Motorcycle Explorer October 2014 Issue 2 | Page 25

Vietnam

As my insurance company had nervously pointed out , it would be ‘ a lot easier if you modified your plans and went with a travel companion .’ Travelling alone on a motorbike was a travel insurance nightmare . Not only had I opted for a vehicle with a high accident rate , but what would happen if I had a serious mishap miles from anywhere ? If I was with another person , at least they would be able to ride or call for help . But alone , with a broken leg , bashed head or worse , there would be no one .

A month before , I ’ d been relaxing with a cup of tea during a television shoot in Tanzania when I spied something red and black crawling across my shoulder . I screamed and leapt a foot in the air , sending tea and filming equipment flying into the dust . After several hysterical seconds on my part , the camera assistant confirmed it was no more than a harmless beetle . ‘ Jesus – and you ’ re going to Vietnam in a few weeks ?’ he laughed .

But the dangers weren ’ t enough to put me off . Company makes us idle , gives us masks to hide behind , allows us to avoid our weaknesses and cushion our fears . By peeling away these protective layers I wanted to see how I would cope , find out what I was really made of , physically and emotionally . Would I be able to fix my bike if it ground to a halt in the middle of a river ? How would I handle nights spent in a hammock in the depths of the jungle ? What would it feel like to ride into a remote tribal village alone ? How would I react in times of real adversity ? And could I outstrip Usain Bolt if confronted by a many-banded krait ?

" The Complete Idiot ’ s Guide to Motorcycles "

" I couldn ’ t go through life acting like a character from The Only Way is Essex "

And on another occasion , driving into Bristol not long before I left , Marley had asked me what I was going to do about fixing the bike . I ’ ll get a book called The Complete Idiot ’ s Guide to Motorcycles .’‘ I think that might be a bit advanced for you ,’ he jibed . At that point I ’ d driven across a roundabout and failed to see a car coming out of a small road to the right . There was a sharp intake of breath from my left . ‘ God , the thought of you driving a motorbike in Vietnam is terrifying .’