By Zoé David
May 5, 2018
Photos: Nine David
First days in Vietnam
I left France on April 21st with two helmets, a camera, a video camera, a notebook, and a head full of dreams. I was anxious about setting foot back on Vietnamese soil, a territory that had occupied my thoughts for the past two years. I lived there for eight months, and this country changed my life. The people I used to spend time with hadn't moved, so for a few days, I was able to resume my place in my old home as if time hadn't passed, accompanied by my little sister Nine, a photographer.
Chaos, chaos BANG!
The first day: finding my bearings again.
The second day: getting back on the road in traffic.
A form of carelessness, exhilaration, and recklessness to ride a motorcycle in the midst of chaos... "You feel like you're in a parallel dimension where rules don't exist, but everything works. I would have a hard time describing everything you can see on these roads"... Four young people on a scooter carrying windows at arm's length as well as building materials, a scooter loaded with a ton of flowers that takes on the size of a van, ten pigs in a rolling cage attached to a two-wheeler.
You will therefore understand that riding in these kinds of conditions leaves its mark on you.
Heading to Hanoi (the city between the rivers in Vietnamese) on the banks of the Red River, taking a well-deserved dip on a rooftop in the business center before diving back into the traffic of this city of 7 million inhabitants. Around Hoan Khiem Lake, I have an appointment with my friend Hoang. I met him two years ago in Hanoi when he was astride a strange, completely rusty Chinese boxer. He is the first Vietnamese to make a film about motorcycles, a project he's been working on for 5 years. Two years ago, he interviewed me when I was on my road trip here. I was happy to be able to share with him again; he will be my sesame to meet the cream of motorcycle craftsmen. Guys who weld, machine, make tanks...
An incredible encounter!
Thanks to Hoang, I meet Binh, one of the craziest encounters of my life on the third day... Bing! So I arrive at the meeting the next day with my motorcycle in front of an old wooden door, lost in a small Hanoi street away from the city center. A blue Ural sidecar in the courtyard, there's no doubt it's the right place. My sister and I arrive unannounced in front of three men drinking tea and smoking cigarettes. We are about to meet Binh, his brother, and Cong the collector.
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Zoé David wears a Gentlemen's Factory sweatshirt[/caption]
What's that?
They don't speak a word of English but know why I'm here. They then show me the endless rows of motorcycles in their collection; they're gathering dust in the back of their warehouse, but Binh knows they're there, which is the main thing for him. There are motorcycle parts everywhere, a frame being built, a lathe full of shavings, a welding station... A workshop like very few exist in Vietnam because, in general, people don't go as far as Binh when it comes to motorcycle modifications or restorations.
"This guy is a true genius; he graduated from polytechnic school, and what he really wanted was to stay in his environment to work on his motorcycles. He welds like very few people I've seen do it; his welds are magnificent, and he does it right on the floor without protection, without a helmet. He just hides his eyes when he welds or, if necessary, forces himself to look at the fusion, knowing that it would probably burn his retina."
He also machines parts for Ural that are no longer remanufactured and has made a small business out of it. We had a great connection, a truly good guy, passionate about his work. I would have liked to be able to speak Vietnamese with him on several occasions to understand him better... But that will be for another time...
King Cong VS ConXArt, the motorcycle artists' collective?
We hopped on the motorcycle to meet Hoang, who was with Cong and Mario, the founders of the "ConXArt" collective. Mario is French and Le Cong is Vietnamese, and in their collective of 11 artists, they work and live as a community. For some, it's mechanics, for others, it's shaping metal to create tanks or fairings, for example, and others are painters or tattoo artists... The same family, the same mindset - that's ConXArt!
Their motorcycles are really cool. Hoang takes the opportunity to add yet another chapter to his film and captures my meeting with this collective. Here, a Mink that was modified by Le Cong in a vintage enduro style, like most of the motorcycles, by the way... It's hot, it's thirsty... We spent the rest of the day together drinking Vietnamese beers, admiring motorcycles, talking mechanics, and sharing our adventures...
End of the first episode. Zoé
Zoé David wears the Gentlemen's Factory women's collection, a collection for women who love motorcycles[/caption]
Zoé David wears the Gentlemen's Factory women's collection[/caption]
Zoé David wears the Gentlemen's Factory collection[/caption]
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Zoé David wears a Gentlemen's Factory sweatshirt[/caption]
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Zoé David wears a Gentlemen's Factory sweatshirt[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_1091" align="aligncenter" width="854"]
Zoé David wears a Gentlemen's Factory sweatshirt[/caption]
Zoé wears the Gentlemen's Factory women's collection, thank you Zoé
What to visit in Hanoi:
The Temple of Literature.
The One Pillar Pagoda.
The Rising Sun Bridge on Hoan Kiem Lake.
Phan Dinh Phung Street, formerly Carnot Boulevard.
What to eat after riding:
Hanoi, like the rest of Vietnam, is known for its gastronomy. The main specialties of the city include Hanoi spring rolls, phở soup, dominated by Phở Bò (beef noodle soup) and Phở Gà (chicken noodle soup), shrimp and squid fritters, and Bánh cuốn.
