Start from the Beginning - Motorbike Diaries Vol. 1

View photography of motorbikes in rainy season!

Poncho Fashion

Move over Project Runway, Vietnam has Project Poncho!  Ok, I am joking, however it would be a great idea for a show here!  There is one thing that I like about the rainy season , the ponchos. There is a whole poncho industry here that’s I’ve never seen before. I myself own 3 ponchos; something I never thought I would say.

Get in touch with your inner stripper:
These are the cheap, one time use ponchos. Normally purchased because you forgot your good poncho and just got caught in a downpour. They are basically flimsy pull-apart plastic bags. I imagine that when it gets done raining you rip it off as if you were a Chippendale dancer ripping off your pants.

Flimsy Poncho

See the light:
They have ponchos that are specifically for motorbikes with a little clear square area in front that is for your motorbike headlight. This way you can drape your poncho over the front of your motorbike and still have the headlight shine through…isn’t that safety-minded?! Actually it’s the only thing I’ve seen here that’s safety-minded.

Headlight Poncho

Two heads are better than one:
This is my favorite poncho; the two-headed poncho. This is used when two people are riding a motorbike in the rain. That way you can both sit on the bike and easily share the same poncho because it has two holes for two heads…ingenious!

Siamese Twins!

Suit up:
If you are feeling rather well-off and have money to burn, then you’ll want to look into the rain suit. This is by far the best, driest alternative! A full jacket and pants, complete with reflective tape!

A proper rain suit

Huddle Up:
If you don’t have the money to invest in the two headed poncho, then you must have one poncho and have the person in back huddle underneath the driver’s poncho. Seriously – I don’t know one single American that would ever do this; it’s a bit insane. However of course I found myself doing this here. As if riding a motorbike in the rain isn’t scary enough, now imagine huddling underneath someone’s poncho being forced to simply look at the wet pavement underneath you as you drive down the road weaving in and out of traffic…hello…most people would be puking from motion sickness. I have $100 my sister-in-law would be vomiting in 4 minutes!

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Motorbike Diaries vol – 10