After leaving lively Hanoi we only realised how densely populated the country is. There are about 86’000’000 leaving here after all. One town rapidly followed the other with only short stretches in between, used for rice fields. Where there are towns there are also guesthouses, restaurants, fruit and drinks widely available. Here there is no tourims, we are in Vietnamese Vietnam now. Western travelers we didn’t meet for a while. Accordingly people become more curious towards us and our bikes. Many waved or greeted in a natural joyful way. Especially the kids made a sport out of it to call «helo» and sometime they tried to give us a race on their squeaking single speed bicycles. English was hardly spoken any more, there were no restaurants used to western guest. Without menus we first had to discuss what we are going to eat and how much it will cost. As we speak about as much Vietnamese as they speak English « to go for dinner or breakfast» always was quite some task. Google translater is very helpful and once saved us just in time from ordering grilled dog.
On mainly good roads we crossed the towns in the flow of the motorbikes, out of towns it was rather quiet. Therefore the actual moving should have been easy. Unfortunately there was a constant fog, making everything look a little dull and unsharp and it blocked away the sun. Under this fog dust and smoke collected burning in the throat and leaving quite a crust on the moist skin. And the skin was always moist with the high humidity and temperatures above 30°C. How hot would it have felt with the sun shining through?
We adapted, drank as much as we could and enjoyed the wonderful pineapple and watermelons as additional sources for fluids and energy. What a great range of excellent fruit is offered along the roads! We reduced the distances at the beginning too, in order to rest our bodies enough while reorganising in the new surrounding.
This way we passed the plain more or less along the Red River via Son Tay, Phu Tho to Yen Bihn.
