Hai Phong to Cat Ba Island

Today's ride was the last ride, and it was broken up into two parts: ride from Hai Phong to the boat, and after a 3 hour boat trip, ride from the port to the hotel in Cat Ba. Of course, the boat ride on a traditional boat offered stunning views and a delicious lunch with fresh shrimp, fish and squid. The ride through the middle of the island was challenging with long, winding climbs. These are definitely some of the most brutal climbs Pete and I have ever done. 

After all the riding, I think that people with reasonable fitness can make the journey. There were days when I didn't want to get on the bike anymore, but I was always well rewarded when I did. Sometimes the bus couldn't follow us on the same road due to road conditions, and those were often the days when I was so glad to be on a bike.

National Park in Cuc Phuong

Hue & Ninh Binh

Fisherman in Ninh Binh

We took a tourist boat down the Perfume River (Suong Huong) to a really nice pagoda. Surprisingly, I liked the boat ride. While it was noisy, it gave us an nice slow view of the river banks and the weather was perfect.  Afterwards, we headed out to the Citadel.  That evening, we took an overnight train to Nam Dinh. I was grossed out by the dirty sheets and had a hard time sleeping. Even though we had a few hours to sleep in a hotel nearby, the night was a total disaster. I was ready to high-tail it to Hanoi.  

We started the ride in Ninh Binh, and the pain of the previous night was forgotten. In the morning, we saw limestone karsts rising out of the land (and some water due to the recent floods).  We stopped for lunch at a local restaurant where a woman and her children cooked for 18 in a single wok in a matter of half an hour.  It was one of our favorite meals so far. In the afternoon, we rode next to (and possibly through) a small mountain range on our way to the National Park and the Endangered Primate Rescue Center in Cuc Phuong.

Flooded house & tombstones in Ninh Binh

Da Nang to Hue

Kids riding water buffalo

Man working a plow

The sun came out for our ride from Da Nang to Hue, and it was one of my favorite rides of the trip.  We rode up High Van Pass, which rises 500 m above sea level over 9 km and descends back to sea level over 11 km.  The views going up and down the pass were just stunning. We continued down the coast to a lovely beach resort (Lan Co) for lunch.  

We turned off the main highway and went through the country roads to see the ornate tombs of Central Vietnam.  The citizens of Hue bury their dead in the countryside outside of town, and we often saw massive tombs with simple houses next to them.  Over 40 km, we saw more tombs than people.

Another highlight was the gaggles of preschoolers walking home from school on their own.  They didn't have anyone guiding them, but they seemed to know where to go. They're also the most enthusiatic and genuine when they're waving their hellos. Western cyclists are still a different enough sight that they'll run out of their houses to wave hello to us.  

Pete also did an awesome job of riding today. He rode nearly 50 miles! It definitely took me more than a few weeks of riding to build up to a half century. 

Hoi An

Ships along the river in Hoi An

Things I recommend doing in Hoi An:

- Go to Cargo Club Restaurant at 8 AM and get the chocolate croissants.  They come out of the oven at that time, and they're best right then.  Later on in the evening, drop by for a really rich  dessert.

- Go to Thung Bac for Cao Lao (found only in Hoi An). The Banh Xeo is also tasty.

- Get tailored clothing.  While there are store fronts on every few steps, they all go back to 2-3  big tailor shops.  Choose the one with the best stitching on their samples, the best cloth selection and the best prices.

Pete taking a picture of me in Champa Ruins in My Son

Photos in Vietnam

Village kids out for a high-five

The countryside of central Vietnam is just gorgeous with lush greenery and mountains as the backdrop. We're just having problems capturing the beauty in our photos. The wide-angle on the SLR would probably help, but I'm not very comfortable riding with an SLR slung on my back.

The beaches are also quite nice. We're also quite bad about forgetting the camera on the bus.  

Cycling through Vietnam

So, I think cycling is one of the best ways to visit Vietnam. The experience is very different from cycling and sitting on the bus.  There is quite a bit of interaction with the locals - a lot of the kids (and some adults) excited wave/shout "Hello" as we ride by, and they burst into giggles when we respond. In one town where we waited for others to catch up, we literally stopped the traffic. I guess people there get so few visitors, we were something to gawk at.

I can't say enough about the views - they're simply breathtaking.