At the beginning of last year I got an awesome opportunity to travel to Vietnam. I was in Cambodia to organize a Motocross training for Top 1 Oil and the decision was made to extend my trip with a weekend in Hanoi. Vietnam doesn't have any Motocross tracks but a lot of Enduro riders so we decided to focus on Enduro riding while we were there. I had been to Cambodia before and it was really hot and humid and after a short look at the weather app seeing 90 degree temperatures I decided to pack for a hot weather trip. Upon arrival in Vietnam I came to find out that even though the two countries are neighbours the weather can be very different. Temperatures in the low 30s welcomed us and I realized that only bringing shorts and one sweatshirt wasn't the smartest move I've made in my years of travelling around the world. After a quick trip to the mall to get some warmer clothes it was time to explore Hanoi and see what the city had to offer. The history and architecture of Hanoi were amazing. We tried some of the local food and had one too many coffee's trying to stay warm. Day two meant it was time to go riding. A lot of rain over night and in the morning weren't a great base for a day of Enduro riding in freezing temperatures. We met the vietnamese Top 1 distributor at the hotel and drove an hour out of the city to the banks of the red river. We had a great view of the city with the Cau Ving Tuy bridge in the background and a lot of sand, rocks and mud to work with. I was provided a Yamaha WR 450 which was perfect for the terrain. Shortly after the riders started trickling in and we were ready to go. 25 riders showed up and were ready to fight the wet and cold weather to learn how to ride their Enduro bikes better. Throughout the day we covered all kinds of riding techniques and little tricks to make it easier for them to navigate the challenging terrain. A nice lunch grilled over a open charcoil fire rounded up one of the best Enduro days I've ever had. Everyone that came out improved their riding tremendously and left with a big smile. It was a surreal feeling riding on the banks of the red river and realizing that 40 years ago this was the side of heavy bombings during the Vietnam war. It put in perspective how lucky I was to travell to so many different places in the world to enjoy riding motorcycles in peace. The riding scene in Vietnam is growing every year amd even though it is hard to find terrain to set up a track or a trail system because of government regulations the enthusiasm of the local riders is at an all time high. If you are intrerested in travelling I recommend putting Vietnam on the top of your list of places to see in Asia. I'm looking forward to going back and seeing more corners of this beatiful country.
