Day 21: The Longest Distance in the Journey

• From - To: Sunny Homestay – Paradise Suites Hotel

• Distance: 190 km, 4:48h

• Routes: QL37 – DT287 – DT294 – DT292 – QL37 – DT293 – QL279 – QL18

• Accommodation: Paradise Suites Hotel, Classic Suite King Bed with A/C 41 Eur per night, including breakfast

Google Maps suggested taking the longer but faster route via CT07 – QL5B, which are expressways. Preferring not to travel on them, I chose alternative routes that appeared more interesting on the map. This decision extended my travel time by 1.5 hours, but I was hopeful for a more enjoyable journey. Reality, however, can sometimes differ from expectations... At first, the road was normal. Then, I had to navigate through a line of buses. After that, I overtook about ten trucks, only for them to catch up with me again in towns where locals on scooters travel at 40 km/h. It's frustrating when a large truck carrying sand speeds through a town at 70 km/h, honking loudly and forcing everyone to the side of the road, while also kicking up dust clouds. Unpleasant, to say the least.

I didn't note the exact location, but after about 100 km, I hit a stretch so dusty that I stopped to check if there was an alternative route. Unfortunately, there wasn't. With a mouth full of sand and stinging eyes, I forged ahead until the road began climbing into the mountains, and rain started to pour from a grey cloud. For the first time, I welcomed the rain on the road – better to be wet than dusty.

The rain quickly eased, and the dusty asphalt was no more. QL279 snaked its way through mountains, meandering through valleys and climbing and descending serpentine roads. Like a much-needed point C, it finally brought vibrant colors to my journey.

I found my point F – Food – near the end of my journey. Spotting a Pho sign, I stopped, quickly enjoyed my favorite dish, and within half an hour, I was on Tuan Chau Island in Ha Long Bay. This was the longest distance I covered in a single day on my motorbike during my entire 23-day trip in Vietnam.

In the evening, I went from Tuan Chau Island to Ha Long to drop off my laundry at a regular service. Washing a pair of trousers at the hotel cost as much as washing 11 items, including the trousers and shoes, at the laundry: 120K VND (4.75 EUR). Then, I decided to ride across the famous Bai Chai Bridge, which I had learned about from a documentary covering its construction from 2003 to 2006. The bridge connects two parts of Ha Long city, divided by a wide bay. The 2.5 km long bridge was built over three years without disrupting ship traffic, using a balanced cantilever method where two segments of the bridge were constructed simultaneously on either side of the support tower. Having previously walked across San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, now I had the chance to ride my motorbike across Bai Chai – with separate lanes for motorbikes and scooters on both sides. A marvelous example of human engineering (see YouTube video).

That day, I traveled a total of 231 km. I believe this is the most one can reasonably plan for a day's route on a small motorbike like the Honda Winner X on Vietnamese roads. Any more would be excessive and leave no time for an evening massage.