In May 2005, I met up with an ex-pat Englishman who introduced me to an American who was living and working in Hong Kong at the time. Together, the three of us planned an immediate ride into Vietnam's rugged North-West. I firstly had to become intimate with an ancient piece of hardware that was both Soviet and potentially lethal, a motorcycle called a 'Minsk', In the Belarusian capital that lends them its name, they are still made the same way as they always have been, with almost indestructible motors. We experienced a magic adventure for 4 unforgetable days, and had me planning my next biking trip by the time I got back home to Sydney.

A motorbike adventure through Northern Vietnam ended abruptly for me after an accident 20kms from Bac Ha in Lao Cai province. Suffered multiple hand fractures and cracked ribs. Finally made it into hospital in Hanoi for surgery on my left hand 48 hours later. Plate and seven screws permanently inserted under a general anaesthetic, then once I checked myself outta there, it was onward to Cambodia to climb those awesome temples (one handed). Whoa! Nothing compares to the majesty and grandeur of Angkor. Incredibly friendly people, a lot of whom, despite experiencing many horrors in the past, always greeted me with the broadest of smiles.

2 minute version of a magical 4 day ride along a north-eastern loop on a Minsk 125 during the end of the Northern VN wet season. Roads actually weren't too bad for the most part. (Hanoi - Lang Son - Cao Bang - Ba Be Lake - Thai Nguyen - Hanoi).

I'm an expat American who lives in Chambery in the French Alps. I create videos and blogs about my travels and experiences in Southeast France. http://www.american-in-france.com www.french-alps-tours.com This video shows our final motorbiking day before winter hit us full force.

Rent a bike and go, go, go...