Fulfilling youthful promises
Every time they return home after long trips, Mr. Vu Chi Dung (70 years old) and Ms. Tran Thi Giang (67 years old), living in Hoang Mai, Hanoi, together admire photos of the places they have visited.
Recalling trips across Vietnam, Mr. Dung said that it all originated from the promise he made to his wife many years ago.
The couple used to be soldiers directly participating in and serving in combat at the northern border in the late 70s and early 80s.
Mr. Dung was a reconnaissance soldier, regularly performing duties in dangerous areas, while Mrs. Giang was then in charge of logistics work. Accompanying each other in the military for many years, feelings gradually blossomed between the two.
Right from when we were in love, my wife once confided that she wanted to travel all over the country to broaden her horizons. Knowing that my wife had severe car seasickness, at that time I promised that when the economy stabilized, he would drive his motorbike to take me all over Vietnam," Mr. Dung shared.
In 1983, the couple discharged from the army and decided to live together not long after. The wedding at that time took place simply with the help of agencies, comrades and relatives on both sides.
However, making a living forced that plan to be put aside. Mr. Dung worked as a state official and then switched to driving along the North - South. Ms. Giang stayed at home, opening a grocery store to take care of her family. There was a period when both worked 14-16 hours a day to stabilize the economy.
When their children grew up and their lives became more affluent, Mr. Dung and his wife decided to quit their business. Without hesitating too much, the couple began their first wandering trips to admire the scenery and make up for their busy youth years.
Traveling all over the country together
From 2015 to now, Mr. Dung and his wife have made many cross-Vietnam trips together by motorbike. Each trip, the couple chooses a different route to explore the scenery, people and culture of each region.
On his first cross-Vietnam trip in early 2024, Mr. Dung chose to travel along National Highway 1 from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City.
The main purpose of the trip is to learn about the lives of people, explore the culture of regions and visit long-standing historical relics such as Quang Tri Citadel, Hue Citadel or Nguyen Dynasty royal tombs.
“Initially, my husband and I planned to fly back to Hanoi when we arrived in Ho Chi Minh City. However, after resting for a few days, seeing that we could still continue, we decided to make the second cross-Vietnam flight back from South to North,” Ms. Giang recounted.
This time, the couple changed direction to the coastal road in the Central region. Instead of going to crowded tourist destinations, Mr. Dung prioritized taking his wife to small, deserted beaches such as Ganh Da Dia, the area along the Border Guard Station in Deo Ngang, Ky Xuan beach in Ha Tinh... to enjoy a peaceful space. There are places located close to the foot of the pass or next to the border guard station, the couple had to go through many difficult roads to get there.
Nearly a month of roaming, Mr. Dung said that the actual total distance of both trips reached more than 5,000km.
At the end of November 2024, Mr. Dung and his wife continued to make their 3rd cross-Vietnam trip by motorbike. He was determined to take his wife through the remaining provinces and cities that she had never set foot in. This journey lasted about 4,000km, mainly passing through the Mekong Delta and Central Highlands provinces bordering Laos and Cambodia.
Go to see our country more beautiful
Not only roaming to admire the beautiful scenery, for Mr. Dung, each trip is also an opportunity to feel more clearly the value of each land he passes through.
As a person who participated in combat, he said that the more he traveled, the more he cherished the "inch of land, inch of gold" that his father had preserved with blood and bones.
In addition to backpacking trips, Mr. Dung and his wife have also combined doing charity many times, bringing clothes and necessities to children and people in remote and isolated areas. Ms. Giang shared that this has become a tradition for more than 20 years of the family.
After 3 cross-Vietnam trips and many short-distance backpacking trips, Mr. Dung and his wife still have no intention of stopping. Currently, they are saving money and planning for their fourth cross-Vietnam trip, expected in October.
