With the motorbike through Vietnam

The adventure is about to start, all packed we drink one last iced coffee with the group and then it's time to say goodbye. The first part is on the busy highway around Hanoi, but as soon as we're out of town it becomes more quiet on the roads. After 50km Alan's bike breaks down.. already.. really? No the gas is stolen in Hanoi, haha! The whole day is really nice, the last few hours we drive into the hills and take a break in a small street in the rice paddies. Immediately some locals come and want to make pictures with us! So different from Hanoi, and we're just a few hours on the road. They'll invite us for dinner at the local community centre, we decide to go on because we want to make it to the homestay before dark. Afterwards we regret it, and choose to go with the flow from now on, that's what travelling is all about. Listening to our feelings and see where we end up!!
The homestay is an amazing place, the family speaks English and they make the best dinner I had so far in Vietnam. Our idea of getting sober doesn't work out.. the glasses are filled up with rice wine so many times and when the bottle is empty they just refill it in the kitchen. It was a beautiful first day.
The next day we drive to Ha Giang, the road is just perfect and so it the environment. Beautiful hills, lakes and countless small villages. The road is small, curved and perfect to drive pretty fast. In the end of the day we want to take a small road through the mountains, an old lady tells us the road is bad. But that was nothing compared to what it really was! It was a hiking trail through the mountains, with big rocks and slippery steep parts. It's my second day of driving, and working with the cludge and the break isn't that easy, to make things worse Alan's break isn't working. Finally we choose to go back, we are not going to make it before dark. On a normal road that's not a problem, but on this hiking trail..

After breakfast we go to a mechanic to fix Alan's break. Today we're really going into the mountains, so a break could be nice to have. As soon as the mechanic opens the rear wheel, he starts laughing. And then he get something else off end starts laughing again!! Haha looks like we'll stay here for a bit longer. Finally everything is fixed and we're off!!! At least for 5km. The bike breaks down again. Alan gets the mechanic, but we need to go back. Finally after 5 hours we are on our way. After half an hour, I drive behind Alan, and when he switches gear his food peddle jumps of the bike and falls down on the road!! Happily it didn't break of so it's an easy fix, we're happy that we brought some tools to fix it ourself! Karma isn't done with Alan yet. A crazy cow decides to commit suicide and jumps with some crazy moves in front of Alan's bike, who is just able to avoid an accident. Just a few centimetres or he would have launched himself into the air. Man, what a day. Ow almost forgot to mention, the road is amazing, the mountains reach high just into the clouds. The roads are small and good. Everywhere animals on the roads. The villages are even smaller, and everybody is waving when they see foreigners. It's the experience we are looking for. Eating at local places, communicating with hands and feet. It's simply perfect!! And all the trouble with the bike makes the experience even better!
The next few days we drive further through the mountain, mostly one time a day we take a little break at a mechanic, but nothing serious breaks down. One time Alan has to tow me through the mountains, good that we brought a cable. Then we go towards Cat Ba, an island near Halong Bai. The traffic is really crazy the last 80km, we are still in the mountains with our minds, so we make it a fun slalom between the trucks cars and bikes. It actually is real fun, and it reminds me to mountainbiking and a nice tree run with snowboarding. The day after we take the ferry to Cat Ba, where we meet around 7 backpackers who are also travelling by bike. We go together to a hostel and travel around the island the day after.

The next stop is Tam Coc, a beautiful area with rice fields and crazy steep mountains. Alan wants to go down south faster then me, so we choose to split up. I stay with 2 American guys and Alan is going to catch up with the rest of our group. Two girls I met in China happened to be in the same village, the next couple of days we had great fun together, met this amazing guy who was working in a hostel and drunk way to much alcohol. Then the girls went up north while we travelled down south again. It's crazy how normal it is to meet the same people in different countries. The next day I run into a guy from my hostel in Bali. With a group of 5 we drive to Phong Nha, where we go to the caves. I've seen some more caves in my life, but these are really beautiful. The size and colors are really special. At Dark Cave we take a mud bad, and dive from a tree, a big swing and a zipline in the water. The adrenaline is rushing through my body when some local guy tells me to do a double back flip... I try, first time I fail, but the second time I make it!! After 10 minutes my hands are still shaking. Haha.
Then it's time to go further south. When I hear that Maya, the girl I travelled with in Nepal is in Danang!! It will be crazy to see her again, after 4 months of solo travelling we have a lot to talk about.
The Hoi Van pas is supposed to be really beautiful, but it windy, rainy and foggy:(
One of the American guys is driving in the front, in a turn his rear tire breaks out a bit, I see him stretching his leg, but because of the turn a can't see him any more... when I come around the corner I see his bike stuck underneath a truck and he is just a meter in front of it!! Oh shit! Smoke is coming from his bike. Happily he has nothing at all. The truck drives backwards, we pull the bike to the side and the truck drives on as if nothing happened. (Sorry papa and mama for not telling you, didn't want to make you worry)The bike looks fine, only some wires melted, I tow him on the mountain and going down is  just in neutral easy going. I leave the Americans at a mechanic and I go to Maya!!
For the next three days we don't do anything. Just walking on the beach, eating and driving around a bit. We are talking about all our adventures. Just like last time we are completely at the same level. And just like last time we run into each other at exactly the perfect moment. It's crazy how the universe works, how everything is happening for a reason and when I'm in my flow, synchronicity is the standard. When I'm not listening to my inner knowledge it feels like I need to work hard to make things happening. But when I accept reality as it is, life is flowing in only the most beautiful way. Which doesn't mean that everything what is happening is positive,  it's just the way I perceive my reality, how I handle situations and how I choose to learn from every situation