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Our motorcycling adventure from Hue to Hoian began first thing in the morning. After picking the bikes up from Motorvina travel, we left our luggage with them to be sent on the coach to Hoian. We were given a basic map of the route titled 'Top Gear Motorbike Adventures' which showed the route and points of interest along the way. The travel agent then told the way to the nearest fuel station and directions to the road out of Hue. It was a nervous start for Bazza who had only ridden a bike once before but he quickly found his feet.
After filling up the bikes we headed for the Cau Hai Lagoon on the main road past the airport. The road was busy but the rules of driving in Asia quickly became clear,
1 - Give way to any vehicles bigger than you.
2 - Beep your horn alot.
Apart from that it seems pretty much a free for all and feels like everyone was driving around like they were playing Grand Theft Auto. Many drivers don't wait at red lights or even drive on the other side of the road into oncoming traffic. It all feels pretty safe however as the majority of vehicles are motorbikes and everyone travels at a slower speed than in the West.
The road was generally quite good, we could keep up pace and the traffic once out of Hue was pretty light too. The road occasionally gifted a random pothole or bump that would make me wonder how much damage the bike sustained. Our first main stop was Suoi Voi or Elephant Springs which is an idillic oasis of rockpools beside a mountain in the National Park. We nearly missed the turning off of the main road but was guided by a frendly local shopkeeper. Beside the springs that stretch up to the base of the mountain, locals have made huts to provide visitors with a place to set up a base beside the springs, lie in hammocks and have some food or drinks. The lady who owned the hut we set up camp in had a cute little girl probably around three years old who was keen to play with us in the springs and splash us with water as we pretended to swim after her. Although she needed a life jacket as an aid, she was an amazing swimmer and was completely at home in the springs, jumping in from the platforms as her mum prepared food and served us drinks. Further downstream was a waterfall and larger pool with rocks you could jump off into the deeper water. We stayed at the springs slightly longer than we should have given that we still had many miles to cover but I could have spent the rest of the day there.
The famous Hai Van Pass was our next destination which was the road Clarkson described as one of the best driving roads in the world in the Vietnam Top Gear special. The road was incredible but the views were better. On one side of the pass you can see the fishing village and coast of Lang Co Bay, and on the other side the city of Da Nang and the headland of Monkey Mountain. The other side of the pass (south side) can be seen from a peak with military buildings that can be explored. These building are again scattered with war wounds, a stark reminder of the brutality this country has seen.
We headed down the pass toward Da Nang and found a place to grab a much needed bite to eat on the beachfront road. By the time we had eaten and settled the bill night had set in. To our amazement the lights on our bikes were fully functional and we headed for our destination of Hoian about an hour down the coast.
On arrival in Hoian we decided to keep the bikes we travelled with for an extra two days. The hotel we had booked was very smart and offered a swimming pool which was much needed after our long journey. Thankfully at the end of the day we didn't receive an envelope from the producers with further instructions.
Max.
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