Out of the frying pan and into the fire…

After 2 months we left Laos behind. It was a strange goodbye. After days full of heat and sunshine with the occasional storm, our last riding day to the LaLay border was a day full of rain and cold. I actually felt so cold I stopped to take all my luggage off the bike to put on my thermal underwear and I can tell you, that means a lot with soft luggage attached with nets and straps! When the thunder started we decided it may be wise to make a stop and by coincidence, we discovered yet another part of Laos. A tribal part. People with different faces and with a different way of life. I wish I could tell you more, but all we had were small conversations and impressions of the local marketplace. A small market sheltered from the rain, people sitting on the floor selling crickets, water monitors and leaves that probably passed as vegetables. Thin people wrapped in many blankets. Smiling people. A touching experience where it didn’t feel right to take out a camera. Instead, we looked around, shared a smile, maybe exchanged some words and experienced this special place. When the amount of water falling from the sky reduced a little we left to continue our journey as we had to reach the border before it closed. A last stop to eat lunch and we reached the border with rays of sunshine finding their way through the dark clouds. Prepared for all kinds of things and with a little fear we started with yet another border crossing. This is a moment you just have to surrender to what happens. The moment you start passing the checkpoints everything is out of your own hands and it all depends on the mindset of the officials. Luckily, we got through without to much hassle and re-entered Vietnam. To end this day we were greeted with some beautiful mountain roads covered in the light of a setting sun.

Once in Vietnam, we decided to go to Hué. A city carrying a huge history of war and the memory of many people losing their lives in the most inhuman circumstances. Yet, the first impression is that of a big city filled with traffic and covered by a layer of smog. After Laos, I couldn’t take this big city life. In Laos, most places weren’t bigger than one main road and a few smaller roads. Even Vientiane, the capital of Laos, felt way smaller than Hué! It felt as if I was thrown out of the frying pan and into the fire. The frying pan could be unbearably hot, but it had the peace of nature. The fire took heat to another level. The heat of city life, the heat of people in a hurry, the heat of traffic and the heat of trying to breathe in air thick with exhaust fumes. To be honest, it took a few days to adapt again to this busy life around me. Apparently, I am more of a nature girl. This doesn’t take away that after some time I started to enjoy Hué and this only got better when we reached Hoi An. Hoi An, the city of lights, the city of tourists and the city to just sit and relax. Staying at a beautiful place near the beach we had an amazing time. A little swimming, a little cycling into town and a little riding our motorbikes in the sand. A perfect way to readapt to life in Vietnam.

After Hoi An the journey took us further South along the coast and up into the mountains to Dalat. A place with bearable temperatures! Imagine that! Although I must admit, it scares me for the cold that will come when we reach New-Zealand in a few months. 23°C is enough to make me shiver and put on my jumper or wrap my scarf around me. That being said, let’s worry about that when it comes to it.

Now, the last days before having to sell our motorbikes have arrived. A few last off-road rides, a lot of playing around in the mud, a slither here and there and a hidden fear for having to let go of our friends. It’s funny how attached you can get to a bike. A trustworthy piece of metal with a beating heart, that’s it and yet if any biker tells you about his or her bike it is so much more. A friend, a companion, a way of life and the perfect ride to feel the world while riding along.