DAY ONE

We visit a hilltribe family, members of an ethnic minority group called the Si Lang.

Halfway into the ride and shortly after passing a bridge, which marks the official 'start' of the Ho Chi Minh Highway (HCMT), we pulled over to the side of the road, got off our bikes, and just walked right into a hilltribe family's home.

Inside, numerous animal skulls were mounted to the ceiling, some charred black from the cooking fire; chickens roamed freely; a litter of puppies scampered about; old men and younger men swung lazily in their hammocks, the equivalent of laying around in bed all day back home; children knawed on fat sticks of sugar cane; a group of teenage girls sat at the table, the only furniture aside from a smattering of plastic chairs, eating a lunch of fish and rice.