In my last blog I mentioned some of the small things which are unusual, and can be annoying for travellers from other countries.

However, there is also the other side of the coin.

There are some very positive experiences which are unheard of in other countries. For example back in 2013 I was riding through some remote villages here in Vietnam - it was a very hot day and I had decided to ride in my T-shirt. I stopped in a village at a drink stall but the only drinks on offer were hot bottles and home produced ice blocks. I had already parked my motorcycle next the table on the edge of the road and removed my small back pack. When I told the lady that I would like a cold bottle she pointed up the road to a small shop. I walked over to the shop, bought a drink and walked over to the table next to the bike. The old lady didn't mind at all that I sat at her table with a drink purchased somewhere else, as a matter of fact she brought me a glass for the drink. She looked at me and saw that I was perspiring. She went into the house and came back with a large fan to give me some cool air. After a watching me for a minute she came over again and touched my sunburned arm, after which she produced a hose and proceeded to run water over my arms. The sweat had caked some dust on my skin which she noticed. She then got some soap and washed my arms for me. Now isn’t that something!! That same year, after selling my motorcycle in Hanoi, I arrived in Sapa rather early in the morning and walked over to the hotel I had booked. The person on the desk welcomed me and said that my room was still occupied and would be available around 11 or 12. Meanwhile she said I could have a free breakfast and gave me a key to another room where I could have a shower and have a sleep. Where else would you find that? I had booked one night with one breakfast. They now had to clean 2 rooms and provided 2 breakfast all without any fuss. The same thing happened this week. We had checked out of our hotel and spent the morning visiting caves. Our luggage was still at the hotel. Around two p.m. we returned to the hotel. We were tired and it was very hot outside. In the lobby was a table where we settled down. Gert was doing something on his tablet and I just rested my head on my arms and fell asleep. Then the owner came over and handed us some keys. "Here you are" he said, “you can use this room to have a sleep and have a shower before you leave this afternoon.” Now where would you get that sort of positive attitude? Then there are the men and women on the streets who try to sell you stuff. Even if you examine all they have on offer and have they spent 10 minutes showing you things and explaining how it is made or what it is for etc., they still leave you with a smile and some friendly words after you have said that you don’t want to buy anything.

After a wobbly night in the sleeper compartment of the train we arrived in the city of Dong Hoi early in the morning, where the pre-booked taxi arrived shortly afterwards. The driver walked around with a sign on which was written “Richard and friend”.Although we were not staying in the hotel that day we were given a room to shower and repack our stuff. The hotel we could use as a base and leave our luggage behind. An hour later we were on our way on two motorcycles heading east to the caves of Phuong Nha. Some of the caves have only recently been discovered and are amongst the largest in the world. I had always wondered how it could be possible for a cave to be unknown in a densely populated country, but when we arrived there I saw why. The whole area is covered by karst outcrops in equally densely covered jungle. Even from the road you could spot areas where probably no one ever goes.

We found a nice place to stay and were provided with maps of all the caves in the area and how to get there. The roads and tracks formed a large 100 km triangle following in part the old”Ho Chi Min Trail” along the border with Laos. Needless to say it was a great ride. In the end we decided to visit the caves near Phuong Nha which are reached by boat. These boats provide room for 14 people however we decided to book the whole boat in order to be in control of our own time. Of course a bit embarrassing when we pass many boats with a full load of people all cramped together. At the entrance of the caves the engine was silenced and the young girl (who looked pregnant) started rowing Vietnamese style- with a single oar. The skipper rowed from the back. Roughly half way on the way back we were let off the boat to continue on foot until we reached the entrance of the cave from where the boat brought us you back to the starting point - I will let the pictures tell the story.