimy mud and deep holes that I did not think our bike was capable of dealing with and very quickly I said to Vicky, "where is the road?!" convinced we missed a turn, but there had been no turn-offs. It was appalling and I knew if we stopped we would never get moving again, not with both of us on the bike at least. We saw one other motorbike come towards us which gave me the confidence we were on the right road. We just kept going, slowing climbing the steep 'road' with the bike bouncing up and down. Eventually it came to an end and knowing we had about 10km left we just hoped this smooth road was to continue and it did.

We reached our junction and turned right taking us north up the HCMT. It was about 3pm and I knew we had about 3 hours of riding to the next town but at the same time did not want to ride in the dark. We took the risk and rode on. This road was at least in great condition and this allowed us to average 50kmh or so. It became very mountainous again with steep ups and downs. We were a bit optimistic with our timings though and with a good hour or so to go it was dark and then started raining hard. Riding was challenging enough, when we could see where we were going. With the rain and no road markings, it was impossible to see anything ahead including the traffic coming towards us on the wrong side of the road with no lights. I decided to stop and wait for a vehicle that we could follow, and soon started following a lorry. This worked well, we felt protected by any oncoming traffic but then as it hit a steep hill the lorry crawled along at 10kmh, I thought we would be here all night! A car then passed, so there was our opportunity to follow. Here we had the opposite problem, the car was going faster than I would normally but between this and the help of the lorries when going downhill we made it to our town for the evening.

Thinking back to that morning with the blue sky and the ocean road, it felt almost impossible it was the same day. Today was by far day the most tiring and varied but for that reason perhaps the most satisfying - I am just glad we did not get any problems with the bike thrown in.

From Vicky:

Shortly after leaving Hoi An, we drove through the beach resort town of Danang, which had a lovely long stretch of a white, sandy beach fringed with palm trees. We stopped for a few minutes, looking longingly at the sea and the beach, as after a previous day of drizzle in Hoi An it was so tempting to just park the bike in the shade, dive in to the water and take a day 'off' to laze on the beach. Basically, if I had been driving, this would have happened. But as I was reminded we had a (rough) schedule to adhere to, so on we went, leaving the beach behind, but not before we got some stunning views of it from the coastal and then mountain road we were later on. The recent rain was long forgotten, as from the mountain road we had stunning views of the turquoise water, white sandy coves, and more lush vegetation.

After leaving this beautiful road behind, our route then took us on to Highway 1, and then on to Highway 49, a much prettier road taking us through lots of lush vegetation and pretty, tiny villages, winding up into the mountains again. After a good start though, Highway 49 seemed to disappear as the road got more remote, about the same time that we realised our journey coincided with the road being rebuilt. It was now raining, which didn't help the fact that all that was left over from the road was a muddy, unpaved road, with no barriers into the mountain crevasse below, which were getting steeper and more precarious as we battled along. We had about 1½ hours of this 'road', a real challenge for Simon I think who was desperately trying to keep us upright/going amongst all the mud, and my rear got a battering from a very juddery ride. If it wasn't for the fact that we saw others doing the same ridiculous route, we would have questioned whether this was actually a road or not, or if we'd just taken a very wrong turn! It was quite a journey though, wonderful scenery apart from the rain, and with the fog and mist clinging to some of the trees below us, quite eerie.

It is a relief though once we have passed it, and were back again on the HCM trail, even if it was still raining (back go on the ponchos) but the scenery made up for it, and at times, with the clouds below us at points, feeling like we were literally on top of the world.

Today's drive was a long one and for once we arrived at our next port of call, Khe Sanh, after dark. What with the pouring rain still it wasn't the most fun drive for the last hour or so, battling very poor visibility, but eventually we made it into Khe Sanh and stopped at the first hotel we saw in the hope it was decent and had a room, as by this point we were damp and tired and dying for a hot shower.

Kke Sanh has its own turbulent history: it was the location of an important combat base, (which served as a US Marine Corps outpost during the Vietnam War) and a famous battle for control of this base. It was an obvious target for the North Vietnamese, as US forces based at Khe Sanh were very well placed to patrol the nearby Ho Chi Minh Trail. The ensuing battle was apparently one of the bloodiest during the war. For a period of over 5 months, from January-July 1968, the combat base and the hilltop outposts around it were under constant ground, artillery, mortar, and rocket attacks from the North Vietnamese. During the battle, over 100,000 tons of bombs (equivalent in destructive force to five Hiroshima-size atomic bombs) were dropped by US aircraft onto the surrounding areas of Khe Sanh. However pressure from the North Vietnamese Army was so intense that the US decided to close down the base, with the North Vietnamese claiming victory and the US claiming a 'changing tactical situation' for the closure. It followed a clear American defeat just two months previously at the Battle of Kham Duc, one of our previous stops. On our way out of Khe Sanh the next day we passed a war memorial in the centre of town, and in the morning sunshine and relative peace of the local residents going about their day, it was hard to believe what went on here 45 years ago.

DAY 10

Hours driven: 11am-6.30pm

From: Khe Sanh, to: Phong Nha (North Central Coast)

Distance covered: 250km

Total distance: 1625km

From Simon:

Before we set off for Phong Nha, I had already read that this section of the western HCM trail was one of the most beautiful parts and also the most remote. We were advised to fill some water bottles up with petrol, which we did - we did not want to become stranded without fuel where we were travelling today. When we looked at the map we could see there was an eastern route, which was more of a straight line compared to our proposed route which must have been twice the distance owing to its multitude of zig zags where the road climbs up and down many mountains. My apprehension set in wondering if we should be taking the easier route but equally seeing this very beautiful if remote section was going to be worth it.

We knew we were headed for a farmstay in Phong Nha so on this rare occasion I phoned ahead to reserve a room. I was speaking to an American guy, and when I told him we were coming on the 'western' HCM trail he advised about the extra petrol, and finished by wishing us a safe journey, to enjoy the scenery and then threw in 'be careful of the dogs' (I'm not great with unknown dogs and I take such advice with a great deal of caution). Once pressed, he went on to tell me that parts of the road go through a military area and they have barriers which usually remain up and open to traffic but they have aggressive dogs. He then told me only yesterday they had a guest who took this route and had to kick a dog in the face to stop the dog from trying to bite him. Even though my immediate instinct was to take another route, we didn't.

The road was great, very very little traffic and up and down the mountains we went. Yes it was very remote and the emergency fuel came in handy. Every time we saw a barrier ahead (all of which were open) I sped up anticipating the crazy dogs, but there were no dogs so far. We approached another barrier going up a hill - so struggling to move over 40kmh, even at full throttle - and then out of nowhere a dog started running alongside us barking and quickly gaining on us, so I started kicking my legs in all directions trying to scare it off, not an easy feat while also trying to ride the bike. This happened on two other occasions. Vicky seemed very calm and maybe I was overreacting but we were certainly not going to stop to find out.

We arrived safely in Phong Nha in time for a sunset beer. Looking back today was one of our highlights and finishing these 250km felt like quite an achievement but equally pleased to have the day behind us.

From Vicky:

Perhaps it was the exhausting ride the day before, but getting up on this morning for our normal early start was tougher than usual, so it wasn't until 11am that we left Khe Sanh, maybe somewhat foolishly given our drive in the dark the previous night.

Shortly after leaving Khe Sanh, now near the border with Laos, we were heading for what would be the most remote driving we had done yet, still on the HCM Trail but passing through the Annamite Mountain range, resulting in hours/kilometers of some of the most stunning scenery seen to date. We once again seemed to be driving through clouds while rolling up and down various mountain passes, and often would drive for an hour without seeing anyone else. We passed flowing rivers, mini waterfalls, and lots of remote villages, noticing the changing style of housing now that we were in northern Vietnam, with most houses made of wood and built on stilts. While admiring the gorgeous scenery, it was difficult trying not to think about what would happen if we broke down or worse, had an accident, given how remote it was.

Most of our journey was through the staggering beautiful Phong Nha National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, covering an impressive 850 km2. The park protects one of the world's two largest karst regions, and is home to the oldest karst mountains in Asia. Most of the mountainous park is near-pristine tropical evergreen jungle, 90% of which is primary rainforest….which I hope helps explain its beauty and remoteness somewhat. It is at this point that one could really visualise how the HCM Trail served the North Vietnamese so well, if the jungle then was anything as remote and impenetrable as it seemed to us. In an effort to cut off supply routes to the south, American planes bombed the trail and sprayed herbicides, the famous 'Agent Orange', to defoliate vast tracts of forest and jungle. What we had learnt and the pictures we had seen from the War Remnants Museum in HCMC was now coming to life in front of us as we passed vast swathes of deforested land.

Petrol stations at this point were non-existent, so we stopped wherever we could to buy petrol, even if we didn't need it yet, with the regular petrol stations now replaced by little old ladies selling petrol at the side of the road in manual petrol pumps or bottles. At one point we hit another lot of construction workers, and the fear of having to endure another road in the making hit us….but luckily it was only for a short stretch, and this time I dismounted to make it easier for Simon (I've probably been eating too much of that lovely baguette bread) to drive through all river of mud.

Driving through this national park was absolutely breathtaking, and unbelievably remote, despite the odd village / construction worker, as well as some pesky dogs. We had been warned that the dogs stationed at the military gates were a nuisance, but we didn't think they would ACTUALLY start running up to us from 100m away, run along side the bike as we tried to avoid them, biting at our heels, and then continue to chase us as we attempted to leave them behind in a cloud of dust. I am normally the biggest dog lover, but these were not nice doggies, and it was just so random that it just seemed to be the dogs in the national park that did that….maybe they just don't like bikes?! We were glad to leave them behind, and left the park amazed by its beauty, but also quite pleased to be heading towards somewhere more populated where we could be helped if anything went wrong with the bike!

Shortly after leaving the park we arrived at Khuong Ha, the town near the farmstay we were heading for. With a beautiful river setting and dramatic karst mountains, we could have been back in Yangshuo, in Southern China, though this time exploring on a different set of two wheels (and no cycling for me thank goodness). As we drove alongside the river and past herds of buffaloes, with the sun setting behind us, the scenery in front of us was basked in a beautiful golden light…the sort of image that makes you glad to be alive and so grateful for seeing what we are seeing.

DAY 11

Hours driven: 0

From: Phong Nha Farmstay to Phong Nha Farmstay

Distance covered: 0

Total distance: still 1625km

From Vicky:

Such was the beauty of Phong Nha Farmstay and its location that we decided to spend two nights, instead of one. There isn't much to say about our one full day here: despite the fact the farmstay (a guest house really) had lots of activities on offer (exploring the national park, and all its caves and grottoes) we chose to be extremely lazy, and did not venture far from either a) the hammock or b) the table in the bar. The day was spent lazing, eating, reading, catching up on blog/emails, and then deciding it was time for a beer at 4.30pm. This time Simon had no 'adrenaline' excuse for an early afternoon beer, and after all my resting all day I had no excuse not to join him ;)

With the farmstay overlooking both rice paddies and mountains, and surrounded by the wonderful karst scenery from the national park, it was a great spot to lay our heads for two nights, before the penultimate day of our road trip.

DAY 12

Hours driven: 8.30am-5.30pm

From: Phong Nha, to: Thai Hoa (North Central Coast)

Distance covered: 340km

Total distance: 1965km

From Simon:

Off we set with only two days of riding left. 20 minutes in we realised we left our passports with reception so back we went, just glad it was not after 5 hours. The scenery started off beautifully, still very mountainous but started to flatten out towards the end of the day. To make up for this the road was excellent and we maintained a good average speed. Covering 340km (the most we had done in one day) was very satisfying and we knew every km we did today would be one less for tomorrow's arrival into Hanoi.

From Vicky:

After the forgotten passports false start, we were on our way again, admiring the once again beautiful scenes in front of us, driving past hugely impressive karst scenery, as we drove away from the national park. It was quite overcast and rainy yet this somehow added to the mystical beauty we were passing, and we rode through yet more stunning mountain roads.

Around lunchtime the road flattened out again, and it seems everyone and their cows/buffaloes were out and about, as we saw more and more of these animals than people. I have to say that the cows here were the prettiest cows I had ever seen, with shiny coats, big brown eyes and soulful expressions, and much healthier looking than their Cambodian counterparts.

At our last stop before reaching our destination for the night, Thai Hoa, we stopped for petrol / toilet break at a petrol station on the outskirts of a village. While walking down a side alley of the petrol station towards the WC, I had a very ungraceful fall on the wet, mossy and super-slippery path, all happening so quickly that I didn't get a chance to steady myself and came crashing down with all my weight on my right knee. While I tried to hobble back to the bike and Simon to get some tissues, trying to hold back embarrassed tears, one of the ladies noticed the red and green gunge covering my knee, and a huge fuss was made by everyone of this silly foreigner who had fallen arse over tit. A particularly lovely lady gripped me firmly by the arm and escorted me to the WC, waited for me outside, and then grasped me again on the way back to make sure I would not fall again, her kindness making me want to cry even more! It was ironic really that after all the potential pitfalls of breaking down, the police and of course having a road accident, the only incident was a cut knee, and barely even bike-related. Still, a war wound is a war wound, no matter how you got it.

DAY 13 - last day

Hours driven: 8.30am-5pm

From: Thai Hoa, to: Hanoi

Distance covered: 230km

Total distance: 2195km

From Simon:

Well here we are, our last day. I was very excited to get to Hanoi, andsell the bike: I felt that we had been so lucky and thought it was just a matter of time before something went wrong, so the sooner we finished the better.

The ride to Hanoi was uneventful and about 60km before the city the traffic started building up more and more. Not knowing Hanoi at all but appreciating its size we decided to ride into the centre by just going straight ahead at every opportunity until we felt we were very central and then find a motorbike taxi and ask that we follow him to our hotel of choice - this is exactly what we did. The traffic was crazy but it looked worse from the pavement. I found that when you are part of the traffic and its' flow it just seems to work.

With the bike safely parked up outside our hotel and still showing signs of the 'off roading' from a few days back, I thought it sensible to get it cleaned before trying to sell it. I then met an English guy (another one) whose business is also buying and selling motorbikes for expats and backpacks.

While on my way to him on the bike, I stopped at a busy junction to ask for directions when the engine cut out. This had happened most days and usually it gunned up again easily enough - but not this time, it just would not start. The man I was asking directions from took pity on me and for a small fee said he would push me to a garage, I did not understand what he meant by 'pushing' but I agreed anyway. So he got on his motorbike and riding behind me with his right leg stretched out, 'pushed' me along with his leg. But what was most ridiculous about this scenario was that I was in front but didn't know where I was going, so I had to keep looking behind me for any of his actions to show me when my next left or right was. It was busy, there were 100s of bikes everywhere plus the odd car. We passed many garages but he obviously had one in mind - typical. We then headed out onto a dual carriageway, I thought 'you're kidding me, is this guy having a laugh' but no, out he pushed me into a 4-lane road going up a hill. After about 5km we got to this garage and my escort disappeared.

They put a new spark plug in and eventually got it started, I wasn't not convinced but off I went anyway. I found my English friend, and when he started it up surprise surprise, it did not start. He didn't seem fazed, offered me $200 dollars and a beer and I took both, bye bye bike!

The last two weeks had been such an incredible experience for the two of us and I am so pleased that we made the effort to do this. We will look back on our time in Vietnam with such fond memories and mostly because of this trip. I would recommend for anyone to do the same and I would change only one thing - an extra seat cushion for my pillion passenger!

From Vicky:

Another coffee, another baguette, and we were on our way, sad that this would be the last day on our trusty bike (now much better behaved since the early days, with no punctures since day 3). I discovered today the best mini-farm at one of our stops, where at the back of a shop where I went to use their WC, this tiny place had pigs, piglets, chickens, a dog and puppies, kittens, the whole shebang. It's amazing what the Vietnamese have all in one small house!

Even on our last day, on our way to Hanoi, the scenery was still pretty spectacular, with yet more impressive karst mountains in our sights. As we neared Hanoi, it was slightly less scenic, and now off the HCM Trail the road was very busy and clogged with traffic, yet somehow still with the same large number of buffaloes on the road as well.

Simon did an amazing job driving us into Hanoi, where the traffic is no less daunting or crazy than HCMC, in fact it is possibly worse, being the capital. Simon quickly got in to the flow of the rhythm of the traffic (mostly bikes) where the trick seemed to be, in my interpretation, to try not to worry about all the bikes swerving around you and the by-a-cm-near-misses, but to keep a sort of zen driving style and hope for the best (while also trying not to close your eyes).

It was a long road in to the centre of Hanoi and at the end, with the help of a local motorcycle taxi driver, we found our chosen guesthouse, in good time at around 5pm. As we dismounted from the bike, we almost did a little victory dance, positively buzzing with jubilation (as well as relief) that we had finished our road trip safely in one piece, and that we were now in Hanoi, 13 days and almost 2200 km later. What a ride it had been - not only was the countryside we passed staggeringly beautiful, but the quiet friendliness of the people we met will always stay with us. There were potentially lots of challenges in doing this trip, so we felt so lucky that (bashed knee aside) nothing untoward had happened. It was, all in all, an amazing experience, and incredible to drive on the battle-scarred and legendary HCM Trail, a trail so impenetrable that it could be said it cost the US and South Vietnamese the Vietnam War. We felt like we had seen a very different side of Vietnam to most, and felt very privileged to have done what we did.

As soon as we were checked in to another lovely hotel and refreshed from the day's drive, we set out for the evening, buzzing still, and keen to celebrate our road trip success in the dazzling lights of Hanoi. We headed to the old quarter and soon enough found our favourite spot in Hanoi, Bia Hoi Corner, where everyone sits on tiny chairs and crates around a small but busy junction, sipping away at the ridiculously cheap draught beer ('bia hoi' - 15p a glass here!), providing great people and scooter-watching.

We had a great first night and introduction to Hanoi, the natural 'high' we were on certainly aided by the various beers and cocktails we also enjoyed that night in celebration, as well as some delicious food and fun bars with lots of live music, full of as many young, trendy locals as foreigners. Yes, Hanoi was going to be fun