JavaScript is off. Please enable to view full site.

Into the countryside

Into the countryside

Monday, May 13, 2013, 12:08 GMT+7

Day two of H2H 2013 got off to a warm, humid start. We stretched as a group at Hoa Binh’s stadium before setting off under an overcast sky. The day’s ride was shorter than the first, at 60km, but it included the first significant hill as well – a 260 meter ascent over 5.5 kilometers. As amateur cyclists we were all nervous, though I knew what to expect.

>> Vietnam on Two Wheels: Part 1 - Departure

I made it to the top drenched in sweat, but I felt good. I had struggled on this hill in 2012, but there were no such problems this time, with the exception of the honking trucks and buses. Those of us who made it up first waited at the top to cheer on everyone else, and it was great seeing everyone smile as they conquered the biggest challenge we would face until the mountains south of Hue.

We rocketed down the other side of the hill and rolled through beautiful countryside on our way to Vu Ban. The sun eventually burned through the overcast, the roads were smooth and the traffic light. It was a great day for cycling.

Sadly the smooth riding ended about 15 kilometers outside of Vu Ban. On our cheap road bikes, which had no suspension, the unpaved, rocky road was torture. At least it was better than the previous year, when thick mud had obscured huge potholes. After an hour or so of bone-rattling riding we lurched into Vu Ban, a tiny town that reminded us Saigon-dwellers that there are still parts of the country without paved roads, regular electricity or even restaurants.

Day three was an 80 km trek from Vu Ban to Quan Lao. We would be hitting the amazing Ho Chi Minh Highway today, but the first stretch was on the awful road out of Vu Ban. Children ran to the road and shouted ‘hello!’ while waving at us, but I couldn’t even wave back since the bumpy road forced you to keep both hands on the handlebars at all times. Incredibly all 20 riders made it out of the mess without puncturing a single tire, and we rolled onto the mercifully smooth highway.

This part of the route skirted Cuc Phuong National Park, regarded as one of the most beautiful areas of Vietnam, and for good reason. Karsts draped in green stretched as far as the eye could see.

We stopped for lunch in a town called Cam Thuy, situated on an intersection between the Ho Chi Minh Highway and the smaller road we were turning onto. This was where we really started to notice what would go on to become on the most frustrating aspects of the ride: the need seemingly every driver in Vietnam sees to lay on their horn whenever they approach another road. Of course, living in Saigon the sound of traffic is relentless, but it seems worse in the countryside. As we sat at a nuoc mia shop on the side of the road our eardrums were nearly ripped open as countless trucks and buses blasted away for no apparent reason. Many of them seemed to find it funny, judging by their faces.

The rest of the day’s ride was hot but flat, and the local schools were letting out as I rolled into Quan Lao. Chaos ensued, as hundreds of students tried to shout, “hello!” and “what your name?!” while steering their bikes. I pulled into our guest house and waited for the rest of the team to arrive. It had been a great first three days of riding.

Michael Tatarski

More

Read more

;

Photos

VIDEOS

‘Taste of Australia’ gala dinner held in Ho Chi Minh City after 2-year hiatus

Taste of Australia Gala Reception has returned to the Park Hyatt Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City's District 1 after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Vietnamese woman gives unconditional love to hundreds of adopted children

Despite her own immense hardship, she has taken in and cared for hundreds of orphans over the past three decades.

Vietnam’s Mekong Delta celebrates spring with ‘hat boi’ performances

The art form is so popular that it attracts people from all ages in the Mekong Delta

Vietnamese youngster travels back in time with clay miniatures

Each work is a scene caught by Dung and kept in his memories through his journeys across Vietnam

Latest news