Va-Va-Vroom

2007-03-26T09:26:00.000-07:00

You're an avid traveler. You think you've done it all. Which saddens you a bit, because you're still young (others may argue with you there, but you're convinced of it). You've hiked Machu Picchu, you've snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef. You've hit every major site in the U.S. So what's left for you?

Unless you're one of the few intrepid souls who have been on one of Myths and Mountains' Ride Vietnam trips, chances are you haven't seen Asia by motorbike.

Well, now you can.

The Ho Chi Minh Highway (once a military supply line) stretches 1,433 miles from Hanoi to Saigon. Riding three to five hours a day (comfy underwear is a must), you'll start in Hanoi and wind your way south, skirting tree-lined boulevards, lush farms and seaside villages.

You'll climb the road into the Truong Son Mountains, passing rivers and hill towns, dodging wandering water buffalo. Your guide will tell stories about his experience fighting in the war as you visit landmarks like Ap Bia (a.k.a. Hamburger Hill) and the Cu Chi tunnels, once home to 10,000+ Vietcong troops. You'll sleep at small guesthouses, mountain motels and seaside
resorts and eat spring rolls and pork with lemongrass. You might even try porcupine or drink cobra blood.

You're probably thinking: porcupine, maybe. Cobra blood, not a chance. You're probably also thinking: the trip sounds like a whole lot of fun...except of course, for one minor drawback: you've never ridden a motorbike. Here's the thing: that's OK. You can learn--one course and you're certified. Just ask Elisabeth Robinson, an ex-film executive/producer-turned-writer, recently back from a 16-day Myths and Mountains Ride Vietnam adventure.

Elisabeth had never ridden a motorbike. Nor would she describe herself as a "thrill seeker" (more like a "Practical Pig," her friends say). But as she writes in her piece highlighting the trip for More magazine: she was "42, stuck in a rut, and eager for something to propel her out of it."

Fast forward through one 15-hour certification course and a day of private dirt-bike lessons and Elisabeth's on day three of her Ho Chi Minh Trail adventure, straddling a 125cc Honda, flying through the countryside, her face in the wind.

Now you're probably thinking: well heck if she can do it...so can I. Darn right.

So treat yourself (please pardon the cliche, but there's hardly a better way to describe it) to the experience of a lifetime: to Vietnam by motorbike. You won't regret it. Besides, when else in your life will you need to learn the words for "full throttle" in Vietnamese?

And you thought you'd done it all.

The Compass - Motorcycle Tours

Va-Va-Vroom