::: Around Vietnam during Tet holiday 2013

[VietHorse]

An airport on the left:

Some small store houses of the locals. They use them to store their crop, i.e. potatoes, cassava, maize, beans, bamboo shoots, etc... so they can easily sell them to anyone passing by.

I was there during Tet holiday so they did not sell anything along the road. It would be very busy in the normal days.

How does your bike handle this road? I think it is more than 45deg!!

Bamboo change its leaves color:

 

[VietHorse]

Back to Parent's house to enjoy Tet holiday for some more days, we headed back to South.
It was raining on the first move. I have my Mom went with us to South.

First toll station after 30km driving:

And the road which need to pay extra attention to:

Quite funny speed limit sign boards. They have several of them for a very short distance:

We then switched to HoChiMinh road as soon as arriving Cầu Giát - Nghệ An Province.

Met again the East Hochiminh trail:

First night, we spent in Huong Khe, Ha Tinh, again.

Here's our breakfast place on the next day:

And the price list. The 2nd time I had breakfast in the same place. First time was in 2009. It was not as expensive.

 

[VietHorse]

Several mounts along the way:

And here's Phong Nha cave - World Natural Heritage - don't forget to visit if you have chance to pass by. It may take you some hours to enjoy:

I believe I was at this location while posing the above photo: 17°36'44.76"N 106°19'7.12"E
And you have to go further, get on the boat to get to the cave entrance here: 17°34'54.49"N 106°16'58.66"E.
Try once, you won't be disappointed!

Kept driving, we see two guys on their motorcycle, tried to wave them, but they may not notice that:

This is really nice thing, we stopped and Mom and wife bought some boiled corn. It was really great:

Two GPS devices, a Map book, and I still lost my way.. LOL...

No, actually three GPS devices, one more is my Etrex Vista, not ON that time. :smile1:

Decided to shift to the West Hochiminh Trail, a real challenge:

Here 's where we made the turn: 17°16'16.52"N 106°39'32.48"E. Actually, I 'd like to turn to West HCM trail earlier, before the Phong Nha cave. But I missed it.

 

[VietHorse]

The connecting road between west and east Hochiminh trail:

Some wood smugglers have been caught:

And here's West Hochiminh trail, concreted pavement:

Khe Sanh is ahead:

Narrow and wet road, very slippery as there were almost no traffic:

"Bãi đạn" - in short, it's a weapon/mine field somewhere ahead - It must be uncleared mine field and there are still lots of danger explosives or even orange agent left after the war.
Those still keep killing people nowaday...

 

[Rod Page]

Ah VietHorse, HCMR West - one of the best rides in all VN & much of SE Asia for that matter.
I'm interested you gained access as the last couple of times I rode along it, locals/Vietnamese were being refused entry to certain (more northerly) sections & the military were actively chasing the illegal loggers.