On my way to Mai Chau I witnessed three bike crashes, but luckily I was involved in none. The traffic statistics (according to my information, Vietnam is No. 1 in traffic deaths) and the advice of the shopowner, who sold me the bike, made me skip the busy streets. Therefore I didn’t ride east to Ha Long Bay, but to the west to the village of Mai Chau.
The way there was great. After I had been tied to oficial stops during the endless hours in Chinese trains and buses, I could now enjoy the freedom of stoping and going where I wanted. In addition, I had no problems with the bike.
In Mai Chau I stayed in a stilt house of one of the local ethnic minorities. In my ignorance I've already forgotten which minorities it was, I think white Thai. However, the stilt house and the location was a nice change: in the midst of spectacular rice fields in a valley. Since I am now in Southeast Asia rather than in Central Asia, the village was of course opened up for tourism. Luckily it was not on the main tourist route.
This blog is the chronicle of my experiences during a six months long journey from Germany to Singapore. During this journey I won’t use air travel. Starting in Germany I will go to Turkey via the Balkans, through Central Asia and China to the Pacific Ocean and from there further south to the southeastern edge of the Asian continent, Singapore.
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