This was one of the coolest days of my life. I came to Vietnam with really no plan, arriving late Saturday night. Today, I bought a motorbike to explore the country.
I had heard of people buying motorbikes in Vietnam to reach harder-to-access landscapes, but since I'm already deep into my trip, I wasn't sure if I'd have the energy to do it. On Sunday, I randomly walked into a bike shop and talked to the French owner, who gave me tons of info. He told me about an amazing off-the-beaten-path route in northern Vietnam, what to do if I got pulled over by the police, and the pros and cons of renting vs. buying. He was great.
After our conversation, I went on Facebook and joined almost 10 different Vietnam backpacker and motorbike groups. The French shop owner told me exactly what bike to look for: a Honda Wave, 110cc, semi-automatic. While scrolling through Facebook, I saw a listing for this exact bike. I messaged the seller, and it turned out he was staying at the same hostel as me! His name is Tuur, a Belgian guy living in Koh Tao. He was selling the bike for a really good price—7.5 million dong.
I was skeptical about buying anything through Facebook groups, but when I met him in person, he seemed like a super authentic, down-to-earth guy. This morning, I test-drove the bike, and it rode great. He told me he had recently serviced it, and it was a champ. We agreed on the price, and I bought the bike!
It took almost 1.5 hours to figure out how to transfer the money. Europeans use an app called Revolut, which has issues with American accounts. My brother Blake came in super clutch and helped us out—thanks, bro, I love you! I had to Apple Cash Blake, who then put money on his Revolut and sent it to me so I could transfer it to Tuur. Don't ask me why.
The bike came with a phone holder, a rack for bags, and bungee cords to secure them. The French bike dealer told me to get an oil change every 500 km, which I plan to do. You need a blue card for vehicle registration, which I got. Technically, you're supposed to have an international driver's license, but nobody does. The cops try to pull you over for bribes, but there are ways around it.
After buying the bike, I drove 122 km from Hanoi to Ninh Binh! It was a chill drive, but really cold—I had to layer up. I also bought a new helmet with a face shield because the one Tuur had didn't have one, and bugs are bound to fly in your face.
I arrived in Ninh Binh and stayed at a $4 hostel. I chilled and went to the Laying Dragon Viewpoint, flew my drone there, and got some good shots. Afterward, I hit the sauna and had goat meat for dinner—this town is known for goat for some reason.
It was a long day of driving, but I'm moving forward tomorrow. So stoked!
