different options all presenting a dif-
ferent scenery and requiring a dif-
ferent fitness level. To start with, the
many stairs will probably make you
want to turn back, but slowly slow-
ly and shanti shanti, one breath at
a time and step by step you will get
there. In return, a different world
hidden between the highest mountain
peaks on earth will open in front of
you. Glaciers and frozen waterfalls.
Sharp landscapes and falling stones.
Natures terrain. Nature being in con-
trol instead of people trying to bend
the land to their own will, but there
is a crack in nature. One day it was
glaciers, now it is merely enormous
cracks filled with sand and dust. The
scars will disappear over time, but the
glacier will become a memory fading
away. This way I want to share this
memory with you and hope that not
all of them get condemned to the past.
After India and Nepal, we contin-
ued our journey in Vietnam. The orig-
inal plan was to drive our bikes all the
way from India through the rest of
Asia, but Myanmar didn't make this
an easy task.
The overland border between India
and Myanmar was a total mess with
a hell of a lot of money and permits
required at the time we planned to
cross. In addition, you needed a guide
to cross the country. This would all
have been possible, but with the Ro-
hingya-crisis it didn't feel right to sup-
port a government taking part in it. As
such, we ended up having to sell our
beloved Indian bikes to buy new ones
TRAVERSE 93
in Vietnam for the rest of the journey.
Having discovered our love for the
less paved roads, we this time chose
for 2 dirt bikes, A Yamaha XTZ and
a Honda XR, both only 125cc. Even
smaller bikes than before, but they
were a blast to take off-road! Although
to be honest, in the mountains they
just didn't cut it.
Imagine the bike being the factor
slowing you down instead of your own
driving skills! We must admit, with
temperatures going up to 40°C, we
maybe shouldn't fully blame them, but
even though it was slow, they always
made it to the top.
Arriving in Hanoi, Vietnam, was
quite shocking. Not the way India and
Nepal can be shocking, but rather the
opposite. Everything was so clean!