So we get up at 5.30, and i'm not feeling fresh. Pretty tired actually, but I am looking forward to this day of riding. As it has been a whole day since I had my bike on the road, that of course means that I need to kick start her. The electric starter is just not doing the job. After messing around with this for a while I eventually get her started and it is about 6 by the time that we leave.
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On the road, less than 2km and Elias' bike dies. What a surprise! I scout forward and try to see if I can find a garage that is open at this time. I return having had no success. In my absence Elias is talking to a guy who offers to take us to a garage, he ends up pushing Elias along, while on his own Moto, with his foot on Elias' quite the impressive feat. I had tried something similar earlier, but with no joy, perhaps not the experience required. He moves us up the street I had just been up and turns off down a narrow alley. We roll in to someones house and then the guy disappears. The owners of the house, who speak no English inform us that the mechanic will be here in 5mins. I think we are there for the guts of an hour before we decide to just head back out in to the street and see if there is another option. We find someone who is open just a couple of doors down, as we pass our mechanic on the way out. He tinkers away at Sally 2 and it is not long before he has here ready to go, with the chain tension tightened up we are back out on the road, it's 8. Glad that we got up early.
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We head on our way and it is not long before we are on the infamous highway 1. Busy busy busy. Luckily we are experienced on the old girls now so this is not a problem. What is interesting is that, I had thought with this being the main road in the whole of Vietnam, that there may be some more safety precautions in place. Wrong. Just like any other road, except much more traffic. The road is lined with shops and business for miles, it is like you are just in a never ending city. In addition I have all the hazards that I come to expect; children walking on the road; kids cycling from school; ducks; dogs; geese; shops set up in the bike lane; people taking a piss at the side of the road. After all this is Vietnam. ON the plus side, the road quality here is good, so we are able to make good progress.
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We stop for breakfast at about 10, as we have both been up for quite a long time. We get the coffee and tea combo, and even though this place doesn't sell any food, across the road does, and so our waitress heads across the road and gets us some breakfast. After getting the cake tea I head over to try and find out the name of this brand of tea. After a few failed body language attempts it is out with google translate and I eventually get the name 'Tra Bac' I'll maybe see if I can get some when I get to HCM. It is so good. After a short stop we are back on our way. As I am ripping along I take a dragonfly in the throat. It is important not to underestimate just how sore this is. A dragonfly has quite a mass when you combine it with the 70kph that I am doing. At least I had my mouth closed. We stop only one more time for a coffee break as we decide to wait to eat until we get to HCM.
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It is clear when we arrive in HCM because the traffic increases 10 fold, the road gets wider and we have the introduction of road signs and traffic lights that people actually pay attention to. We have marked on a map on the iPhone where the general area for hostels is. Although we make a few wrong turns we eventually end up where we want. The driving here is crazy. There are so many bike and buses and people, I am glad it is at the end of our trip. Just need so serious concentrating. We get checked in to our dorm and head out for a coffee. We are in the main backpacker area and so there is no shortage of the usual tourist stuff, with bars and street sellers a plenty.
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We txt Spencer and he meets us for dinner. We head to one of the places on the street and I opt for some beef fried noodles,. First thing I notice is just how much more expensive everything is in HCM, easily the most expensive city that I have been to in Vietnam. Elias and I have a drink to celebrate the safe passage to HCM, it really has been quite an adventure, one that I will never forget. Elias has not decided if he will sell his Moto and so he want to think for a couple of days. We are having a few beers when I get a txt from Tea asking if I am in HCM, I reply yes and she says that she is on holiday here for a few days and so she comes and meets us for a few drinks. We head to a bar to play some pool, not too busy in HCM this evening. What is also different here is how the girls react to a foreigner. When we are playing pool, for example, the girls are over talking to us, trying to get us to buy them drinks, and being very friendly. I have my suspicions as to there intentions. Every bar around here is the same, and a simple walk up the street is riddled with the echoes 'hello you come in, beer cheap' I haven't experienced this type of heckling in the rest of Vietnam. After a few beers we head home, pretty tired after the long day on the Moto.