Yesterday was cool, but today was way cooler. I slept pretty well and left touristy Ninh Binh to head north. This was my first biking experience in the mountains and rural Vietnam. I felt so grateful, riding with the wind in my face through unbelievably beautiful landscapes. I felt energized and free. Rice fields and mountains surrounded me on all sides.
I put my destination into Google Maps, which offered a couple of different routes. I asked ChatGPT which one I should take for the most beautiful scenery, and it recommended the slightly longer one. When I reached the intersection between the two routes, I decided to take the longer one with no large cars. It led me through small villages and roads with no other tourists—or even other vehicles—in sight. The scenery was incredible. I rode fast and confidently.
About an hour and a half in, I was hyped, flying downhill. Out of nowhere, the nice paved road turned to gravel, dirt, and stones. Anyone who has ridden a motorbike knows that gravel is your worst enemy. I didn't have enough time to slow down. I slammed on the brakes, but I had too much momentum going downhill. My back wheel lost traction and started swerving left and right. I lost control.
When I finally regained control, I thought I was safe—but I still couldn't slow down. Since I was riding a semi-automatic bike, shifting gears was crucial. I tried to shift down to regain control. A lower gear helps slow you down naturally without relying too much on the brakes, preventing skidding. It also gives you better stability and traction, which is crucial on loose gravel.
Anyway, I was absolutely booking it down this hill at about 60 km/h, my back wheel still swerving side to side. Somehow, I didn't crash and made it safely. Not to toot my own horn, but I think this cements me as one of the greatest all-terrain motorbike riders in history. I told you back in Gainesville that I was UF's top rider—now my accolades just keep stacking up.
After this adrenaline-filled experience, I was still shocked that I didn't totally eat it. I pulled off to the side of the road and found a beautiful hidden rice field. I took out my drone and got some amazing shots. Some Vietnamese guy tried to talk to me, but he didn't understand that I didn't speak a lick of Vietnamese. I continued driving.
Then, about five minutes later, the phone holder on my motorbike broke. I caught my phone between my legs just in time. The phone holder is absolutely essential for maps and navigating through the mountains of Vietnam. I thought I was screwed. But I literally drove 100 meters, asked the first shop if they had a phone holder, and they did! The woman helped me install it, and I was able to head off with no problems.
Well, actually, I did notice that my rack, where I store my bags, had snapped a little—but I don't think it will affect its functionality.
I kept driving through insane landscapes, stopping a couple more times to fly my drone. Around 5:00 PM, I made it to Pu Luong. The views kept getting better and better—terraced rice fields and the coolest villages I had ever driven through. I turned down some random roads and was continually amazed by the landscapes.
I found a nice homestay before dark and negotiated the price down by 1,000,000 dong. Now, I'm in a nice private room. I drank rice wine with the owner, and we chatted a little bit.
Today was amazing.
