Reflections on Vietnam and A New Adventure.

It's been quite some time since I last posted, simply because crashing back into "the real world" for the last couple of months has made me a bit lazy and removed.

The trip to Vietnam, if it wasn't apparent from my writings, was simply amazing. The motorcycle is king in that country and so it makes perfect sense to see it while riding one. The experience of being in the open air, not encased in a metal shell, gives feelings of freedom and immersion, while visibility to local people is increased infinitely, meaning that the all-round sensation is far more satisfying (except, I might add, when it rains, or when one is riding around Cao Bang Province in winter...). Having never ridden a motorcycle before this trip, I was surprised at the ease with which I managed to ride, and was amazed that I had only one accident in six weeks. Acclimatisation to Vietnamese traffic and its unwritten rules was quick and easy. My main tips:

1) Do not become complacent. This sounds like the most obvious advice going, but it's the most valuable. When one reads of accidents involving Westerners on motorbikes, there are usually three factors involved: alcohol, drugs and excessive speed, or a combination of two or more. I met harm when going too fast, many others are less lucky. Put simply, do not drink/take drugs and ride.

2) Go with the flow (quite literally). Coming to junctions can be very daunting, since giving way is not commonplace at all in Vietnam. It's actually very easy if you intend to turn right: just slow down and merge into the waves of motorbikes. Other riders will accommodate you. As for turning left, well, be a little more aggressive but make no sudden movements!

3) Riding in the dark is ill-advised but, having done it a few times, not impossible. Try to leave enough time to reach your destination before nightfall or be prepared to stop somewhere other than where you'd intended. Guesthouses are two-a-penny and reasonably priced. If you must go on, keep your wits about you, look for potholes and keep a steady, sensible speed.

Making such a journey in solitude also produced plenty of experiences which I may not have had in a group: the lone traveller is less intimidating to locals, less removed and more pitiable in the correct circumstances!

As for the country itself, I run out of superlatives. I could describe it as: beautiful, dramatic, serene, chaotic, hospitable, friendly, socialist, capitalist, traditional...the list goes on. The scenery won the day for me; the variation between the mountains of the north, the jungle of the centre and the plains of the south make for pleasantly diverse vistas and experiences, while the people also change with the scenery; hardier, more reserved (though very friendly) in the mountainous north, "softer" and far more open in the south (though, I found, not quite as friendly as up north). The natural scenery, wildlife history, cuisine, conversations with the locals and random happenings (such as being dropped 200km from one wanted) ensure that no two days are ever the same! Cursory glances at the papers and the industry of the Vietnamese people showed that Vietnam is opening up and changing, but it was re-assuring to see that this was occurring while tradition and hospitality was being maintained.

Riding a motorcycle for six weeks left an indelible mark on me and it was only a matter of time before the next adventure would present itself. Tomorrow morning, I head to Singapore, before moving on to Phnom Penh on Monday, where I will pick up a Honda XR250 and disappear into Eastern Cambodia for two weeks. It should be a blast, so stay tuned for updates, whether they be on river dolphins, rescued elephants, impassable dirt tracks, commonplace acts of hospitality or deep-fried tarantulas...