The Beach

After a long hard day of riding we made it back into the sweat and dust of Hanoi. The original plan was for me to extend my visa while in Hanoi and then begin the trek south. I found out that it was going to cost more then I was willing to pay and would take four days to process. Realizing I couldn't withstand four more days of being covered in a thin layer of sweat we headed south the next day. The destination in mind was Vinh, where some of the nicest beachs in the north are located. After a 6 hour ride down highway 1, a road Robert Pirsig wouldn't have touched with a six foot pole, we arrived at our intended destination. The beach isn't the one that graces your dreams or even a post card, but the sand is almost white and the water is clean enough to splash around in so I really shouldn't be complaining. Today has been a struggle, one that has left me in a rather sour mood. It has been raining almost all day, destroying my hope of basking in the sun and relaxing. Instead I have been dealing with the usual struggles, trying to find food that I actually want without feeling like I am being blantantly ripped off. It has been enough to make me want to flee to the nearest destination that is overrun with tourist just so I can find a menu in english with something other then pho on it. After all my life is incredibly difficult, motorbiking around exotic foreign countries is really a chore. NTC