Not Enough Dong in Vietnam - A 9 Day Motorbike Tour of Northern Vietnam - Part 2

Days 4–6 recap, and Vietnam is NOT playing around. Day 4 started with big energy and even bigger mechanical chaos. A mountain mechanic who was somehow exactly where we needed him, a village store completely raided for snacks, and a river crossing that — miraculously — nobody swam through. Ten hours later, we dragged ourselves into the homestay. Day 5 brought stunning tea plantations, sketchy scooter bridges, and Julie's bike finally meeting its match... except Julie had already swapped to a different one. Smart woman. The scenery was postcard-worthy. Day 6 hit different. We had a blowout at the Chinese border — not the tire kind, the human kind. Grinding tarmac days had quietly worn everyone down, and it finally came out. But somehow, somewhere between apologies, wheelie lessons, a children's playground, beer, Vietnamese tobacco, and karaoke — we found our way back. Vietnam breaks you down and builds you back up. Sometimes on the same day. Sometimes all three days in a row. Stay tuned — it only gets better.