The plan was to reach Hoi An by Christmas Eve, covering a challenging 1000km in just 8 days. Before leaving Hanoi, I fueled up on the hostel’s buffet breakfast and enjoyed many cups of coffee helping me to focus through the chaos of leaving Hanoi.
The initial three days were spent on the flat riding with a favorable tailwind where I’d hoped to cover substantial ground before venturing into the hills. Ninh Binh welcomed me with its incredible terrain, a captivating landscape of paddies and limestone formations. The area is also littered with huge churches, built by the French in the 19th and 20th Century which are still well maintained. Exiting the World Heritage site, I rejoined the main road and found a peaceful spot in nearby woods to camp for the night.
Day two saw me spending most of my time on a main dual carriageway, an efficient but somewhat monotonous route. The journey took an unexpected turn when I met Marc, a Swiss cyclist heading in the same direction. We rode together for most of the day before parting ways in the afternoon. I headed for the coast to find a quiet beach to spend the night, discovering a deserted haven all to myself.
The tranquility of the beach was disrupted by nightfall rain, leaving all my stuff covered in wet sand. The rain persisted through the day, prompting a kind lady on a motorbike to gift me a poncho. She looked like she instantly regretted it, when riding off without anything to protect herself from the rain. Covered in a layer of dirt from all the spray off the road, I opted for a hotel that night, relishing the luxury of a shower and somewhere to dry all my gear.
The rain started around 9am the next morning, continuing through the whole day. I found shelter in Paradise Cave, the world’s longest cave adorned with impressive stalagmites and stalactites. The cave had the feel of a cathedral with its echoes, lighting and whispering visitors.
Venturing into the hills along the Ho Chi Minh trail, I discovered untouched landscapes and a fantastic mountain road. That night I found relief under a bridge, a lucky find of a great camp spot next to a stream.
I awoke with a cold the next morning which slowly became worse over the next few days and coupled with more rain, I wasn’t feeling at my best. The jungle and thick clouds provided a stunning backdrop to ride through and the road was almost empty as the route wasn’t the direct way to get anywhere. This resulted in a scarcity of shops, most containing very little stock. One such shop was run by a very young vendor who seemed quite surprised I was buying eggs. I understood why this was later when I cracked into the fetal duck eggs I’d purchased.
One benefit to the rain was the obundance of impressive waterfalls just on the side of the road. I also finally justified carrying a big coat, hat and gloves needing to put them all on at one point as I became very cold after descending one of the hills. I soon warmed up again on the next hill. Once I’d reached the top and descended down out of the cloud, the weather dramatically changed to warm sunshine. This was a welcome surprise as I rode back toward the coast.
Arriving in the Ancient capital city of Hue, the drizzly weather didn’t deter me from seeing the old walled city briefly. As I left, I visited an abandoned water park which I had been told excitedly about by a motorbiker. I had a great time exploring this strange place trying to imagine what it was like before it closed.
The final day saw me conquering the Hai Van Pass, a breathtaking stretch of coastal road and mountain pass, before a few hours of riding through Da Nang led me to Hoi An.
Christmas Eve was spent enjoying the beauty of the town lit up by lanterns everywhere possible.
Christmas Day did not unfold as planned. The envisioned day in the sun on a beach never happened. Partly due to the weather and party due to the nearest beach being 5km away. I definitely didn’t feel very Christmasy and did miss a good Christmas feast but still had a good day relaxing at the hostel in great company.
Will Scam 