Today’s scooter trip from the Than Thien hotel in central Hue to Hoi An’s Palm Garden Resort took about 5 and 1/2 hours, or 9 am to 2:30 pm. Soul-filling, eye-opening…one of the greatest rides of my life. Our guide was the easygoing and super-knowledgable Thong do van of Easy Riders. The journey included seven or eight quick stops for stretching, vista-gazing, eating, and taking pics of rice paddies and water buffaloes. Toward the end of the trip we all had a decent noodle-and-chicken meal at a non-tourist, all-Vietnamese restaurant in Danang that cost roughly $1.60 (U.S.) per person. I captured what I’m certain will be some near-great GoPro footage of the trip, but as I mentioned a day or two ago I forgot to pack the upload cable so all Go Pro footage have to wait until I return to Los Angeles. We’re bunked down at the Palm Garden between now and Saturday morning, which is when we’ll return to Hanoi for a final day and night.

Thong do van, Caitlin Bennett, Jett Wells prior in Hue as journey was about to begin.