The Beholder's Eye 5

Hung Yen

And so it finally became time to move on from Tam Cốc, and from Pete and Lisa, with whom I'd regularly hung out. They're really beautiful people, we got to know each other over our time together, and had some pretty moving convos. We celebrated our last night together with North Indian food. Of all things.

It was actually delicious, especially after having a break from my overdose of it in India.

I appreciated my time in Tam Cốc so much. It's a beautiful place, and I'd love to return one day, and hang out.

So I packed up my guitar and all my other things, loaded up my bike, and off I went, roughly northwards, in the direction of Hanoi.

I took the back roads, as the highways here are super busy, full of massive trucks and buses, cars and motorbikes. It's only 100kms up the fat road to the capital.

The Red River Delta is Vietnam's second big food producing region after the Mekong Delta, which is near Ho Chi Minh City, way down in the south of the country.

This northern delta is a massive area jam packed full of canals and waterways, fields, orchards, farms and wetlands.

The Red River itself originates in central Yunnan province in China, and is the fourth longest river in Southeast Asia. I'll be following it off and on as I head northwest into China sometime soon.

Many of the canals host barges, transporting everything from mined ores to food produce to manufactured goods.

But it's a peaceful place. There was no one around on the narrow back roads, everyone was working the fields, or at school, work or home, just doing whatever it is they do.

Christian cemetery, Viet style

And the Buddhist version

I really don't know what this is for sure, but I think it's actually a private house

These logs have been transported here through the canals, as there are no major forest areas through here. They look like old growth hardwood to me, not a good sign, and could have come from the forests of the north. Some trunks were really massive. This is not sustainably farmed timber.

Young vines starting their climb

Aquaculture pond for freshwater prawns, a very common food in Vietnam

Fukaduk, there were a lot of these around

Of muddy complexion

Crossing a bridge over the huge and infinitely wide Red River. For the second time today.

I stayed in a small city called Hung Yen. I had trouble finding a room, but managed to wiggle my way into one by promising to be out by 8am sharp. That's gonna hurt.

Lots of wide, communist-era boulevards, squares and monuments in this place

Floral examination

Nice eating spot by the lake. It was cool, with a microscopic drizzle.

My veg phở came with kimchi, of all things. Never been served that in Vietnam before. It's a long long way to Korea from here.

Downtown Hung Yen

Artfully Dodging

I had a few forgettable moments on the road today, ones that I'll definitely remember. They all involved cars, trucks, buses or motorbikes and little vulnerable me getting way too close to each other.

I almost got clipped by a relatively fast-moving car turning in front of me, when the roadway I was on completely disappeared into a non-negotiable pothole, and I slightly swerved into its path without knowing it was there. Normally they'd be beeping the shit out of my eardrums before they pass.

Anyway, I made it in one physical piece, but sporting a few mental divots.

This presentation ceremony was happening just out of Hung Yen.

Rather grand cathedral. Vietnam was a French colony, remember, and, surprisingly, Christians still comprise nearly 10% of the total population of 100 million people. Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism are the big 3 religions here, despite the state being officially atheist.

Local street market

All the delta towns and settlements around here are surrounded by food producing areas and waterways.

First glimpse of the big smoke, even though I was already breathing it in on the roadway.

I stopped for a bean dumpling and some stuffed cassava balls. As I was munching away a young local man bought me an iced green bubble tea. He just saw me and stopped and bought it. What an amazing guy. He didn't want to chat, he was busy, and he probably didn't speak English. He just handed me the drink, I said thanks profusely, and off he rode.

My faith in humanity, and in the kindness of strangers, is constantly bursting through my pores as I journey. Every day. Without fail.

But right in amongst that, my faith in most of humanity's leaders continues to excrete through my consistently disappointed slophole.

I'm sticking to my latest demand that potential political and corporate leaders should be required to undergo strict psychological testing before they're given any responsibility or power over others. Too many of them are currently demonstrating their complete psychopathy, characteristics that are quite easy to spot with currently available standard testing.

Try getting that through parliament.

A much busier Red River crossing, now that I'm suddenly smack bang in the capital.

Bustle and Bureacracy

So I think I'll need to be in Hanoi for at least a week or so.

I need to apply for a Chinese visa, which unfortunately is a very tedious and complicated process these days. Once the excruciatingly fiddly application is in, I'll need to wait a few business days before I can collect my passport, hopefully sporting a new visa with the maximum 60 day visit period.

My bike needs work. Poor Black Bewdy. She's been through a tough trot lately, in the rocky, muddy, potholey steep hills of northern Laos and Vietnam. She badly needs a proper service, a clean, a grease and oil, new brakes, new this new that. The journey north-ish from here is gonna be long and hilly, and she needs to be in prime condition for all that pedalling.

I really know nothing about bikes, so I need to trust in the knowledge of strangers, yet again.

But one thing I can do is change a bike tube. And, unbelievably, I haven't had to do that since I was first reunited with my graceful carriage way back in Vientiane. I know that record won't last, but I'm counting my lucky tars while I can.

Of course, my most important task in Hanoi is to have loads of fun.

And, let me tell you, if you're looking to do that around here, your options are endless.

Yeah it's party time, and for once I'm not talking about the Communist Party❤️

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