day 246, Hanoi to Yen Binh

Aimed to be on the bikes by ten, though didn’t leave till just after eleven, thanks to a extended breakfast, getting cash, checking a couple of things out, packing up, Michael getting a jacket, getting petrol and loading up the bikes. We attempted to reach Pho rang by the end of the day, however after getting out of the traffic of Hanoi and onto the dual carriage-way thing, stopping for lunch, carrying on and taking a scenic route through a village along a river, it was raining and we were wet and cold, come half four we found ourselves in a little town and stopped off for the night., physically unable to continue. After showering, pinching a second blanket from another room as it’s real chilly and getting some feeling back into my feet went out for dinner, there wasn’t a lot of choice though went to the only place that had locals in and it was really good, simple Vietnamese food with a coffee, washed down with some rice wine from a local. Even though it was wet and miserable I’m really enjoying the riding, you see so much more then you ever would on the bus, you get to places that you wouldn’t normally go to and it is altogether a much more interesting form of travelling. At the moment it is quarter past seven in the evening and there’s nothing in this little town, just a couple of cafés, so going to bed early in order to have a big day tomorrow and ride to Sapa, be a long day and leaving on the bike at half eight.