It was time for an oil change on the Honda again. It has to be done every 1000km at a Honda Head dealer or at one of the 5 Style offices in Vietnam. At this point I had already done 900km since the last service, and it was still 500km to Hanoi. 

After the wonderful scenery of the HCMR, the remaining distance to Hanoi was going to be quite boring. In the afternoon, having done about 300km, the sky started looking rather ominous, getting darker and darker by the minute, and as I entered a small village the heavens opened and it started raining buckets. Moments later I spotted a Nha Nghi on my left side and quickly pulled in under a small lean to, out of the rain. I instantly decided to stay there for the night - not the best accommodation I had ever seen - but at least dry, and out of the rain. 

Traveling times in Vietnam are somewhat different to those in many other countries. One shouldn't expect to average more than 40-50km per hour here. So 300km will take 6-8 hours! Although traffic in most places is extremely limited, the windy and bumpy roads, animals on the road and numerous villages you pass through, limit your progress considerably. That is also why a little 150cc motorbike is more than sufficient!

That night - as so often before - I fell asleep to the sound of karaoke, reverberating around the village and the surrounding karst mountains! I awoke bright and early to the sound of a cock crowing - as so often before, and started my trip towards the capital Hanoi.

With a population of 5,3 million, Hanoi is considerably smaller than Saigon with 9,4 million people. Already 100km before reaching Hanoi you can feel the intensity of traffic increasing and getting progressively worse from there onwards. I easily found Style Motorbikes in the very center of Hanoi, and had a chat with Jonny, an Australian who runs Style with a Vietnamese partner. He suggested a few routes to take on my trip to the areas north of Hanoi, and also explained how to go about my "border run" to Laos, to get my Vietnamese visa renewed. After that I went to Style's workshop nearby, and got the oil change done. A bunch of really friendly and helpful guys at the workshop. One of them took me pillion to a nearby restaurant for lunch.

It was still early afternoon, so I headed straight to the Laos embassy to apply for my visa, fully expecting it to take a couple of days before I could return to collect my visa. I handed in my application around 14.00 with the 1.000.000 Dong fee, and the friendly official told me to return at 16.00 to collect my passport. What a difference to the service one receives at many embassies and consulates in Africa. Days of waiting for your visa, and enduring arrogant officials!

With my visa done, I found a place to stay in the "old quarter" of Hanoi - the historic heart and soul of the city, with French colonial architecture and bustling streets. I offloaded my bike and went exploring by foot. Started with a walk around Hoan Kiem lake with the Turtle Tower placed in the middle of the lake, and the Huc bridge leading to a temple on the lake. The area is famous for all sorts of markets, and a shopping experience second to none. I have never been to a place with a more authentic Asian vibe to it. Packed with people, and different things happening all the time.

In the evening I went to train street - the famous street where train tracks run right through a built up area with houses and businesses inches away from the speeding train. 

Hanoi - an exciting place. I decided I would stay another night in my hostel.