WanderingWhy…

We have been in Vietnam a little over a week now. I have to say it is a bit of an adjustment after passing through the Asian gateway of Japan. If Japan has the purposeful, complex, calmness of classical music then I think of Vietnam as the body crushing, head banging, intense aggressive mosh pit that goes with hardcore music today.

Personally I love that stuff even if I am getting to be an old man nowadays. WD is trying to adjust seeing as that was never her scene. There are nearly 86 million people in this little country so personal space is a bit less than most westerners are used to.

We spent a few days in the capital of Hanoi and decided to make the trip up north to Sapa. Sapa is known for it’s hill tribes and nice cool beautiful mountain scenery. The Hmong people tried selling us their crafts and could be a bit aggressive at times… although I think it was just the language barrier. “Hello! you buy something?! You buy something from me?!” sounded more like a command than an offer. I thought they were nice enough if a bit persistent.

What makes Vietnam seem a bit intense is all the motorbikes. A tour guide told us there are nearly six million motorbikes in Hanoi alone. He explained they now have factories producing them here and there is a Chinese made bike that can be had for $400. He spoke of this very excitedly since motorbikes are now within financial reach of even some poor farm families. The bikes are not strictly for joy riding but are the new beast of burden for the Vietnamese. It’s amazing what the locals can do on these bikes. I’ve seen everything from full size hogs to big screen TV’s strapped to the back of them while the driver talks on his cell phone and carries two passengers while having a drink. Everything you would do while driving a car.

I thought we’d be run down in the streets when we first stepped out of our hotel. It’s noisy since the motorbike drivers all seem to hit the horn more than the gas, but really it’s pretty safe. They tend to drive a motorbike like we would a bicycle–just happy to be slowly motoring along and not having to pedal. So, crossing the street is nothing like Latin American where there seems to be some king of big prize if you run down a pedestrian.

I never had a motorcycle, dirt bike, or even a moped as a kid. My Dad was a police officer and saw to many kids get killed on them to allow his conscience any rest if I had one. Now that I’m a big bad rebellious old man I can do what I want–and dammit I was going to rent a motorbike.

WD was not hip to this great idea but I told her I was going and she was welcome to join me. Faced with the decision of more “You buy something!” or cruising the mountains on the back of my newly rented motorbike she caved. We set up a rental and walked back to the hotel to get some cash. As soon as we turned the corner we saw a local on a motorbike stop on the hill and fall over with the bike landing on top of him. “Grab the front and lift!” I told WD. The guy just laid on the ground smiling then got up patted me on the back and stumbled off into a building–Drunk!! at 11am.

I got the bike alone and went to fill it up with gas before picking WD up at the hotel. To my ignorance, I didn’t realize the bike was not automatic. Oh boy…. Travel is teaching me that I love being in over my head and not having a fucking clue. So, the owner gave me an extensive lesson that went like this:

“Uphill 1,2. Downhill 3,4″

“Uh… yeah. Okay. Maybe I’ll just take it for a practice spin around the parking lot” I said.

I drove to the far end of the lot and back. As I approached him after one lap he said “Okay! bye-bye!.”

I guess I passed my road test.

Out into the motorbike traffic I went in search of gas. What an absolute blast it is riding through the streets, although I have not fully mastered the horn–a very important part of driving for some reason. I stopped to pick up WD who was a real sport about the whole thing, amusing her over-sized kid of a husband.

We drove up into an area of the mountains know for it’s waterfalls. We stopped at the base of the first waterfall and started chatting with some other travelers also on motorbikes. They explained there were more falls further down the road and after several beers they were ready to explore. I started to notice a recurring theme. Drinking and Driving! Two great things that go better together?

Cruising the beautiful mountain scenery of northern Vietnam on a motorbike was one of my best days in the country so far. There is nothing like being open to all the glowing green terraced rice paddies and winding mountain paths. I’ll continue to work on my horn skills but I think I’ll skip the beers… well, at least until the day is over.

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