Motorbike rented, big backpack left in hostel in Can Tho & the adventure can start!
DAY 1: Can THO – Chau Doc = 127 km on the motorbike
On the first day of the trip saw 6 motorbike accidents... and 3 of them - saw live!!! Motorbike traffic is rather crazy and cars are really rare..
Landscape – indescribable!!! Ok, I`ll try... juicy green tropical fields, palms, fruits, small villages, stopping along the way wherever it feels like and enjoying Pepsi or Vietnamese coffee in hammock stops - motor bikers "oasis" :)
Along the way...
Typical towns on the way...red flags, motorbikes!
By the dark we arrive to Chau Doc – town on the border with Cambodia on the shore of Mekong. Strolling along the riverfront and the streets of this small town and having a dinner in a floating restaurant on Mekong.
And then there was a massage... First place looked clearly as a brothel, so we headed for a better looking place in the hotel... turned out to be no better.... sauna and jacuzzi in the room & massage by slutty girls in miniskirts who were obviously skilled in different kinds of massages :))
DAY 2: Chau Doc – Hon Chong = 130 km on the motorbike
Morning starts with Sam mountain, numerous hammock stops, cave pagodas and great views!
And then we hit the road towards the beach town on the West coast of Vietnam.
We passed small towns..
...abandoned villages, vast fields..
On the way we missed one turn and finished up on the border crossing with Cambodia :)
Saw a rooster fight...surreal & slightly bloody!
..and the landscape was changing & getting wilder as we were moving away from Mekong towards the sea...
And here comes the beach in Ha Tien..looks dreamy :) & that sea air.....but those plastic bags and other strange stuff on the beach makes us hold back and continue to our final destination of the day Hon Chong.
Hon Chong is a small relaxed & beautifully wild village/town by the beach and real few people finish up here (we saw 2 more foreign couples and some local families - that`s about it!) , so real local feel…swimming, relaxing in hammocks by the beach…pigs & chicken running around and locals offering fresh seafood straight from the sea and local drinks that burn all the way down :)))
After the sunset had a mega relaxed & delicious seafood dinner under the stars & pine trees by the sea. Place owner - Australian living in Hon Chong for the last 12 years - told us the stories of his life & Vietnam and was the coolest restaurant owner ever! He also suggested us to take the dirt road the next day to save some kms on our way back to Can Tho..
3. Hon Chong -> Can Tho = 225 km on the motorobike
Morning in Hon Chong starting by discovering that we were actually staying by a very important pilgrimage destination (Grotto temple) just 300 m from our guesthouse...and suddenly it seemed like we`re in a tourist mecca ...shops, restaurants, etc...in a very beautiful setting!
Grotto temple
Beach by grotto
And then we took the shortcut dirt road and after 15 minute shaky drive over sharp stones got a flat tire...luckily local repair house was just 200 m back..
..so we were back on the road without considerable delays and the dirt road views were definitely worth the time spent on repair ;))
It was a long day on the motorbike and just 15 kms before the end of the trip our bike started misbehaving again, so another hour spent on repairs..
..and we were back to Can Tho at 20:00...it was dark...and the motorbike traffic was rather mad!
Day 4 in Mekong delta – Floating market of Mekong
Time for floating market..
Mekong conquered, so time to move on!
4 h trip back to Saigon
1 h spent in Saigon
at 8 pm 5 h trip by Open Bus route to beach resort - MUINE
arriving to Muine at 1 am
To be continued ;)
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