Pay it forward

Read / lees in : Nederlands

After I had spent more time than anticipated in Mui Né, to try and master the art of kite-surfing, I mounted my Honda Win for the last time last Sunday to drive to Ho Chi Minh City. My last destination in Vietnam, so I had to get rid of my motorbike there. During the trip I wondered on a daily basis how often these run down bikes commute between Hanoi and HCMC during their life span. How often they needed to be repaired, how often they’re in a near accident, what kind of people ride them and most of all, what kind of adventures they get into together. If I’d sell the bike I would definitively never hear anything about the adventures my friend would go through ever.

The plan:

So, I came up with a plan. I was going to give away the bike to a fellow traveler, under the condition that this person must keep the bike in tip top condition. He/she had to give away the bike at the final destination to another traveler and that that person would have to accept the same obligation. And last but not least, every owner would have to write a small story on the weblog that I would build for the bike. So to get things started, I posted an ad on Craigslist where everybody starts their search for a bike. I was kinda surprised that, except for a pitiful Vietnamese who’s bike had been stolen, I only received two messages. I invited them both and in the end gave the bike to Ashley. She couldn’t handle a bike with gears, but neither could the other guy. Because the other candidate chickened out anyway, and Ashley got the hang of it after about ten minutes, she became the lucky new owner. I hope she keeps her promise so we can soon read all about her adventures on the breaking bike blog. I think she will, because if you’re riding an old run down motorcycle in the chaotic traffic of Vietnam, and would like to survive it, then you definitely don’t want to f*ck with your karma.