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Asian Odyssey.
  • Karry Long
  • Karry Long

Asian Odyssey.

A 24 day trip starting in Japan and then travelling to Vietnam, back to Tokyo to fly home. We’ve been to both countries before but there is always something different to see. Read more
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  • Trip start
    May 19, 2026
    Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Traveler
    Early start
    Nice sunriseYes that is a happy smirk.So comfyTime for a real napGraham found a friend on the train.Late morning.

    On our way.

    May 21 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Heading off early today with the first flight out at 6.35. Everything went to plan had all the instruments checked through to Tokyo, so we had an easy ride across to the international airport. Good run through customs and immigration with plenty of time for breakfast and coffee.

    Waiting at the gate we got a text the flight would be delayed for an hour. Luckily the seats were comfy so we both had a little nap to make up for the 4 o’clock wake up.

    The wait was worth it, the plane is only half full, if that. There is plenty of room for everyone to spread out. It was probably the most comfortable flight we’ve had in years. Saying that nine hours is still a long time, locked in an aluminium can so we were still happy to be getting off.

    Takes an hour to get into the city in the train and it was a bit of a circus with a guitar, three suitcases and a couple of backpacks. We’d forgotten how many stairs there are in the train stations and you can never find the lift when you want one.

    We finally made it to our accomodation and deciphered the instructions to get in. It’s very compact, but has everything we need and is just around the corner from the hall where the Handmade Guitar Show will be.

    Offloaded all our gear and headed out to find some dinner, Beer and Ramen, can’t go wrong with that.    Read more

  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Traveler
    Crab legs
    They were deliciousJapan has the most delicious strawberriesTuna sashimiThe knives were popularNot sure what these were coated in Marsapan maybeHe's loving it.Scallops and sea urchinI do need some more bowlsMore tunaThe Sake was greatAnd the beer!But the eel was the standout.Who doesn't love Karage Chicken.No idea!Our friends for the night. They couldn't believe we found this bar.

    Trains around Tokyo

    May 22 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    We had a few things we wanted to see in Tokyo. First off the Tsukiji Fish Market. It was just as good as we remembered, although we couldn’t find any live sea urchin, we did find lots of tasty tidbits. After our fill of seafood we took the train to Shibuya station, three trips to Tokyo and we still haven’t visited this iconic scramble crossing.

    We looked at it for the Eleventh floor, from ground level and from the 3rd floor, 2nd floor and I still don’t see what all the fuss is about. Unremarkable as my Dad would have said. 🤣

    After having a drink ( you can either have a $10 coffee or a $10 cocktail, it’s a no brainer) on the second floor to watch the crossing we were done.

    We had planned to visit the Meiji Shrine and the gardens but the weather goods were not in favour today, so after a coffee at the entrance waiting for the rain to clear we decided to head home for a rest.

    A trip to Daiso our favourite store in Tokyo is always a must , I could spend hours in there, we came away with so many great bargains.

    Time for a drink. Decided to head in the other direction when we left the apartment. We only got about 1/2 a block before we saw a little bar.

    We were only going in for one drink…. 3 hours later.    Read more

  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Traveler

    Sumida

    May 23 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Train hopping in Tokyo
    The guitar show doesn’t start until tomorrow so we have a free day today. Last time we were here we really enjoyed the Fish Market so decided to go back for another look. Lots of interesting stalls, so much seafood and snacks to buy. We had a breakfast of crab legs, scallops, sea urchin, tuna sashimi and strawberries.
    This place is full of bus tours so you need to be early to avoid the worst of the crowds. By the time we’d had our fill of seafood it was packed. Time to go!
    Siybuya crossing is another place we’ve never been to. It’s a bit of an effort to get there but we had all day to fill so why not.
    Got a bit lost coming out of the station but we found an information team and they put us straight.
    We went across the crossing, looked at it from the 11 floor, the 2nd floor, the 3rd floor and on the ground. It’s a rainy day so lots of umbrella around which added a bit more interest. But honestly we couldn’t see what all the fuss was about. Pretty unremarkable as my Dad would say. 😂    Read more

  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Traveler

    Tokyo Handcrafted Guitar Festival.

    May 23 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    This weekend we will be at the Tokyo Handcrafted Guitar Festival. This is the second time we attended. Lots of people, lots of guitars and ukulele’s and lots of talking and trying to interpret on both our parts and the customers.

    The first day is done and there’s been lots of interest but no sales yet. Might not be our year. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.

    We went looking for some dinner and stopped into a bar on the corner of our street that always seems to be packed when we go past. We had to wait in line for ten minutes or so but it was worth it. Gyozas, Ramen, Beer and Sake. The perfect dinner.    Read more

  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Traveler

    2 nd Day at Tokyo Handcrafted Guitar Festival

    May 24 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Second day at the festival. Seems a bit quieter today until about lunchtime. Slow Sunday morning I guess. Someone who brought one of Grahams ukulele’s came in this morning to meet him. Brought us bag full of treats which was nice.

    Then the couple from Ukulele Bird arrived and after a bit of bargaining brought 2 Ukulele’s. Topped it off with selling a mandolin and Graham is happy as Larry.

    The festival finished at 5 and we were packed up and back at the apartment by 5.30. An appetiser of gyozas and beer and then a seafood selection for dinner and we’re just about done in Tokyo.    Read more

  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Traveler

    Seafood Dinner

    May 24 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    We celebrated a successful festival with an entree of beer and gyozas and then a seafood feast. So many great eateries all on our doorstep.

  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Traveler

    Out of Tokyo

    May 25 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Bit of an epic journey this morning. We have to get the train out to Higashi Matsudo station, pick up the hire car and then drive all the way across to the other side of Tokyo to drop off two ukuleles to Ukulele Bird.
    Driving in Tokyo is much less stressful than I expected until we had to do a u turn and find a park. Wow some of these streets are so narrow. I’m pretty sure we drove up the wrong way on one and then down a pedestrian walkway but we got there.
    There was a young guy there. Pretty famous musician in Japan apparently and he played a couple of Grahams ukes. Beautiful player, so effortless.
    Another bout in the traffic and we headed off to Ashikaga Flower Park.
    We were having a good run until the gps last service in the tunnel and then thought we were on a road below us. Confusion reined for a while until we got back on track.    Read more

  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Traveler
    Hope this is the right spotChicken something, some were a tad chewySashimiOmelette?

    Yamanouchi

    May 25 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Finally got ourselves out for Tokyo, well on the outskirts anyway to Ashikaga Flower Park. It’s much later than we thought we would be here, which turned out to be a good thing. It was so hot today but by Kate afternoon it had started cooling off. Ashikaga is renown for massive big 160 yer old wisteria trees. Unfortunately the wisteria flowering is finished for the year but the park has any number of other flowers. More roses than you could count and millions log petunias. I think it would a gorgeous place any time of the year and we enjoyed an hour or two wandering around smelling the roses.
    Thank goodness we had booked a hotel here, and it wasn’t too far away. Our host sent us in the right direction for a great dinner at a little bar about 300 m down the street.
    Had no idea what anything was, luckily there was a young guy working in there who had a bit of English and he gave us his suggestion. Although we did draw the line at Pig Intestines.
    I think he was trying to give us the weirdest things on the menu but we surprised him by eating everything.    Read more

  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Traveler

    Mountains, monkeys, ryokans, onsens.

    May 26 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Today we are heading to the mountains, it’s nice to be leaving the traffic and getting to see a bit more of the countryside.
    Mind you it took at least another hour of driving to leave the high rises and the freeways behind.
    Wow these mountains are high, we heading up into what would be the snowfields in winter. There was actually still a bit of snow around.
    Windy, windy roads, lots of ski lifts and multi stories hotels, most closed up for the summer.

    One of the highest points was Shiga Kogan. Beautiful views from up there and cold!
    Our next stop was the Snow Monkey Park. No snow at the moment, but plenty of monkeys. So many babies, who were very cute.
    We thought the park was a tad neglected, considering it is one of the top tourist attractions, the pathways especially, we had to walk over some dodgy board a few times. Health and safety would have a heart attack back home.    Read more

  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Traveler
    21

    Shibu Onsen

    May 26 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Well what a delightful stay we had at Shibu Onsen.
    A lovely dip in the onsen to start, a relaxing hour or so before dinner.

    Dinner, what a treat. So many delicious tidbits. Japanese food at a ryokan is an art form.
    We took a walk down through the main part of town after dinner. There are nine different bath houses you can try and get a stamp at them all too, but that all seemed like too much effort to us.
    It’s a pretty place anyway but after dark it’s magical. A few people like us walking around in their yukatas. Those wooden shoes are not for beginners though. Especially going uphill. The

    Another beautiful array of food the next morning and another walk through town.

    This area is so pretty with the mountain, rivers and onsens.    Read more

  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Traveler
    1

    Obuse

    May 27 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    We have a few things on the list today. First off is Obuse a little place only half an hour away.
    On the way we noticed lots of roses along the side of the road, then more in little parks until we eventually came upon a huge Rose Park. Did a bit of illegal u turn and walked in to discover the most beautiful display of every type and colour rose there could possible be. Every plant was a photo opportunity.
    After a hour of flower appreciation we continued on to Obuse.
    There is a museum there for Katsushika Hokusai who spent some
    Time there in his later years. Artist of the famous Tsunami Wave Painting.
    It was a lovely museum with amongst other works a collection of the 36 views of Mt Fuji one of which is The Wave.
    Also two festival floats he painted the inside roof of.
    Just down the street we found a Sake Brewery with tasting. Sake is my favourite drink here so of course we had to try a few of them.
    Chestnut Alley was also on the list here to see and was worth it for the wooden paving and the pretty gardens, there wasn’t actually too many chestnut trees.

    We’re driving to a little place called liyama to meet our grandson Jack and his wife Saffi. They are here in Japan with some friends at the same time and by a happy coincidence our paths are crossing today.    Read more

  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Traveler

    Driving chaos.

    May 27 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    I was driving today and we were supposed to get to Obasute to see the rice terraces. But the gps on the phone gets itself confused with the tunnels, so we missed the exit and then decided to skip them and head straight to the hotel.
    That should have been simple but no the next exit was 17 kms down the freeway and then it send us down a stupidly narrow road straight down a humongious mountain. Anyway we arrived eventually and thank goodness it is like a paradise in a desert. Lovely room, beautiful onsen, delicious food, expensive drinks.

    The onsen was so good we had to have another one in the morning.
    You can book a private onsen but at 5500yen I don’t think so. I can look at him naked anytime.    Read more

  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Traveler

    Wasabi and Kamikouchi.

    May 28 in Japan ⋅ 🌧 21 °C

    We’ve done a couple of things today, but to be honest the drive between them has been the highlight.

    We set the gps to no toll roads and yes it took longer but oh so much more interesting .

    A lovely drive from our accomadation through rice fields and rural neighbourhoods. Some of the gardens are so manicured with topiary tress abounding in many front yards. Daio Wasabi farm. Acres of wasabi, growing under shade cloth in a water course. They serve it with nearly every meal so I guess they need a lot of it.
    We had a wasabi Ice cream while we were there which was obviously tamed down because you couldn’t taste any heat in it at all.
    Lovely grounds though with a walk through the farm and of course a gift shop for whatever wasabi flavoured thing you desired.

    Only 42 klms on from there is Kamakouchi National Park. Another slow but interesting drive to the national park. I think we drove through the fruit bowl of Japan. Apple trees, peach trees, plum trees, grapes. Fruit farms for miles and still rice paddies.
    After an hour or so we eventually got to Kamakouchi.

    The Japanese know how to commercialise a natural attraction.
    It’s free to enter the park, you just have to pay an arm and a leg to get the bus there. No private cars are allowed to enter the park, although we did see plenty of taxis and hotel pickups. So many hotels in there too.

    Today started off beautifully but as the afternoon has gone on the clouds have started to gather and just as we arrived the clouds started closing in on the mountain.
    We did an hours walk with umbrellas through the mist to different views of the river but the clouds persisted.

    One thing that stood out was the clarity of the water. I’ve never seen a river so clear. You could easily see to the bottom of even the deepest areas. So beautiful.

    It’s only about 15 klms to our accomodation. Umm this one is not a standout. Thank goodness it’s only one night.    Read more

  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Traveler
    The 1200 year old Ginkgo
    Chusio WaterfallTakayama Old StreetsHida Kokubun -ji TempleYes it is massiveI may have bought some fabric.Festival floatsSo colourfulSo many things to look at on these floats.So tall I'm just a speck underneath.

    Takayama

    May 29 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We called in to Takayama for a nostalgic visit. We stayed here 7 years ago on our first trip to Japan.
    We’ve had an early start today so when we saw a sign for a waterfall we took a little detour. Such a pretty little waterfall we thought it should have had more publicity.

    It’s still pretty quiet when we arrived so we took a walk through the old street which is just gorgeous at this time of day with nobody around.
    Breakfast at the morning market with a view of the river and the big fish swimming around.

    There is 1200 year old Ginkgo tree here that we were keen to see and it’s only a short walk away.
    Funny thing was we both realised we’d been to this temple before and hadn’t realised the significance of the ginkgo tree. It is a lovely old tree with a massive trunk.
    We took the opportunity to visit the festival float hall this time. They are huge and so elaborate and colourful. Would be great to see them out on the street during a festival.    Read more

  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Traveler

    Shirakawa go!

    May 29 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    This is the third time we visited Japan and we finally got to Sharikawa go. It’s a bit of a drive to get here so we decided to make it worth the effort and stay the night turned out to be a great decision because once the daytime visitors leave you have it all to yourself. Well, with about 100 other guests who are staying the night.

    We’re staying at another ryokan here just on the outskirts of the old village. It’s one of the original gassho traditional farm houses run by an elderly couple with the help of their son. Dinner and breakfast prepared for us and they were both delicious.    Read more

  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Traveler

    Nakasendo Trail

    May 30 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    We’ve got a couple of hours drive today to get to Narai. We’re taking the scenic route again instead of the expressway. We drove through endless tunnels in the way up to Shirakawa go and we are sick of them.

    Narai is an old town on the Nakasendo Trail. We’re planning to do the Torii Pass walk between Yabahara and Narai. We’ve done another section of the trail a few years ago and really enjoyed it.

    Arrived at our accomodation about midday and in the peak of Saturday tourist traffic. Told our host what we wanted to do and she grabbed our bags and told us hurry hurry the train is leaving soon.

    So off we bolt to the train station just in time for the train to Yubahara. Thought we’d be able to get some lunch there before we start but no sign of any 7 elevens anywhere. We did at least buy some water from the vending machine at the station.

    Thought we were lost for a little while, because we had to walk through the town but we eventually came upon some signs for the pass.
    Started climbing up almost straight away, first through the town then the forest which thankfully was much cooler but even more steep.

    Wow that hill was relentless, thank goodness we at least had water and there were a couple of springs on the way you could cool off with.

    They were a few other people on the walk and It was nice to see we weren’t the only ones struggling, although we did see one young guy run up the track past us, he was carrying a huge backpack too.

    Finally we made it to the top with the torri gates as a reward and then the spring and pass maker! It was all down hill from there which has its own challenges on slippery cobblestones and shale rocks.

    3 hours later we were back in Naria, ready for a beer.    Read more

  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Traveler

    Narai

    May 30 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Narai is a beautiful preserved post town from the endo period. It on the Nakasendo trail and where we are spending the night. This is our last Ryokan stay and it is a classic. It’s run by an old couple who have all these hand written rules pasted all over the place.
    The room is small and very traditional, futons on the floor, rice pillows, no chairs just cushions and a low table.
    They have a little onsen here and your time limit is set and strict.
    They gave us some great advise about the walk and dinner last night was magnificent
    Looking forward to breakfast before we check out.    Read more

  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Traveler
    Chureito Pogoda
    First sight of the old boyLooks like we're the only ones there but not by a long shot.Fascinating watching the clouds come and go.We stayed up there for half an hour or so and the clouds changed so much.Other side of the pagoda.Nobody is interested in this view.The torii gates398 of these!Bright Blue Brewery.I look a wreck, it was hot!Honcho stView from our hotel

    Yamanakako

    May 31 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    We’ve had a change of plans today. We were going to Matsumoto to see the castle but we decided to start heading back to Tokyo instead and have a look at Mt Fuji.
    Sunday traffic was a bit hectic in places and because we didn’t want to go on the expressway it took about an hour longer to get there.

    It was quite interesting travelling down the valley. Mt Fuji came into sight fairly quickly and we weren’t sure if that was it or not, then it would disappear and reappear again.

    The day was a bit cloudy as we left Narai but it started to get a few breaks in the clouds as we drove along. By the time we reached Chureito Pagoda clouds had gathered on the peak.

    Nobody told me there were 398 steps up to the pagoda. Holy Moly my legs were still fragile from yesterday but nevertheless up we went. The climb was absolutely worth it. The view from up there was magic, even with all the Sunday traffic. The clouds had cleared again for a bit.

    Had a well deserved ice cream when we got to the bottom again.

    Next up we went looking for the street in town with Mt Fuji at the end but we got distracted by a brewery sign and ended up with a flight of beers and surprise surprise, some Australians for company.

    We did eventually find the street and a few other shots. By this time the Sunday afternoon traffic was thick so we found our hotel for a rest.    Read more

  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Traveler

    Last and long day!

    June 1 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    We work up to brilliant sunshine this morning and the view of Mt Fuji from our hotel room changed so much over a couple of hours. Got a couple more good shots of him as we were leaving town.

    We’ve got a long drive back to Tokyo today so we want to get away early. The first half an hour was lovely, up and down a beautiful mountain, little streams, snow top mountain views, rice fields and villages along the way.

    Stopped for breakfast at a 7 eleven and then our interesting road trip was over. 3 hours of traffic lights, 40 klms an hour. We had a break and stopped at a Daiso for some last minute bargains and lunch but the rest of the day was tedium.

    Dropped the car back and then we were back on the trains and buses to our hotel. It’s right beside the airport so will be good for the early start in the morning.

    Reorganised our bags so we can leave the big one and the guitar here and then found the sky bar. My goodness their margaritas packed a punch and the sake was pretty good too. Found a quick dinner downstairs and we were done for the day.    Read more

  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Traveler
    Back in crazy town.
    Our favourite perch.

    Hurry ,hurry, hurry wait!

    June 2 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 35 °C

    Today is a travel day and we all know that includes a lot of waiting.

    First of all we had to wait for the shuttle bus, then we had to wait for the counter to open. In Japan nothing opens one second before it’s supposed to. Doesn’t matter how many people are waiting. Anyway we’re up the front of the line, we should be through in no time.

    No, there was some problem with our paperwork, computer A didn’t know what computer B wanted and keep spitting us back out. We were both getting a bit nervous by this time. Is something wrong with the ticket, the visa, our passports? What? Nobody seemed to know. Eventually we got taken down to some head honcho and she bashed away on her computer for a bit and we were sent back with our first girl. After another ten minute wait finally we got through.

    Thank goodness, I needed a coffee, but no, the coffee places weren’t open, so we had to wait for that as well.

    Waited till the end to board the plane. Got everyone seated and guess what, no runways available, waited on the tarmac for half an hour.

    I could go on, it didn’t finish there but you get the drift. The joys of plane travel!    Read more

  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Traveler

    Hanoi

    June 3 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 34 °C

    We’ve had an evening and most of today in Hanoi. Visited some favourite places and discovered a few more.

    It’s at the start of their summer in Vietnam and they have already had a heat wave which luckily passed before we got there. It’s hot but not as bad as we were expecting.

    We’ll be back for another couple of days after this trip up north.    Read more

  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Traveler

    Getting to Ha Giang.

    June 3 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 35 °C

    The bus trip up to Ha Giang would have to be up there in our top 10 memorable luxury roads trips. Less said about it the better. Best thing was we got a room upgrade when we arrived at the hotel.

  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Traveler
    Ready to go
    This is the boss man. He's my driver.Graham with MinHot coffee with a straw. Thats a first.Our group minus me!The only bit I was brave enough to video.

    Ha Giang Loop Day 1

    June 4 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    First day of the Ha Hiang Loop
    Seems a bit cooler this morning, Got our bikes and riders and we’re ready to go straight after breakfast. There are 8 of us in this group. Bit of a mix of young ones and a couple of older ones.

    My rider is the Captain so we are out in front and then Graham”s must be the 2 in charge. He has the first aid box anyway so that has to count for something.

    They had some rain last night so it’s a little clearer this morning, and I was wrong it’s hot. Took us a little while to get out of Ha Giang itself but then we started climbing almost straight away up into the mountains .

    I could go on and on but suffice to say the views over the mountains were just amazing.

    The clouds started brewing over the peaks just before lunch and we all had to don our rain gear. Made it so slippery I felt like I was going to slide right off the seat. It didn’t actually rain until we got to lunch and we had a lovely meal while it bucketed down.

    So when we got back on the bikes I only put the boot protectors and the jacket on. It was still a bit drizzly and my pants got wet but at least I stayed in place.

    We’ve got a nice little home stay here for two nights and dinner is just up the road where we all did numerous Vietnamese toasts with Happy Water which take about three times as long as anyone else’s. .

    Ready for day 2    Read more

  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Traveler
    Ready for day 2
    286 of these.Magic viewsFlooded rice fieldsCoffee stop.Back into Van DongVan DongTu San CanyonYou feel very small against these mountains.Views on the Ma Pi Leng PassThongTu San Canyon

    Day 2 of the Ha Giang

    June 5 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Today starts off with a visit to the Chinese border which was
    pretty unimpressive to be honest. A
    A massive fence and a set of gates you couldn’t get within 200 meters of.
    Then on to Lung Cu Flag Tower. It is a massive 33.15-meter-tall monument topped with a 54-square-meter national flag (representing Vietnam's 54 ethnic groups) perched on the summit of Dragon Mountain.

    Once again about 300 steps up to it just to kept the lungs and thighs working. And then a climb up the tower itself, I don’t know how many steps, it seemed endless. Gorgeous 360 degrees views from up there of the karst mountains, terraced rice fields and the border into china. so it was worth it.

    Next stop was a little coffee rest with a view down into a valley of flooded rice fields. Amazing place to have a rest and a salted coffee. It poured rain for about five minutes while we were there, but had cleared up by the time we headed off again.

    Tuong took us somewhere with a special fried rice and beef lunch today. The riders all seemed to love it but It wasn’t a winner for many of us.

    The afternoon was filled with the magic of travelling up and down to the Nho Quế River over the Ma Pi Leng pass for a boat ride along the gorge. This ride is just indescribably beautiful. I would have loved to have taken more photos but it was a wee bit scary. So many twists and turns and a vista around every corner.

    Any heavy shower of rain on the way down and we had to stop beside the road and get our wet gear on. That was fun on the side of a mountain with cars and bikes whizzing past and a massive drain to fall into if you put a foot wrong.

    The rain was gone again by the time we got to the river. The boat ride along the gorge was lovely. Very busy with quite a few boats out but the gorge is huge so they all disappeared pretty quickly.

    Back up the mountain with more views of gorges, rice fields, corn fields, and waterfalls. I would have liked to stop at every vantage point.    Read more

  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Traveler
    Filming backwardsOur group.Graham and MengThe gorgeous rice fields we passed all day.Finally got there.The boys bondingSo beautifulThe little track. Couldn't film the scary bit I was too busy hanging on.It was worth it for this view.

    Day 3 Ha Giang Loop

    June 6 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Wow this ride is a commitment. The hips and but are feeling it today. Just a short ride this morning to our first destination.

    Who doesn’t love a cave visit especially when it’s fenced off and has signs saying no entry. Well I assume that what they say.
    But Tuong is through the fence so we all follow him. This cave is massive. Many stairs going down into it and so it was obviously a big deal once. We get to the bottom and the stairs continue up and up and up. Eventually someone asked how many more ups. Just 5 minute more, ok. There is a massive Buddha at the top. Amazing!
    Going down again though the steps are wet, muddy and slippery, but we all made it with the help of our phone lights, crawled into a amphitheatre, where we all turned our lights off absolute black. So freaky. Made our way over a boardwalk that had definitely seen better days and finally out through the barbed wire fence.

    We were all so hot by now it was good to get back on the bikes for some breeze. We’re taking some sort of short cut this morning and cripes it’s a bit rough. Lots of road surface missing so it’s rough as guts in places. I’m amazed nobody’s got a flat tire. I just hung on tight and tried not to fall off.

    Next up was a gorgeous lookout overlooking the M road. A windy section we are heading down to get to lunch. The views are everywhere here, just when you think it couldn’t possibly get any better, another vista appears, and the mountains go on and on and on.

    Lunch today was amazing, everything was so tasty. But the towns are all down low in the valleys and it is really hot.

    Bamboo rafting after lunch. Usually you could swim here but they have had so much rain in the last week the current is too quick and it looks pretty stirred up so not too inviting.
    We all pile on to two rafts and the second one starts sinking straight away. Graham, Rosie, Jack and Simone were on that raft. It was hilarious, Rosie started screaming but she didn’t move. They all eventually abandoned ship and got the next boat.

    The water was surprisingly cold so I had my feet in it on the way up. So good.

    Tuong told me there were beers when we got there which I thought were free so I got everyone one. Should have known better. Then just as we were leaving we had to pay. Neither Graham or I had any money with us so someone else had to shout. I didn’t feel too bad. 8 beers for $13. It didn’t break them.

    More beautiful stops for amazing view for the rest of the afternoon. One of which was on this tiny little track, with a massive drop on one side. Lucky they are all great riders. One of our group a french man called Phillip is riding himself. Tuong tells him, My friend you listen to me, low gear and don’t stop. Think we all pretty nervous for Phillip but he was all over it.

    Our home stay tonight is a delight. Set in the bush with a beautiful river next to it. Gorgeous rooms and a gold fish pond right outside. The bar and restaurant are ten steps away from our room and it’s a very well stocked bar with 2 Batman who can whip up any cocktail you like.    Read more