Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City Motorbike Trip: Day 4 - Phong Nha to Hue

I woke up early and ate some phở. I got a tip from an Australian guy, Malty, about where to drive and how to avoid the main highway. I drove on the Ho Chi Minh Highway and then crossed Highway 1 and drove near the coast. The weather was warm, sunny, and beautiful. The road was fairly empty. There wasn’t much traffic, but there were cows on the road in several places. It was a peaceful route to drive to Hue.

I got to Hue at about 1:30pm and checked into the Backpacker’s Hostel. Then I went to eat a bowl of Bun Bo Hue, dish named for Hue. After lunch I got my motorbike washed. Then I went to the mechanic, Kim Thien, to get my oil changed. My friend Ryan form Canada had recommended Kim Thien. Kim Thien was really nice. He changed my oil and adjusted my chain for 80,000 VND ($4). While I was there I met 2 Swedish guys, Lukas and Morta. They had just purchased 2 motorbikes and we made plans to meet for dinner and then drive to Da Nang the next day.

I sat and chatted with Kim Thien for a while and I met his cousin, Hung. He showed me pictures of his other family members on Facebook.

I felt like I had learned so many names in the past 3 days that my brain was starting to go numb.

Lukas, Morta, and I ate dinner at a restaurant next to the Backpacker’s hostel, got to know each other, and discussed our plans to travel together. After dinner, we went to a market to find gloves and socks for Lukas and Morta. Matthew from Australia came with us too.

In the evening, I partied in the Backpacker’s hostel. I met Meital from Israel and her friends Carolina from Austria and Jonathan from China. I played beer pong and drank with a bunch of backpackers from all over the world. They were fun, nice, and interesting.

We went to DMZ bar and I drank with some viking-looking guys from Scandinavia. After that I went back to Backpacker’s hostel and went to bed.