Category: Vietnam 🇻🇳

I was having coffee in Escobar and Kostas suggested I camp twice a week. I thought once a week was enough. But guilt got the better of me so rode home packed the bike up. This always takes at least 2 hours sespite doing it numerous times. I estimated leaving at 4 and arriving at my proposed campspot 30kms away at about 5.30.

Ifcourse i failed miserable to leave at 4 and ended up leaving at 4.30. The first half if the ride is easy and flatish.

Then up up up, the road is ziz zaggy and a bit rough.

Then the road crests and drops into a lush green valley.

I found a tree to lean the bike against and once again on Kostas’s suggestion I pitched my tent looking at the open sky. I amnot putting on tge rain gly so I have a near unimpeded view of the stars.

There really is nothing else to do. Little bit of reading.

But I had a night from hell. No sooner was i horizontal condensation landed on the inside of the tent in puddles. I stopped breathing for at least an hour but to no affect. I couldn’t sleep, the inside of the tent was streaming like rivers onto the floor. I felt cold i felt damp, when i moved the sleeping bag touched the floor or tent wall and sucked water in like a sponge. Then the cammomile tea affect was not to make me go to sleepbut to make me pee, i could not count how many times I go up, neotiated the wet walls, and sleep continued to elude me. I shivered more. My feet were cold despite wearing 2 pairs of socks.

Coffee, porridge. Then packed my stuff up, wet tent, wet sleeping bag, wet riding clothes. Everything wet.

Luckily the day turned out sunny and everything is now washed and dry.

I didnt want to loose my travelling/camping skills. And we have had a few days of great weather.

I worked in the garden for a bit. Then at about 5pm i decided to start packing. This is way too late as i had 40mins riding to do. But i threw my stuff into the bike bags and rode out at about 5.30.

I set up tent under the pines. I was berated by Kostas the next morning as i could not see the stars, but dew/condensation aversion won. I left the flysheet off the tent just in case there was a few stars visable.

As the sun dipped below the horizon the temperature dropped. I had brought clothes for exactly this occurance.

I fired up the stove and had soup/noodles mix it was as i expected, ok.

Now as the sun disappears and darkness sets in there is very little to do, except huddle up under my sleeping bag read and then fall asleep.

I slept like a log. 😃

Packed my bags up made coffee and breakfast. and rode on out maybe at about 9am

As I got to Escobar for my second coffee. I said how much I enjoyed my excursion. Kostas suggested twice a week. 🤷‍♂️ maybe he is right right.

Check out my Komoot collection of all my rides put together. https://www.komoot.com/collection/1939742/-vietnam-completed

I rode on 23 days. A couple of days i did a couple of rides. I was pleased to get 2000kms done. I had packed the bike away and looked at the Komoot collection and it said 1995kms. But i had not noticed the 7kms to the bike shop had not regestered yet. Otherwise I would have been stuck with just not quite there.

Just over 10,000m of climbing is pretty light. But 87 kms a riding day average is ok.

When looking back at the start of the trip i can now hardly remember how bad i felt. And how many days i spent not really wanting to move, for any kind of trip it would have been the same, being ill is being ill 🤷‍♂️.

Having to catch up was a bit of a tough gig. But this is what makes it an adventure. Being protected and supported at all and every turn would be like a living hell for me. It would rip any kind of adventure out of the trip.

But for me that is what makes the trip an adventure.

I was in a cafe this morning and it occured to me that i had not been to Spain 🇪🇸 for a year or so. I have put it into my brain that I should try to leave Skyros near the end of February and hightail it there. Why not? 🤷‍♂️ Then try to do the Badlands Gravel route. Of course all this is dependent on the weather.

Hopefully the routes shoukd all be in this link.”To Spain” https://www.komoot.com/collection/1264513/-to-spain

À bientôt

I knew there would be complications so i got up early for my 8.30 flight. I woke at just past 5, had a little breakfast in my room. Walking into the hotel foyer the receptionist was asleep on a camp bed, he jumped up, I asked him to hail a cab, he told me the price would be 300,000vnd and he told me not to give the driver anymore. Bike in and off we go, the taxi driver complained that 200,000vnd was not a lot for the airport, ohhhhhhhh, i see the system I’m so slow sometimes. I really did not have any more (available) money.

As i got to the airport check-in they looked at me sternly, have you been to immigration yet 😬 no. The guy led me to immigration to see the officer about me overstaying my visa by 4 days. I was fined 1,250,000vnd. (About £43, hence why no available cash for the taxi driver) i knew it was coming so not surprised.

The passport queue was seriously long, i wonder why there is only one person checking passports. And, Why do the food shops in the airport ask for USD, then have to work out the price in VND on a calculator. I was angry 😠

After a fitful nights sleep/awakeness Ifinally got up and ready by 8. The receptionist was real nice and we had a little conversation about football. He definitely knew more.

I have to tell you the 80km ride was a bit of a bluri cannot remember how much traffic or how the roads were. But I rode into HCMC. Luckily my Komoot route took directly to the hotel.

I put the bike in the garage below, took off the bags. Tge room is adequate. And I was showered and ready to do HCMC by 12.30.

I had written to the hotel earlier requesting they find a bike box, but they had done very little. Except found a chain of bike shops called Ride Plus.

But i had researched another shop, i went out of the hotel and jumped on a motorbike taxi we hooned about the streets aiming for this bike shop (i had my eyes shut most of the time.) It was not that i discovered i did need mobile data (mine ran out yesterday) and that the place Google took us was not the bike shop. So i paid this driver off snd jumped on a other motorbike the driver spoke a little more English. He took me to a cardboard box making place i reiterated i wanted a bike shop. I think at this point he was just roaming tge streets hoping to find a shop…. and we did, a Giant bike shop. They had a box. I went back to the hotel on the motorbike taxi, paid him off (i think he conned me a bit). Jumped on my bike put in the Giant Bikes address and cycled there, unfortunately it wast there more Google maps/ Saigon problems. So i plugged in search bike shops into my garmin search snd it said 50 meters Ride Plus. I walked there and the guys in there spoke english and helped me put the bike into the box. Whoop.

And they ordered me a taxi for me. The taxi driver didnt know the hotel so we spent 10 minutes driving around looking for the hotel 🤦

I woke early again, did my Soma breathing. A guy had rolled my bike into his sleeping quarters for safekeeping during the night, although it was one of the safest places i have stayed in.

I rolled out and immediately encountered a climb. Not high but enough to stretch the legs. But at the top such a wonderful coffee stop.

So luckily I stayed on quiet roads most of the way. They were all bumpy which unfortunately rubbed my undercarriage until so sore. I was eventually resigned to riding 15kms then having to either stop or stand and ride for 15mins.

Another great day, flatter and easier than yesterday so the views not so spectacular but inspiring all the same. I still pumped in a good few kilometers though and i was real tired when i finally turned up at the hotel.

I woke early at about 6 so i just put my stuff together and ambled downstairs. My landlady was there and she gave me some handmade chocolates. A great kick start to the day. I found a coffee shop, then a bakery with croissants and other baked delicacies, i stuffed my pockets. 😲😲

I just wasn’t expecting today to be such a good day. And sort of split up into defined sections.

As i left Da Lat’s city limits the road took a pitch downward and i was and i was fair humming along. I saw an entrance on the left and i sort of recognised a hand. I screeched to a halt did a u-turn. Obviously i had to ride back up the hill. I paid the attendant 50000VND and rode down dropped my in the carpark and walked around

Then i came across this temple possibly my favourite so far

Once again i was hooning it down a mountain road, racing (and beating) a moped. And on my right i saw coffee. I screeched to a hault turned around and rode back up the hill.

Another georgeous temple. Only me there.

I believe i caught the coffee sequence. And yes i know i missed the roasting stage.

The road was undulating and had some testing climbs. Despite me putting in Road Ride as one of my criteria there was a lot of this

I got to my hotel which is lovely. And they recomended me to go to the biggest resturant with only me.

The ride to Da Lat was only 44kms so I got up slowly and late. As i was having breakfast i plucked up the courage to talk to 2 English guys, english teachers fron Ha Noi, they had 2 other friends not up yet. The 4 were there last night and were i thought a bit sweary. I’m not one to hold things against people, it was definately interesting to hear of their time living in Ha Noi.

They also mentioned there was a good Italian restaurant in Da Lat. My eyes opened with excitement.

The ride was dry and with a fair few hills to climb. But i arrived at about 2pm. As it was a tourist town the hotel was a bit more expensive but pretty nice.

I went sight seeing. There is a famous temple, Linh Phuoc, i jumped into a taxi, the driver waited and took me back to the hotel.

I Googled Italian resturants and just clicked on the one at the top, then walked to it. As i went up stairs the the 4 english guys from the morning were there. They very kindly asked me to join. And we had a slightly riotous evening, hmmm maybe a bit much swearing, me as well of course. I had pizza and pasta. The pizza was spectacular, maybe the oasta a little overcooked but nothing to complain about, i ate every bit.

Thanks guys for a great evening. 🙂

My day off was sucessful. I walked about town ate some lunch then lay in bed for lots of the afternoon. Then ate some dinner. I found a redturant thet looked clean. And the served a great egg fried rice, i had two 🤷‍♂️.

I was in bed early then up at about 6.30. I left the hotel at 7.15. Into my local coffee spot

Out of Nha Trang on a road paralell to the main road. I was hoping for quiet roads today.

Unfortunately very soon after this photo was take i joined the main highway to Da Lat. And feom then on i was accompanied by the usual suspects all blowing their horns all of the time. Also the road was norrower so i was squeezed to the side, a couple of times ejected off the side

I had carefully checked the weather for both Nha Trang and Da Lat. Both said no rain and possible only a few clouds. I put sun tan cream on arms and face before i left the hotel. But just after i hit the base of the climb the heavens opened. Only small spits at first then just a torrential downpour and it didnt stop until got to my hotel. Grrrrrrrrrrr

I switched my flashing back lights on, put my rain jacked on and just rode. The mountain road was about 30kms so i reckoned about 3 hours. (And my stats page tells me 3 hours and 5 mins so a good guestimate.)

The traffic was horrendous. Every motorbike scared to move into the main road so all nearly scraping my handlebars.

One time a lorry was passing me, hooting his horn, a motorbike passed me on my right, hooting his horn, and another guy on a motorbike on my left shouted at me (no idea if it was a nice of obnoxious shout) Cars and lorries also coming down the mountain visibility is so low I had taken my glasses off as they were covered in rain. I jumped out of my skin.

Eventually i was riding only a few kilometers and having to stop i was so tired. Every time i drank a stream of cold rain water went inside my jacket down my armpits and sides. And at above 1500 meters and wet it starts to get colder. I could see my breath as i huffed and puffed.

I had locked my Garmin as the rain was tapping and changing the screen. So I could not find how far i had to go up the mountain or to the end. Obviously the phone was too wet to touch. So i just rode on.

I did stop at one point thinking i was there but found i was only half way.

Anyway eventually the road started to dip and a brightness, still cloudy filled the sky. Down hill is so much better.

I’m at Chappi Mountain Bungalow. I sat for 15 mins just staring blankly. Then to my bungalow which is a steep walk, i slipped and fell on my ass.

Its been a tough day but I got here at 2.45 instead of my anticipated 4 or 5. And possiblyva short day tomorrow, see what the weather brings.