Relentless bombing devasted the Laotian countryside. Check out part 4 of our gallery of images of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, taken before and after the war.
Charley Boorman made a TV series about riding around SE Asia, ‘on one tank of petrol’, doing his thing while marketing a particular brand of engine oil.
Charley called Digby, who had ridden with him before and told the producers to approach Explore Indochina because he wanted to ride one of their 650cc Ural motorcycles. We took care of him and arranged all his activities in Hanoi. This included visiting our massive bike garage, meeting trendy local bikers at a biker café, and driving around Hanoi in an old US Army jeep.
Back in Touch with Charley
Best of all, Charley rode with us on the first day of our annual Rally Indochina charity ride. He participated in our safety briefing and rode with us into the rice-terraced hills on the way to Mai Chau. The Rally supports the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation, so we set up a meeting between Charlie and the Foundation’s head Michael Brosowski. Charley visited the Blue Dragon HQ and highlighted their important work in improving the lives of impoverished street kids.
Charley was in Hanoi with us for a few days, and we got to know him better over several dinners. He is a lovely, friendly, down-to-earth guy. It’s worth watching the show, especially if you are interested in Blue Dragon’s work.
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By Digby Greenhalgh
Digby Greenhalgh is the founder of Explore Indochina, and a recognized expert on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. All motorcycle tours are designed and guided by Digby.
