Day 88 – Hoi An, Vietnam – 3:19 PM

My two days in Hue, Vietnam were packed with a visit to The Citadel and a visit by motorbike to local tombs on the outskirts of the city.  I arrived in Hue by overnight train at 8 AM Wednesday morning.  My hostel, Hue Backpackers, did not allow anyone to check in until 2 PM.  I pulled out my guidebook and sauntered over to The Citadel, approximately ten minutes away. Construction on The Citadel began in 1804 after Emperor Gia Long took control of Vietnam a year prior. Twenty-nine years later, construction was completed and the site was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993. Since its completion, stonewalls have replaced the original mud walls and a moat continues to surround the property.

The following day, I rented a motorbike to explore outside the city limits.  I drove south and stopped at the tombs of Tu Duc and Minh Mang. Both tombs, constructed during the 19^th Century, lie on the Perfume River and were planned by their respective rulers during their reigns over the Nguyen Dynasty. Not only was the motorbike a means to explore the far reaches of Hue, but it also provided another opportunity to familiarize myself with the bike that carried me south yesterday.

A popular motorbike route in Vietnam is to drive the entire length of the country between Hanoi and Saigon. However, a much shorter, yet scenic route is over the Hai Van Pass between Hue and Hoi An.  Hue Backpackers advertised a self-guided trip over the Hai Van Pass via motorbike.  For a small fee, they provide you a motorbike to complete the 100-mile ride while transporting your bags by bus.  On Thursday, I reserved a bike for Friday morning and paid the fee of less than $100 USD.

Later that day two Australians moved into my 6-person room.  We began chatting and it turned out one was planning to take the bus from Hue to Hoi An while the other had also reserved a motorbike.  We decided it smarter to ride together than individually and agreed to depart Hue the following morning at 9 AM.  I packed my bags so all valuables remained in my daypack and with me for the duration of the trip.  Everything else was went inside my larger pack and would be shipped to Hoi An.  There was a possibility of rain so I stored everything in dry bags and placed them inside an oversized trash bag. After a double burger and local beer for dinner, I called it an early night hoping to be well rested for the following days ride.

I woke up around 7:15 AM and quickly went to the attached restaurant for breakfast.  I ordered scrambled eggs and toast and sat down to contemplate the days events.  I glanced out the window and gazed upon overcast skies.  I would need to move my rain jacket within arms reach in case I needed to quickly don it.  As I finished breakfast, my Aussie riding mate appeared and sat down with a healthy portion of eggs as well.  It was shortly after 8 AM and less than an hour until we were scheduled to depart Hue.  He had never ridden a motorbike before and I ensured him he would pick it up quickly and we would get to Hoi An in one piece. At least I hoped.

We gathered our belongings and walked to the reception desk to acquire the keys to our chariots and take to the streets.  The luggage to be transported was collected and labeled with our names.  We were instructed to take a seat nearby and the receptionist handed us two maps and broke down the route we followed.  She pointed out gas stations and points of interest along the way along with emergency phone numbers in case we ran into trouble.  With that she asked if we had any questions.  After shaking our heads and glancing at each other in nervous anticipation she handed us the keys and our helmets.  We walked out the door and there in front of us rested two motorbikes that appeared in working order.  We quickly gave them a check, ensured they started and seamlessly changed gears.  Satisfied with our modes of transport, we strapped on our helmets and straddled our bikes.  We decided I would lead first as I maneuvered through the city streets the day prior during my excursion to the tombs.

We pulled away from the curb and turned right onto a busy roadway.  I made the turn first and glanced in my mirror to see my cohort complete the turn and pull in behind me.  We conquered the first challenge with many more to come.  Our first stop was a gas station ten minutes up the road.  We pulled up to the pumps and the attendant filled each of our tanks.  I asked my buddy how the first ten minutes went.  Much like my first motorbike experience, he smiled from ear to ear and exclaimed how awesome and exhilarating it was.

We pulled back onto the roadway, continued over a nearby bridge and proceeded south along Route 49.  We snaked through small villages and past paddies lined with green rice shoots.  I met the glances of locals intrigued by westerners traversing their dusty roadways.  Mist began to collect on my sunglasses and I feared the worst.  Luckily, the rain held off and I never donned my rain jacket.

After roaring through our first mountain tunnel we hung a right onto Route 1 and continued in an easterly direction.  Our first point of interest, an elephant sanctuary, rapidly approached and we decided to stop off and explore the area.  Having no prior knowledge of the elephant sanctuary, I assumed it was a place for wild elephants to gather and feed.  We parked our bikes and I slung my camera anticipating perfect photo opportunities. We set off on foot into a small ravine lined with boulders and flowing rapids.  Nowhere in sight were the elephants I visualized earlier in the day.  There may indeed be elephants that roam that particular area, but I stepped onto my bike disappointed with our failed elephant hunt.

After a rice and beef lunch at a nearby street side stall, we motored east on Route 1 and rapidly approached the Hai Van Pass. The Hai Van Pass is a 13-mile stretch of roadway that traverses a large section of the Annamite Mountain range that protrudes into the South China Sea. The spontaneously changing weather conditions on the pass have claimed the lives of over 100 victims.

From a distance, low hanging clouds shrouded the tops of the Annamite Mountains, the very mountains we had to negotiate on motorbikes with no headlights.  As we drew closer, I suspected the journey over the pass might take longer than expected if it began to rain and traffic backed up while managing the steep switchbacks. I tucked in behind a local on a motorbike and followed him until he sped away and I was unwilling to increase our speed.  Signs along the road indicated approaching turns and switchbacks while highlighting the 8% grade ahead of us.  I nervously turned corners careful to steer clear of approaching tour buses and stray cows grazing on roadside grass.

We reached the top and did not feel a single drop of rain.  There was a large rest area lined with tour buses and motorbikes.  A local woman grabbed a microphone and started an impromptu concert. Locals and travelers alike danced to the rhythm.  We scaled the nearby hill and imagined the views that were shrouded by clouds.  I sat down and sipped water while polishing off a Snickers Bar.

After a short respite, we fired up our bikes and took off down the opposite side of the pass.  Within minutes of pulling away from the peak, the clouds parted and clear, blue skies stretched in all directions.  In the distance, sparkling blue water of Da Nang Bay glistened in the afternoon sunshine.  Signs continued to document the approaching curves but now the 8% grade signs displayed a descending angle.  I spent most of the descent with pressure applied to the brakes and gazed at the spectacular views.  We continued south along Route 1 and approached the skyline of Da Nang.  Our second stop was the Marble Mountains. I jumped on the throttle and crossed Cau Thau Phuoc Bridge skirting around the city of Da Nang.

Shortly after 4 PM, we pulled into the Marble Mountains parking lot and turned off our bikes.  We paid the $0.67 USD entry fee and ascended a flight of stairs to the cluster of five limestone and marble peaks. A number of Buddhist shrines have been erected on the mountainsides and provide clear views of the city and beaches below. By 5 PM, I was spent from the drive south and had my fill of mountains and motorbikes.  We started our bikes and turned south once again for the final 45 minutes of our journey.  Dusk was rapidly approaching and I wanted to reach our destination before nightfall.  The final stretch was uneventful until we reached the bustling streets of Hoi An.  At that point I navigated streets I could not pronounce nor remember while avoiding on coming traffic, cyclists and pedestrians.  It became a matter of turning onto a street and pulling over to figure out our next turn. We turned onto that street and pulled over again to re-orient ourselves and count the number of blocks until the following turn.  This pattern continued for 20 minutes or so until we reached our destination, DK’s Hostel.  We parked our bikes, turned off the ignition and celebrated our journey and the day’s accomplishments.  I was thoroughly impressed with my friend’s willingness to jump on a bike with manual transmission and drive over 100 miles.  I became even more flabbergasted when he informed me late in the day that it was his first time driving on the right side of the road.

In the end, we covered just over 100 miles and averaged 18 MPH with a top speed of 34 MPH.  Our max altitude was a measly 1,627 feet.  I would have assumed higher from the views just after the pass.  Either way I was glad I decided to cover the route from Hue to Hoi An by motorbike.  It certainly was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I will remember for many years to come.