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Picture's are Online

After hours of softing, editing, cropping and...........admiring - my pics from the Vietnam trip are online, and can be seen by clicking here >>

Day 9 - Ho Chi Minh City

Well, after a relaxing night at a beach resort in Nha trang - we headed south once again for the big smoke - Ho Chi Minh City - Or Saigon to the old timers! First notable difference whilst on the coach on the way in was a Pizza Hut - the first sign that the western world had made an impact!

We drove through a lot of busy busy traffic, scooters, vans, cars - it has the lot (unlike Hanoi which was predominantly scooters) - arriving at our hotel. It wasn't long before dinner, which once again was rice and fish....euugh! I'm sick of it!

We then headed out for some drinks and ended up in what can only be described as a club with the same amount of effort as one in Ibiza - it was 'Banging!' - they like their music hard, and they like it loud! We were greeted on the door by handshakes and smiles, and showed to our table - all drinks are served by waiters / table service - with a kind of central bank in the place, holding all the bills.

Lots of drinking, Dancing, making a complete arse of ourselves and the night came to an end!

The next morning was spent doing a little sightseeing and shopping - lovely city, very hot, very busy - and lots of shops for everyone's taste! I would defo. like to spend a little more time here - unfortunately had to get our 14hr flight(s) home!

here's to the next trip - suggestions on a postcard please!!! :)

Days 7 & 8 - Rain, Rain.....and....The End

Well day 7 was eventfull - we had lunch in someones little cafe - but, unfortunatelly for me ive got some sort of bug - so i skipped lunch and had a quick snooze on the bus! Then it was a 45km cycle up hill.......however, as it was raining so bad, there were landslides, broken roads, vehicle accidents it was deemed far to dangerous to cycle - so we had to be bused up to Dalat. Dalat was a lovely town, very 'French Looking' and similar temperatures to back home. I spent the rest of the afternoon in bed with some pills from the doc - they didnt help! :(
 
Day 8 saw us go up and down for the best part of 70km, with a lunch stop in someones very posh house! - We had to take our shoes off! - It had windows and everything...........even ants crawling over the mattress in the corner! - It actually was a posh house!!! We had some lovely scenic decents today aswell, passing through some small villages that had proper stone houses built - much like a housing scheme. We later found out these were built for refugees from a flood some years ago - they are very lucky to have these!
 
Then we had a 5km hill climb to the finish of our challenge - I was so glad thast was the end, Wet, Tired legs and stomach still in pain!!!
 
Tonight we are in a little coastal resort - popular with surfers! - We transfer to Ho Chi Minh City tommorow - I hope the weather is better, ive actually had to use an umbrella today when walking around!!!

 

Day 6 - A Day of Injuries

1 local school kid knocked off their bike, 1 of us knocked off by a scooter, 2 of us colliding, a stationery fall and a 3 hour coach trip later......we arrive at our destination: Nha Trang.

This is a lovely coastal resort - although unfortunately its always dark when we arrive at these, and we leave so early we get no time to enjoy them :(.

Today saw us cycle in between a range of mountains, through many local villages - as usual, everyone lining the streets to see us, saying hello and high fiving us!

The road we were on was having some repair work done to it - and we came across one of our buses (one goes ahead one stays at back) - it was kind of stuck in the middle of this small ditch - it could move, but they were scared it was going to damage the underside - so......they took the lights and bumper off it!!! It's amazing the lengths they will go to, to ensure their livelihoods are kept safe!

Then shortly after this as i was coming to a stop in the group, i couldn't unclip - and fell, much to everyone's amusement! It was quite funny - they never seen the tiger that pushed me and ran away!!! - Unfortunatelly i landed on the side that was still sore from my attempt at body surfing - hurts more now!!! :(

Then Huw got knocked over the handlebars by a scooter - unfortunately i never seen this, but the locals were so apologetic (the scooter driver didn't stop) - he was ok though, few scratches and bandages. Ling then wiped out a local school kid on her bike, and then later on wiped out another member of our trip - it was a day of fun & Injury!

Tomorrow is 80 km, mainly climbing to 3000ft to a French Colonial Town called Dalat - I'm looking forward to this town and the cooler climate!!

Day 5 - Hot Hot Hot - Suntan Time!!

Today we cycled from Quang Ngai to Quy Nhon - Stopping halfway for a swim in the Sea!

Our first stop about 20 km in, after a few short hill climbs ended in a small village, very poverty strichen like the others - but it ứa really funny, ALL the locals were lined in the centre just looking at us and laughing & smiling, they are so happy to see us! One woman had all these ducks on the handlebars of her bike - little did i realise they were still alive, hanging upside down!! She found this hilarious that i was so surprised! (picture to follow)

Lunchtime was spent in the sea - was very powerful, and after Huw teaching me how to "body surf" i managed to get taken from about 40m out into the beach, as i smacked straight into him! 2nd one didnt go so well, as I didnt get on top of the wave and got bent under the wave - My shoulder is now agony lol - that will teach me!

More cycling through villages, at every stop all the locals gathering to look at us - one group of woman (through the translators) said i was very handsome and asked if i was married! haha, my shyness had them all laughing!! Got a tan today, sunshine veryhot!

70km tommorrow!

Day 4 - My Lai Massacre

Day 4 begun with a 30 km cycle to the Sea and a swim in a little coastal fishing village just outside My Lai where we had lunch! Was good to finally get some swimming! Then we had a further 4k before arriving at the site of the My Lai Massacre site. This was a very strange and 'eary' experience - basically on the morning of March 16th 1968 , the Americans were given orders to kill anyone who was in the village of My Lai - assuming that anyone in the village at this time would be NFL Sympathisers - As civilians would be away to the local markets. They took 504 lives, including women, children and babies. They raped, maimed laughed and tortured them. You can read more on this in the links.

While there, there was an old lady whom i managed to semi-communicate with, she was working in the garden of a ruin of one of the houses which had been torched (picture's to follow) - she lost her 3 children in the massacre, and she was one of the lucky survivors - she couldn't really talk English, but managed to communicate that it was her - it must be horrible for her to be at her house ruin everyday!



The rest of the day included a climb of 2 km up to the Thien An Pagoda - here a monk showed us around, showing us lots of sacred statues and Buddhists within the grounds - there was massive gold one in the gardens - not real gold, but impressive all the same!

Then there was a 12k cycle through the local traffic into Quang Ngia - that was manic! there are no strict road rules here - its every man for themselves!

Unfortunately, there is a mix of torrential rain and sunshine - so there's no sun tan yet!!! :(

70 km tomorrow - better get some sleep!