Solo Ride – Vietnam

This morning I woke at the very reasonable hour of 9am, to the sound of the man whose job it is to watch over the motel’s motorbike parking area singing karaoke at full volume. Let’s just say he won’t be winning Vietnam’s Got Talent anytime soon. I packed up, got on the bike and set off for Đà Lạt.

The journey from Định Quán to Đà Lạt is around 220 km and I was thinking (naively!) that it would take around five hours – a big underestimate!

The journey started in the southern heat (about 34°C) through built-up towns, surrounded by flat farmland and roadside stalls. Then the traffic thinned and for kilometre after kilometre it was just me and the odd slow-moving motorbike to pass, smooth tarmac and sunshine. It was absolute heaven and I rode with a huge grin on my face! I should say a few words of praise for my little motorbike at this point – its tiny 110 cc engine hasn’t skipped a beat and I’m growing quite fond of its character.

As I rode further north, the road began to climb into the Bảo Lộc Pass, one of the gateway routes into the Central Highlands. Pepper vines, coffee plantations and tea farms appeared as the land rose, and the air cooled enough to feel a noticeable chill. Then I noticed the sky above was getting ominously dark, just like it did around the same time the previous day.

About an hour later – the temperature dropped and torrential rain returned. I pulled over and considered waiting it out. But after yesterday’s experience of running out of daylight on the road, I made the decision to push on through it. I didn’t want to fail again at reaching my planned destination. For the next hour it was pretty tough – I had to take off my glasses to see through the rain and was going along at no more than 30 km/hour. At one point during a particular heavy part of the downpour – I had a proper moment of panic worried that I might be in a spot of bother if it didn’t stop soon.

After about an hour however, the rain did ease a bit – but from that point on, it was a wet, determined ride, with bursts of heavy downpours almost all the way into Đà Lạt. By the time I arrived, I’d been riding for around seven hours, the light was fading and I was soaked to the skin and absolutely exhausted.

I pulled out Booking.com, selected something a bit more upmarket than yesterday’s motel – a decent hotel felt earned – and headed straight there. I must have looked a sight dripping through reception but the staff were friendly and welcoming. I checked in, got into the room and had a long, hot shower, which honestly felt like pure heaven. My trainers were soaked; I tried drying them with a hair dryer which half worked – but let’s just say they weren’t smelling too fresh! Tomorrow I think they might have to be abandoned and a new pair purchased!

After drying off and regaining some warmth, I went out to explore Đà Lạt, which feels like a completely different world – cool pine air, a European vibe, neon reflections on the wet streets and a lively evening atmosphere. I wandered around until I found a Vietnamese restaurant that looked good and sat down for food – pork spring rolls, pak choi and seafood rice. It was absolutely delicious.

Tomorrow is Sunday, and I’ve decided to stay an extra night here. A day of rest in this cooler, calmer climate feels right before Monday’s descent to the coast to Phan Rang and onward to Nhà Trang.

Looking at Google Maps to check progress (I’m the little blue dot), Hanoi still looks like a very long way away indeed!

Thanks for following along.

P.S.

If you’re following this journey and would like to support Baby Lifeline and the incredible work they do for mums and babies, my GoFundMe link is here. Every penny donated goes to Baby Lifeline – and it really does make a difference. Seeing the total rise has been a huge boost.