SG/VN/SG Road Trip

Of pho & baguette, motorcycles & music
Fortunately, I was accepted for the ride to Vietnam by the organiser, Patrick Tham. It was already the last day of 2019, with barely enough time to get the documents sorted for crossing multiple borders by road from S’pore to Vietnam. Date of travel was 31 Jan. 2020. It is rare that I am able to travel at this time of the year, as it is within the Chinese New Year period. Nineteen or more days of motorcycling. I was thrilled.

I’ve not been to Vietnam. In recent years, after the war with the US, the country has moved out of her war-torn past and is on the road to economic recovery. Many friends have visited either HCMC or Hanoi, and came back with many stories. However, those are familiar stories in many cities across Asia and the world, of emerging economies after long period of slump, of the flesh trade; wine, woman & song. Which was why I was content with just listening passively.

This road trip would be different, having to cross seven borders (14 times, one entry & one exit per country), and way out of my comfort zone. A little daunting, but a challenge I am ready to face. I would also be visiting Laos and Cambodia for the first time. And yes, I was looking forward to 7 days of riding in Vietnam, experiencing the country up close. Don’t know much about the roads or riding condition and was warned about the messy traffic. I didn’t really care. From the details given, I was able to plot a route on Google Map (what else?), guided by some towns, border check points, some POIs and some highways. It was a pretty rough guide as no specific hotels or lodgings were available. The route was circular, running clockwise, and start and ends at Hatyai, Thailand. It was good enough to bring me back if ever I get lost. Save the map in GPX format and load that into the Garmin Nav5. I was as ready as I ever could be.

Day 1 saw three of us riding from S’pore, and grouping at Petron Gelang Patah, at about 6am, 31 Jan. 2020. We made our way to Rawang, and met up with Patrick at Starbucks next to the gas station. From there, the usual rush to get past the Thai border to check-in at Hatyai for the night. No problem.

Day 2-We took the coastal road the next day, through Nakhon Si Thammarat, past the wind farms with numerous wind turbines, their blades uniformly twisted. As expected, it was windy and not humid, and a little warm. Lunch at the estuary at Sichon. Checked in at Surat, after having coffee at Khanom Café along the way. Nice & early.

Following day’s target was Petchaburi, which we made punctually. Even had time to have photo taken with the Big Bird monument along Prachuap. Also visited the King’s Holiday Palace (ancient), I believe, but I am a little mix-up here. Anyway…..

Day 4-Having rested, I, or we were ready for Ayuthaya next. This sector was of special interest to me because there is a turn to bypass BKK altogether. I remembered too clearly because on a previous ride (to Everest), I missed this turn and got into the BKK traffic chaos. At that time, there were only Basil and me, relying solely on the Nav5, which brought us into the mess. We got to Ayuthaya eventually and I had to pacify Basil with Leo Beer because he wanted to kill me. This time around, we made it smoothly, with Patrick leading the way. And even had time to visit Big Buddha, one of the biggest in the world which was carved out of the side of a mountain; The Dragon, a Taoist temple complex, a little different from Buddhism; and after lunch, relax in a lonely little wooden hut by the road in the padi field, which surprise us with the best coffee processed by state-of-the-art coffee machines that rivals those found in Orchard Rd. And to top it off, we arrived at the hotel within the targeted time.

The hotel was a humble affair with three or four floors and not that many rooms. We had the pool to ourselves, although the water was a bit icy. Beer by the pool on one side and the Chao Praya on the other, tug boats pulling material barges serenely along. We were right by the bank. Totally relax. Really homely. We drank into the night. We are now on full strength. 6 bikes and a SUV.

Day 5-Ubon Ratchathani next. Couldn’t recall much of this leg probably because of the alcohol from last night. I just remembered it was quaint, noticeably different from towns in the south. I just can’t place a finger on it. But tomorrow is the Laos border crossing, where we make, or break.

Day 6 (Feb.5)-Here goes. Got to the Thai border checkpoint nice & early. Temperature check at the Laos checkpoint. Wait around a bit. And then we were through! Amazing. Patrick did his homework and its paying off. The foreseen delay at CIQ was unexpectedly short. Certainly less then the allotted three hours. With that first major obstacle out of the way, there was a collective sigh of relief. Was there even a temperature check? Can’t be sure. We are on the way to Attapeu. Again, we arrived in good time. I must give credit to Patrick for the logistic. Really good job. Seafood dinner on a barge on the river followed after check-in. Nice.

Day 7-Leaving Laos for Vietnam, via Laos’ Phou Keau and Viet’s Bo Y checkpoints: Finally, we meet the Vietnamese guide. He was a guy call Nguyen or Duane. Till now, I am not sure which. When I asked his name, he murmured something into my right ear, which is only half functioning. And it sounds like that. He was on a machine that looks like a KE175 but not quite. Anyway, it’s a small scrambler. He manage the inward clearance in a timely manner, brought us to a small stall to get the all-important Data SIM card and from then on, tested our patience and riding skills for the rest of our days in Vietnam. Vietnam engagement commences.

As I left the border checkpoint, I reminded myself that I should be riding on the right now. Need to be a bit cautious. What I wasn’t prepared for was the journey to Le Centre Hotel in Pleiku, about 130km from the border. More then half of it was really, really bad-ass road, if you can call it ‘road’ at all. A short distance from the border, the ‘road’ deterioted into really terrible condition. It was about 2-lane wide, 2-way, frank by stones, sand, jungle, and asphalt were broken, forming portholes by the scores, across the road, every fucking inch of the way. There were puddles, gravel, loose stones, sand, ruts and occasional trenches. Potholes vary, deep and shallow. This ‘road’ was probably built during the war and never been maintain since. At this point, I decided to myself that I am not going to brake for any potholes. I will try to avoid the deep ones and ride through those that were shallower. Because there is no way of avoiding the portholes and cracks altogether. I stand a better chance of not damaging my rims if I maintain speed and rely on forward momentum to clear the lip of the portholes upon exit. If I brake, my front rim will bear the downward force, increasing the likelihood of breaking something at the front end. Or I can go real slow in 2nd or 1st, and ride it like a little Honda cub (best suited for this road), which will put me in the category of ‘uncles and newbies’ or ‘buay sai eh”. The guide was leading, followed by the so-call bullet-proof AT with the 21” front wheel, whose rider stood arrogantly on its pegs, skimming over the portholes nonchalantly. My pride and foolishness took over and dotard in me gave chase. Game On! Average speed was about 50kmh(?) perhaps. Always on 2, 3 and max 4th gear, and quickly hammering down to 3rd or 2nd, and sometimes 1st. All this time, Nguyen Duane did not look back or stop to see if the rest were managing alright. We stopped at a fork after about 30 kliks, where there was a cluster of huts. We regrouped. Thankfully, everyone was good. Only to be told that there are more of the same for the next 30 before we hit town. I screamed in terror.

The Le Central was quite a nice hotel. A much needed distraction after a rough ride. Together, we ate and quaffed more beer. Today’s ride, though rough, also has some takeaway for me. I discover what my bike was capable of, and more importantly, my limitations. After going through this almost off-road-like conditions, it shows that it is usually the rider that fails, not the machine. Having battled through this less then ideal ‘terrain’ for a roadster, I realised that what the bike lacks in looks, it more then made up for it with its manoeuvrability, its power and performance. Plus it is very forgiving. Even in the hands of dotards like me. It gives me added confidence in my limited ability.
First day Vietnam ends with more food and beer.

Day 8 to Day 11-The following days were also quite challenging. Narrow roads jammed with traffic, domestic animals, cattle, poultry, motorcycles with 2 or more wheels, but the one that kill us; the speed limit. 30 to 50kmh within build-up area. 70kmh max between towns and in the mountains. The hours we have to spend on the saddle is ridiculous. It took hours to get from one venue to the next. We were all use to much higher speed in transit and this limit on speed was really tough and energy-sapping. When we left the Le Central the very next day, one of us who was lagging behind sped up to regroup. And guess what; he was spotted and we were all stopped not far ahead by the police. We got a lecture and was able to get away without incurring any ‘additional expenses’. So yeah. We have to stick to the rules. And ride behind the guide. Every day, all the way. Luckily, the places we were visiting were off the beaten track. The central region was mountainous and with that come great scenery and views. Also pretty young things at roadside stalls stirred up the imagination of the singles among us, which in turn amuse the more matured ‘us’ with their bravado. So it was still quite fun and a lot to see and discover in Vietnam. The local food, the pho, and other dishes were all very palatable. No complaints. But the top place must go to their Baguette commonly sold along streets. Light & crispy, brown and golden outside, fluffy and light inside, with meat and veg fillings. Super good bread. Better then the Subway thingy we have at home. By this time, we were all quite familiar with each other, and like the goats we saw head-butting in the villages, we were doing that using words and generally just having fun.

Day 12-As we near the end of our engagement with Vietnam, things that got to be put right, must be put right. So Patrick had a shouting match with our guide, who cause the SUV driver to get into some very sticky situation because Nguyen Duane insisted he followed his recommended route, which was meant for 2-wheelers. Without going into details, the driver of the SUV, through some luck and experience, managed to extricate himself from several potentially dangerous situations following the recommended route. It could have been disastrous if he had not decided midway to deviate and follow his own route. And I was also surprised that Patrick can shout so loud. The lobby door shook, and I bet, the guide too. Well done Patrick. Good of you to stand up for us.

And on that note, our Vietnam engagement ended. But we all see it positively. We made the best out of less then ideal situations time and again. Was it good? Successful? Yes. Oh Yes. Pleiku, Dalat, Mui Ne, Vung Tau, Can Tho, and Ha Tein. Mostly off the beaten track. It was a blast. Well, all good things must come to an end. So they say. For even better things to happen. And that’s the way our trip went.

Day 13- Border Challenge
Today we are going to leave Vietnam, cut through Cambodia, and enter Thailand via ChamYeam/Klong Yai. Which we did, albeit with the bullet-proof AT on a vegie truck. (It broke its front hub bearing). Still, we all made it to the Thai side, with the vegie truck arriving a couple of hours later. The Cambodia leg was good. Through the mountains we went. Winding and curving, up and down the inclines. Best appreciated at semi-quick pace. Tranquil is how I would describe the Cambodia I witnessed. Come back for a closer look? Hmmmm.

Day 14 to Day 16 – Feb.13. Pattaya-Burapa Bike Week.
Like they say, all good things must come to an end for better things to happen. Don’t know who said that. Because the date clashes with Chinese New Year, I never thought I could ever make Burapa. But this year, I can! My impression of Burapa Bike Week before this visit was sort of like ‘yeah, another bike week. Maybe bigger. That’s all’. With that thought, we went to take a look in the afternoon. The event was held near a sport stadium, on a piece wasteland, which is barren and not utilise year round, except now. Was pleasantly surprise to see Hooters with their sexy & curvy girls already up and operating in the afternoon heat. Although warm, the air was dry, and therefore still bearable, especially with all sorts of liquid available. It was sort of lazy-like atmosphere. There were three international rock festival type giant stages and numerous stalls and tents being set up. And somewhere, gunshots can be heard-they were rehearsing a Wild West kind of shoot-out, complete with cowboy outfit and horses. Sound engineers were conducting sound checks. Harley-style bikes with ridiculously long forks were bouncing about in the undulating sand-packed ground. The environment is not dirty, as the ground is sandy, like what you see in Western cowboy movies, where horses trod and bring up clouds of dust. Sand, not soil. The heat and the beer got to us and we decide to head back to the hotel for a massage or something, promising to come back when it is cooler.
In the malls in town and the Walking Street by the sea, there were not many ‘masked’ people, although news report indicated that CONVID-19 was spreading. For sure we got some stares as a couple of us look really Chinese, cos that’s what we are. We still got our body and foot massages. Life goes on. No big deal.

Nightfall. After feeding time, we headed into Burapa Bike Week. The venue has undergone an amazing transformation. From a slow and lazy afternoon to a cool night sky, with a busy and pulsating atmosphere, LED and neon lights lighting up the place, thousands of people criss-crossing the grounds, shopping for tees and souvenirs, food, beer, and whatever. Dozens of bike clubs book their spaces and set up their individual and unique shelters, proudly displaying their chapters, their members clad in the customary black & leathers, and machines lining their turf. Bales of hay were utilised as tables & chairs, producing a ranch-style setting. On the three or four main stages, high-quality bands hammered out their tunes, predominantly of the rock/blues genre. Down stage, long-hair and dreadlock fans flocked, ruggedly dressed in jeans and tees and leathers, hippie-like, air-guitaring and prancing to the music. Elsewhere, colourful V-twins zig-zag across the ground among the people, for there were no clear differentiation on where to walk, sit or ride. Amazingly with this many people, I don’t see any fights or the Law. Everyone was at peace, doing their own stuff, enjoying the occasion. A ‘live and let live’ attitude. Freaking cool. Pockets of weed plumes hung in the air. With the alcohol already consumed, I could get high just by hanging around them and breathing. A diesel engine mounted on wheels, towing a line of three modified wagon, each just big enough to sit an adult, was doing its round in the ground. Whether this is choreographed or not, it added colour to the night. And in stark contrast to the three hippies in front, the last wagon sits a young lad, gaming on his electronic device, eyes glued to the display, oblivious of the thundering music and people around him. It was like a statement recognising and accepting the boon & bane of the current era; the Smartphone. Such is the Thai Culture. There were also other bands and soloist singing ballads in their language among the stalls and tents along the fringe. Even these fringe acts were good. While exploring, we came across a little path which has a partially hidden entrance. The air here was different, but not unpleasant. The stalls in this path had whole stalks of weed, hanging on strings by their roots. Further down, paraphernalia. At another stall, weeds nicely rolled with brown leaves stood ready to be lit. For sale at 100Bhat each. I want to live here.

The two nights at Burapa was eye-opening. Vietnam was our goal and Burapa was our reward. I was in a zone, totally ‘szone’ and legless most of the time I was there. Also I acted strangely, as Patrick would verify. But I thoroughly enjoyed it. Music by the band Deepest Purple who played covers of the original Deep Purple was sensational. When I had my eyes closed absorbing the music, it was like listening to a recording. It was so true to the original. Tunes from as far back as Shades of Deep Purple was faithfully reproduced, LIVE. The sound system was terrific.

People from the West are probably unfazed by Burapa Bike Week. After all, they have Woodstock and many concerts and other huge Bike events going on for a long time already. But for me, it’s the closest thing to Woodstock in this part of the world. Combine with the bikes, it is simply amazing. To me at least. I hope that more events like Burapa can be organise around here.

Day 17-The time has come. Sadly, we had to leave Pattaya. We stopover at Hua Hin the next day, where we chanced upon a pub by a railway track, with the band jamming Another Brick In The Wall as the train sped past. Damn cool. A continuation of the high from Burapa? Video here Another Brick in The Wall (beside train track)

We hit Hatyai the day after. My bike was sent for its 40k servicing and at the same time, the fork was also rebuilt. So with fresh lubricants in the bike, I was ready for the nearly 900km ride home.

Day 20, 19 Feb. 2020-Homeward bound. By this time, only two of us were left to ride back. Patrick was to drive to SUV to KL. The others who had work or other commitments have already left by air from BKK, after Burapa. We left Hatyai at 6am and I arrive home in S’pore just before 5pm.
At this moment, the euphoria of the ride, of the countries we visited, of the time spent in Vietnam, and of the freedom of Burapa, lingers. My appreciation to Patrick and the others who together, made this trip outstanding and memorable. May there be more.

Apart from Patrick, names has been withheld in respect of their privacy.

Walk Slow. Ride Hard.

Feb/Mar. 2020