March 4 2011 - Ninh Binh (93km of 93km)

Hanoi, 6.30 in the morning. We leave towards Ninh Binh under an unceasing light rain like in Blade Runner. We planned to avoid the rush hour traffic, but we got exactly in the middle of it horn blazing honking and all...just not to feel inferior. We followed the traffic flow until traffic lights, crossroads and stop signs disappeared for us too. With great acrobatic skills and an eye on www.asiagps.org maps on our GPS we finally made it out of Hanoi. We literally became one with mud and rain. We got covered in dirt and sludge since the roads here are in any kind of condition you can imagine. Everybody seems to be on these roads at the same time. Pedestrians, bicycles, mopeds, buses, trucks and the occasional animal. When school is over droves of smiling kids on their bikes get in the mix as well. Trucks and buses assault you with their unbelievably loud horns and then they just graze you in a frightening way.

Alessandro

Marco