In the end I had to accept that the scenic mountain route was ambitious. It would have been amazing, but I didn't really want to go it alone. In any case, I really want to come back to Vitenam to do something like this again with a few mates. But this time make sure that everyone buys the right kind of bike!

So after that decision, my next move was to get to Nha Trang - me and Josh set off at 13:40 after our early morning appointment with My Son - for which we couldnt see the sunrise because it opened at 6!! which no one told us! :P

The trip went fine, but because we set of so late, we didn't get nearly half way because the light went and without sunglasses on the bugs absolutely RUIN your eyes when your going at 50. We rolled up to a Hotel in the middle of nowhere after feebly asking randomers where the nearest one was.

Today - after noticing we had a beach all to ourselves just next to the Hotel, we set off at around 10am without any breakfast - we were trying for a 350km day - no time. But that plan was soon ruined when my bike decided to have ít first ever break down after about 80km! :( With some luck thí happened just outside a little bar restaurant with a few guys who new a mechanic. In the end the whole thing took about 3 hours to fix - making the journey to Nha Trang Today impossible. But after that the journey went pretty well. I mean - me and josh got split up, I arived first to Tuy Hoa, Josh 2 hours later with his kick start not working, having lost his phone - but while I was riding by myself the scenery decided to change from the relentless lorries, buses and rice paddy after rice paddy - to incredible mountain scenery as the road turned to a mountain pass with the setting sun to my right and the mountainous penisular and fishing net infested waters to my left. The traffic thinned out and I was able to cruise at 65kmph round and over the mountains. I wish I had had my helmet cam to capture it. It was amazing to be riding such amazing landscape and be seeing it all first hand, but I couldnt help but feel kinda sad that the rushed nature of the journey(s), where we have to ride and ride and ride to get to our destination before dark, means that I don't get the opportunity to get the amazing photos that I keep seeing all around me - like the one paddy field picker with a cone shaped hat surounded by a glowing sea of green, or the line of road workers all having lunch as they dangle their legs off a high bridge. I dunno - Just all concious of not having a proper document of this incredible trip, especially now that the camera has gone.

Anyway - I ended up ariving in the dark anyway - which was pretty scary. When it gets dark, I try to wear my sunglasses as long as possible because with them off, wind and bugs make it impossible not to blink 4 times every second. Which isnt ideal. Also - The vietnamese truck and bus drivers, on top of their idiotic timing for overtaking, dont seem to have any idea that they might need to dip their headlights! It was also a shock to see my first proper insident on the road; A man stepped out from the right, and realised too late that he'd made the wrong decision. The scooter not 15 metres in front of me coudnt do anything to avoid him. The man was taken of his feet and completely summersaulted over the bike. It was horrible to see - thankfully he wasn't killed, but I'd be surprised if both his legs aren't broken. I didn't stick around.

Anyway - I arived safe at a Hotel - a laughing stock with my face blackened from fumes and dirt :D After a shower however, they liked me more and I had a funny conversation with a rice lady about Anh (England) and Vietnam... and her rice... :P

So tomorro we only have 120km to go untill we hit the beach and party town of Nha Trang. Shouild be an easy ride... *Touch Wood*!

:)