Northwest Vietnam on Minsk with guide (Dec 2007)

[stargate]

I got bored and decided to fly to Vietnam Hanoi for guided motorcycles trip to the Northwest which included Mai Chau, Sonla, T. Giao, P. To, Sapa, Lao Cai and Luc Yen on east side of Tha Ba lake.

 

Here are some videos and pics of this memorable trip fill with friendly people, nice weather (it did not rain one drop during entire trip) and Vietnam diversity

 

First off is the fame and ubiquitous bikes on Hanoi street. It was only a few days away to 15 Dec where all bikers must wear helmet (dubbed rice cookers by the locals).

 

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Come 15 Dec all 3 meimei must wear helmets

 

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Riding in the old quarters is not for the faint hearted..just watch the videos taken during the night and day. The old quarters is like our old Chinatown lanes.

 

The lady riders ride with great confidence, weaving in and out, balancing delicately even with high heels shoes, and gracefully slicing thru it all like smooth jelly..

 

 

Same place but daytime

 

--to be continued--

[stargate]

So how do they park their bikes ? Like this

 

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Note the electricity meters mounted as a group in the background..makes meter reading easier but must do some climbing

 

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Note the chamfer on the edge to make it easier to ride up. For the ladies. some men would help if they have difficulties parking or extracting their bike.

 

 

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Traffic police warden on their bike

 

 

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Getting a ticket

 

 

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Police car

 

Vietnam law restricts individual to max 175cc bike. Those who ride higher cc bike usually belongs to an exclusive bike club or expat but since joining the WTO recently Vietnam will now allow higher cc bike for all but the taxes I am told is quite high.

[stargate]

Took these pics nearby old quarters since my trip begins the next day

 

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Primary school in Hanoi

 

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Mummy dropping off her kids

 

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Breakfast outside school before class

 

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A peek into the school compound

 

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Happy kids

 

Am told Vietnamese language has 6 tones and 29 alphabets

[yem_paul]

:thumb: sounds like fun bro ... keep it coming ...

[stargate]

Took a stroll nearby Hoan Kiem lake to look look see see

 

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Stand back ..can you see a dinosaur eating the bridge

 

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deep in thought..why that silly man taking my pictures

 

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Couple and Ngoc Son temple in background

 

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Nearby market

 

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Breakfast....

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Selling sauces ..lady sucks on tube and drains into to take-away container..

 

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Traditional roadside Vietnamese beef (or chicken) noodle called com pho..15000 VND ( abt S$1.50)

 

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Thit Cho means dogmeat food...Centuries ago food was scarce in wartorn Vietnam..dog meat is fair game and yummy with fried garlic...could not bring myself to eat it though..had some buffalo meat instead..

 

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You will encounter thit cho food in some towns

[Vonmuck]

wow. thanks for sharing.

 

also want to do this too. rent a bike in foreign country and explore the countrysides.

 

btw care to break down the costs you spent on this trip, so the rest of us can have a budget to work on.

[deckard]

tell us how you packed for the journey...

 

like advrider.com

[stargate]

:thumb: sounds like fun bro ... keep it coming ...

 

Stay tune ... +1 change your bike to new RT

 

wow. thanks for sharing.

 

also want to do this too. rent a bike in foreign country and explore the countrysides.

 

btw care to break down the costs you spent on this trip, so the rest of us can have a budget to work on.

 

I paid US$560 for the 8 days guided trip (http://www.voyagevietnam.net) - the cost goes down if more ppl sign up for the trip. There are a few other companies that organises similar tours.

 

Cost include

- Minsk bike

- saddle bag (even provided plastic bags for rain and dust protection)

- helmet, gloves, raincoat, armour pant and jacket (good quality)

- breakfast, lunch, dinner and accomodations at hotels or guesthouse. The rice wine is free but do go easy

- bike fuel and entrance fees to attractions, ferry boat

- guide who is also your mechanic man, interpreter (he can fix a Minsk puncture in 15 minutes). I pitched in to help and get to know the bike better

 

You could rent a bike and plan the trip yourself...like some of the folks here. Plan extra 3 days ontop of this to see Hanoi attractions and visit Ha Long bay

 

tell us how you packed for the journey...

 

like advrider.com

 

I packed light .. 2 each of pants, tees, shorts, shirts and 1 jacket for cold weather. Extra for socks, underwears.. bring old ones so you can throw them away as you moved from destination to destination. Since its only a night stay each place (except Sapa where we had a day rest and enjoyed ourselves) you would not have time to do your laundry (except Sapa).

 

There are 2 round pin electrical outlets in all the places we went so you can bring your charger for camera, ipod and phone. Vinafone and mobifone (2 telcos in Vietnam) have good coverage all over Vietnam - got a call from my niece in a remote area of Vietnam - ask me to how to go to safe mode in XP hmmm hmmm

 

Bring a good riding boot- and plenty of candy bars and sweets for the jovial kids

 

OK ..next will be my ride and sighseeing pics and videos ..

[stargate]

Riders and pillion rider met first time at the organizer office (next to Cuong's motorbike rental shop), chose our helmet, gears and loaded our stuff into the saddle bags.

 

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Guide Tien getting ready the Minsk bikes dubbed the iron buffalo by the farmers. You see more Minsk in the highland hilltribe areas. Guide calls it Minsk kingdom.

 

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Close up look at the Minsk. Its a 2 stroke bike similar and sounded like a Yamaha RXK..A cold morning start requires more fuel to the carb and several kick starts before she will fire up. The Minsk engine is surprisingly reliable. Charging up an incline in 1st gear at extended period is quite amazing amid the din. The trick is to put more 2T oil before we start the climb otherwise one might get a burnt cylinder head.

 

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Rest stop for a quick puff.

 

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Stopping to sample sugar cane by the roadside next to a sugar cane plantation. Don't try this if you have little teeth left. Need strong teeth to rip its outer skin off.

 

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Mother and child .. happily sitting by the roadside selling sugar cane to passerby

 

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Riding into valley

 

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Rest stop at top of limestones hill.. locals are selling cooked rice stick and other vegetables....

 

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Approaching Mai Chau valley where we will stay the night in a guesthouse.

 

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The guesthouse (No 24 Pom Loong, just before Ban Lac) where we stayed in Mai Chau. Hey its got hot water and shower rooms

 

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Guesthouse owner's wife and grandkid

 

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Dinner and rice wine followed

 

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Special rice wine for us.. Everyone sipped it using hollowed out bamboo straw. We slept blissfully later on...zzzzzzzzzz

 

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Morning mist in Mai Chau

 

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Cool morning ....Farmers sometimes wake up at 4am to work the fields with their buffaloes

 

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This is how water from wells are pumped (hidden under cover) to the house and stored in 150000 litres tank.

[yem_paul]

Stay tune ... +1 change your bike to new RT

..

 

Yeah ... maybe we can do Vietnam in future with our new rides ...

[stargate]

Making our way to Sonla and Tuan Giao

 

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Detour to small ville..my favourite...happy kids and its people

 

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Hilltribe mother and child

 

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Stopping for a puff

 

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[stargate]

Here is short video of the smooth ride to Son La

 

[stargate]

The road from Son La to Tuan Giao deteriorated from asphalt to stones and gravels..but its fun standing on the pegs. At least it wasn't muddy...

 

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Building or rebuilding existing road ?

 

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Rest stop and saw these kids with firewood on their back

 

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If my iron buffalo breaks down..this is my replacement bike

 

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Iron buffalo (foreground) and its first generation model

[stargate]

Stayed at hotel in Tuan Giao after all that 'offroad' riding. Sat outside the hotel and watch the happenings at Tuan Giao

 

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Bang.. I turned around and saw one rider gripping his hand in pain. They moved to the side and after some heated exchanges the matter was settled.

 

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The thai tribe women are pretty...

 

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The lady in white blouse has just sold a big fish to a customer

 

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Selling veggies at the roadside one late afternoon in Tuan Giao

 

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Hello..pretty one

 

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Selling com pho noodles..

 

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Using cast charcoal for fuel. The two in front are the spend ones.

 

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Charcoal delivery...

 

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Bike wash...

 

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Vietnamese coffee making and utensils. Coffee and rice are Vietnam major agriculture produce.

 

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Instructions: Put grounded coffee into top container. Cover with sieve filter and pour hot water. Cover with lid and let it dripped into your glass. When finished inverted whole contraptions and placed on table..Enjoy your cuppa.

 

--to be continued--

[slime]

im going for my 18months RTW ride on 31 dec 2007.

 

when i come back from russia i wanna go vietnam... can advice me how to get in?

 

view my blog at http://singaporedream-rtw.blogspot.com

[stargate]

im going for my 18months RTW ride on 31 dec 2007.

 

when i come back from russia i wanna go vietnam... can advice me how to get in?

 

view my blog at http://singaporedream-rtw.blogspot.com

 

Sorry ..I don't know enough on getting big bikes into Vietnam but I do know it can be done as I have seen a group of BMW GS riders going in the opposite directions to us as we head northward. Guess one need to press the right button...

 

Good luck and god bless in your adventure.

[stargate]

After Tuan Giao we set off for Pa So ville in Phong Tho district.

We passed by Moung Lay town (formerly called Lai Chau) and had a bike puncture which delay our journey. The delay meant we had to ride in darkness for about an hour before we reach Lan Anh hotel in Pa So.

 

The ride in the darkness (unplanned) was eerie and dangerous. We rode in total darkness, using the front bike lights as roadlights; and we had to look out for people walking on the side (some were carrying torchlight as they walk), road pot holes (probably ride into one by the time one sees it) and trucks.

 

 

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One of 4 punctures we had along the journey. This one happened after we passed Moung Lay (formerly known as Lai Chau). We had to change the tyre !, not just the inner tube. A local mechanic (afterall we are in Minsk kingdom) came along and returned 15 mins later with a brand new tyre. We had no shortage of on-lookers as well.

Notice the foreground bike with the camera mounted on the left handlebar on a ramball mount - that's what I used for movie shots.

 

After breakfast we set off for Sa Pa stopping briefly at Tam Duong town.

 

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Mother and child at Tam Duong town. The poor kid cried after this shot..probably frightened by the sight of a white helmet suited spaceman poking a strange box at him.

 

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Starting our climb to Sa Pa

 

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Once again we are reminded to ride safely. Just earlier before this shot, we saw a biker and his bike underneath a 5 tonne truck at a bend. He was being attended to by onlookers and the driver so we rode round the accident scene and moved on to Tram Ton pass

 

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Tram Ton pass..a must stop scenic spot for all to see the winding road we 've just covered minutes ago and a good rest stop for a puff and relaxation.

 

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The highest peak in the background belongs to Fansipan. At 3,143m tall, it is the highest peak in Indochina (not just Vietnam..ok). You can even book at trekking hike to climb this mountain.

 

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We stopped briefly at Silver waterfall to admire its beauty. Note: Guide Tien says the best one is Ban Gioc waterfall near the northeast border with China - Next trip perhaps

 

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A Hmong kid selling souvenirs near the waterfall

 

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Isn't she just adorable and sweet ...

 

-Next up is Sapa--

[Pauche]

keep the pics coming..... i'll be in sapa next week!

[slime]

hi.. those GS riders are from singapore or the globethrotter ang mohs??

[stargate]

keep the pics coming..... i'll be in sapa next week!

 

Have a good trip and a relaxing holiday..

 

hi.. those GS riders are from singapore or the globethrotter ang mohs??

 

We waved as we passed each other and did not get close enough to notice where they came from. But they are definitely ang mohs.

[stargate]

Sapa is located about 1,600 m above sea level and mostly covered with cool cloud. Its their equivalent of Cameron highlands. Mentioned Sapa, and 2 things come to mind. One is the French influence in its history and the ethnic minorities (hilltribes) living in the valley. The French army and missionaries left their legacies in the form a cathedral and French architectures (though most of it were destroyed during the Indochina war and rebuilt to modern day standard for the tourist). The French were evicted after the famous Dien Bien Phu battle in 1954.

 

There are about a dozen or more hilltribes groups living around Sapa mountainous region. You will find them also selling their knitted souvenirs to tourists in Sapa town. I saw mostly the Black and Red dzao hmongs all over Sapa.

 

Tour groups usually take the 9.30pm train from Hanoi and reach Lao Cai early next morning. It is then followed by 2 hours minibus ride up to Sapa 38 km away.

 

We rode up from the other opposite side and was greeted with uncharacteristic sunshine but cool weather.

 

Here are some pics around Sapa

 

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The main square greets you as we entered Sapa.

 

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My attempt at some panaromic shot

 

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Nearby lake

 

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Hotel where we stayed. Bikes parked in front

 

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Next door hotel

 

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Carpet cloud straddling the valley. View from balcony

 

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Another view to the side

 

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Selling veggies along a step alley

 

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Black Hmong ladies

 

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Selling sticky rice for breakfast.

 

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Carrying beer into our hotel in a different manner

 

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Rice wine with scorpion...to add that extra 'sting' to the after effects.

 

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Some resident houses in Sapa

 

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Sapa town at night

 

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-- Next up is a visit to Cat Cat ville to see how a tribal house and some scenery --

[stargate]

Next morning after brunch we walked down into Cat Cat ville located in a valley. We got to visit a Hmong house and took in some scenery.

 

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View before we descend into the valley. I met a group of Singaporean tourists among the many visitors.

 

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Some shots along the way down

 

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One of many Black Hmong tribe house

 

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We went into this 98 year old lady Hmong house. She looks after the house while her family are out in the fields.

 

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Simple life

 

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Grinding maize pellets the old fashion way

 

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Children playing by the dye drum used by the hmong to dye their clothes.

 

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Relaxing by the waterfall

 

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At the end of our visit.. most of us dreaded the climb back up..so we took the motorbike taxis as pillon rider up to Sapa. The motorbike taxis can be seen waiting at far end of the bridge.

 

- next up is my last segment and a final video -

[stargate]

After rested an extra day at Sapa, we headed off for Vu Linh, a small ville on the south-east side of Thac Ba lake.

 

From Sapa we made our way down 38km to Lao Cai town bordering China.

 

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At the Lao Cai - Hekou China border. Opposite is China Hekou separated by a river bridge

 

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Mainly goods vehicles plied at this crossing. Vietnamese can go across for a 1 day pass period

 

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An ancient temple on the Vietnam side of the border

 

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Making our descend to Vu Linh. Thac Ba lake is just below

 

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Village school near the lake

 

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Thac Ba lake is man-made because of a dam on the Red river.

 

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Sunset over Thac Ba lake

 

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Guest house where we stayed for the night.

 

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Plentiful food and rice wine. We drank quite alot this night

 

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The following day, we headed back to Hanoi. We crossed the Red river to get back onto highway 32 to Hanoi.

 

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Approaching the river bank

 

 

Here is the final video

 

 

ablit..ablit..ablit...that's all folks

[yem_paul]

Stargate great lifetime stories ... thanks for sharing ...

[Al-Simmons]

wow!

 

Great pics. Always wanted to ride in these kind of places. We should meet up someday.