Well, two days in and.....

....all seems to be going as well as can be expected (save for problems finding any working Internet and the inability of the brand new 3G USB modem stick to be installed onto my netbook, which runs LINUX).

Left Hai Phong around two PM Tuesday and hit a few long stretches of American-style Interstate near Ha Noi's Noi Bai airport, so I gunned the Yamaha (about as "gunned" as it's 114cc lawnmower engine is gonna take it....about 60MPH) and made it to a place called Viet Tri. Sticky, steamy, hot and engulfed in white haze/smoke (from EVERY agricultural field in a ten mile radius, which had people burning grass and other organic matter for some strange reason [maybe 'cause it was the night of the Lunar Harvest Festival here in Vietnam?]).....it was a rather unpleasant place. Add to that the fact that the hotel's Wi-Fi didn't work AND I was chasing cockroaches in my room half the night....well....that town kinda sucked!

I forced myself to give up trying to make the 3G USB stick work with my LINUX system and instead drank a few beers and watched a few episodes of "King of the Hill" before crashing out.

Woke up this morning and tried to get something to eat at the hotel when I told (in their best possible English) "No food here....no food here."

So I just got on the bike in a moderate rain and headed off towards Lao Cai. Put all of my stuff in this waterproof/airtight bag that thankfully remembered to bring with me, and, after about 45 minutes, the rain stopped and I rode 200 kilometres up some hills and amoungst some amazing scenery. Saw several groups of people wearing traditional ethnic garb (Hmong, maybe?) and was gonna take their picture....but thass kinda rude, so I rode on.

Made it to a village called Pho Rang about 80 kilometres short of Lao Cai and 110 kilometres to Sapa. Found thee one guesthouse/hotel in the village that HAS Internet access and also thee one cafe (if you can call it that) that has Wi-Fi. Appears that I won't be engaged in mortal combat with cockroaches this evening.....but NO fridge! I'll deal with warm pissy beer if I have working Wi-Fi and no cockroaches!

Hadta grab something to eat, as I hadn't eaten in 24 hours, so, as soon as I grabbed the hotel room, I walked to a food stand set up on the sidewalk across the street and grabbed a bowl of Pho Bo....which, is literally one of two Vietnamese dishes that A) - I know how to say in Vietnamese and B) - I know what's in it so I can eat it (the other one being rice).



Some pics....




















In the foothills.....



















Highway 70 about 30 kilometres southwest of Pho Rang.......


















My next house.....


















Now, next time your truck breaks down in the middle of the road....don't panic and run around and scream and curse and ask others for help. Simply do the Vietnamese thing by putting some large nearby rocks in front of the wheels so it doesn't roll and setting up your hammock underneath your disabled vehicle and having a nap!!


















Two ladies selling fruit by the side of the road on Highway 70.....This was a weird situation, because as I was snapping this pic, a developmentally-disabled girl in her late teen limped up to me when she saw me taking pictures and started talking to me, really excited to see me. THIS was unusual, because whenever I'd stop in the rural foothills to take pictures, people would slllooowly creep out of their houses and out of nearby cafes and motorbike repair shops and veeerrry slowly approach me at the same speed as though I were a flying saucer that had just landed in their back yard [usually, I only get this reaction in Ohio]. I couldn't understand this girl (because my Viet was bad today and my Hmong was even worse!), but I got the impression that she wanted me to take her picture. She had what appeared to be burn marks on half her face and had about five teeth remaining in her mouth and, for some reason, one of them was the centre front upper tooth and all five were pearly white....which made me wonder. I felt bad for this girl and I pretended to take her picture......I really didn't want to put this girl out into cyberspace.....


















Made it to Lao Cai province......



































And, finally....if the deal falls through on the house in the third pic, then I'm gonna attempt to acquire this estate.....




Sllloooow, very easy 80 kilometre cruise to Lao Cai town tomorrow.....

More soon.....

-E-