majestic mountains and motorcycle madness

I could go into a lengthy description of sitting under the full moon in Mui Ne, Vietnam. I could just type the words I scribbled to represent the feelings, the air, the touch, the soft sounds and the sight of myself smiling on the beach. But I won't. Id rather tell you about the decision and aftermath of taking the plunge off the tourist trail and riding motorcycles to the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Upon arrival to Mui Ne, fate decided that I needed to check my email. I walked into the crowded internet cafe and sat next to a genteman who had just helped a lost german lady find a taxi, using impressive English. After helping me figure out how to use a computer in Vietnamese, the kind gentleman, named River, told me to check out his motorcycle tour guiding business, based just down the street. After a great banana/pinapple/chocolate pancake, 7up and a few shots of Rice/Honey wine, River engulfed Ricky and I in stories about other travellers ready to see the real Vietnam through backroads travel and an accomplished tour guide. Sold by the first few words, we drooled over pictures of raging waterfalls, minority villiagers, repeating blue mountains, giant red sand dunes and all in between. We were set, and he even threw in an extra day to tag along with some fell Holland travellers to a buddist pagoda accessable only be cable car. By the time I set my eyes on the giant buddha made of stone and in a laying down position, I knew this was a perfect choice to spend my next few days and way better than taking the bus to Nha Trang where we are to meet up with our hosts in HCMC and new couchsurfing friends. Today we started the full fledged trip from Mui Ne and arrived in Da Lat this afternoon with stories of sliding down massive white sand dunes (that one would think would be better situated in Saudi Arabia than near the coast of Mui Ne), motorcycle near misses (Sorry Mom), eating incredible food for $1.50 (which contained meat with some kind of fingernail I bit into - but was amazingly good), talking to locals about their mushroom farming and being in constant awe as we rode into the green hills that are backed up by numerous blue waves of distant ascents eagerly waiting for us to show their treasures. Many may think we are crazy, and while wedging between an 18 wheeler and a pothole the size of Nebraska on my 125cc motorcycle using all its full throttle might, I would have to agree. But if its worth a little bit of uncomfortability, its definitely an adventure... pictures and more from the ridiculously weary roads of Central vietnam to come! Tee "Easy Rider" Pee