Sunday, November 28, 2010

November 28th Bac Ha to Lao Cai City and then overnight train to Hanoi

The loudspeakers on the street thankfully shut down in Bac Ha around 9 pm only to restart at 6 am after morning verspers of cocks.  Breakfast featuring rare papaya and the usual bowls of cold fried eggs and Chinese noodles and doughy bread and suspect jelly.

Highlight of the day was to be the Sunday market in Bac Ha where the H'mong people descend from the hills with their wares.  And it did not disappoint.  The most colourful market in every sense of the trip.  H'mong in their multiple layered brocades (females only) selling the kitchen sink but not pulling at your coattails:  most of the sales seemed to be among themselves.  Live fish in concrete pools, scaling and cleaving fins, live water buffalo, short horses (we've seen very few horses all month), pot-bellied pigs in grain bags with snouts protruding, baskets, bags, ducks, chickens, dogs, linens, chilis, peanuts, star anise, cardamon, kits, cats, ...  All  going to and for sale.  And a food court:  Metrotown move over!  Dare you to eat anything and come out alive.

After, we descended off the mountain for a two hour boat ride up and down the Sang Tchay river.  Sandstone cliffs, many butterflies, a couple of sandpipers and unidentified raptor the only birds.  Then lunch, good lunch, last lunch together.  Speeches and gifts and tips to the crew.

Then back in the vans the same way we rode yesterday into Lao Cai City:  clear evidence that you experience so much more from the saddle but able to piece together the whirr as we spun yesterday.  The whirr is banana plantations, veneer wood plants, tea groves, and winding busy highway.

Showers at the hotel and cleaning shoes and dinner (again) and on the train tonight armed with playing cards and cookies and mandarins.  Train was bearable.  Four to a room.  Washrooms not great.

Saturday, Nov. 27 Sapa to Bac Ha 100 km

     We left Sapa in a heavy fog and looked forward to going downhill for a long while. However, the downhill had many "uplations", as Nancy calls them.
      We cycled almost 80 km before lunch. As the terrain leveled out the scenery became familiar: tea, banana and pineapple plantations, sugar cane fields and lots of little "market gardens". The people were mostly dressed in western style clothing. We met groups of middle school-age students leaving school at 10:30 (had been there since 6:30) on a Saturday, very happy to greet us while they rode double on their bikes.
     In a village we saw thin sheets of wood drying by the roadside. Paul and I investigated the mill where logs were peeled by a machine into long sheets of veneer.
     Lao Cai city, where we're catching the train tomorrow, is very large and Chau led us safely through the traffic and many intersections.
     After lunch in a small town we headed up Bac Ha Pass which was described as a "severe climb", parts at 12 %. The climb was 17 km with a false summit before the real summit where the terrain once again became undulating, rather than a true downhill. All the heroes of 2 days ago did this pass joined by Nancy and Yvonne.
     Once in Bac Ha at the hotel we boxed up our bikes (the lucky ones who had rented bikes went exploring in the town). After dinner Chau once again gave the itinerary.....we have a busy day tomorrow....Bac Ha Sunday market (minorities from all around come), a boat ride to the restaurant, bus back to Lao Cai where we shower and change for the overnight train. Most of us bought silk sleeping bag liners in preparation for the "sleepers".
     written by Yvonne

Thursday, November 25, 2010

November 25th Lai Chau to Sa Pa 38 km

Rain.  Haven't seen actual rain for a while and thought our group had found the magic touch re weather.  Guess not.

But after last night's unexpected and delightful celebration of my becoming an official old fart eligible for OAS, as well as free trips during the week on BCferries and even free parking in Nelson, nothing is going to dampen our spirits.  Nancy had transported a flock of cards to present with all the pomp that she is so good at generating, along with two candles, the numbers 6 and 5 - some card suggested putting the 6 upside down - and Chao had arranged for a fabulous two story cake decorated with white and red roses in icing, the first real dessert that the crew has experienced since we started.

Given that the day had been a seriously hard climb in pea soup mist and an exhilarating descent in great  weather, the party was quite welcome to all.  Thanks Nancy, you seem to always come up with just the right touch.

So today we were curious about the day.  We had decided last night to forget about doing the first climb, based in part on the advice of Group 1 and on the description in the itinerary.  We drove about 25 km to a point just past what Chao described as the construction on this road to Sa Pa.  For a host of reasons several people opted out of cycling, but Doug and Gala, Ross and Dawn, Les, Brendan, Bernie and I all decided to ride to the top of the highest pass in Vietnam at 1,990 m.

It was a grind that extended for 24 km with really only one section at 18-21 km that approached easy.  The rest was a steady climb at probably 5% to 8% with the last few kilometres at 9%+.  Several sections of road construction were muddy, slippery and acted as drags on the tires.  But we all crested the pass to the howls from the sane ones in the group that had taken the van ride to the top.  I say sane because they were treated to a picnic treat consisting of great hot tea, pork on sticks barbequed over a brazier and sticky rice in bamboo tubes, all very good.  Unfortunately, the riders got some tea and a taste of the rice but not much else before we all set off.

Only four, Doug, Gala, Les and Bernie, rode down to the restaurant in Sa Pa as it was really cold at the top.  I know that I had a concern about going down through any slippery areas under construction - in the end, there weren't any - and others had similar thoughts. Brendan started down but his bike quickly developed a serious shimmy and he jumped into the van thereby showing the first glimmers of sanity.  Damn but he's fast.

Lunch was in a very posh looking place, certainly compared to most of our lunch stops and the food was a cut above in quality and presentation.  The ginger tea was really a treat, and very gingery, after getting cold on the bikes.  But our entertainment was provided by Ross and Sharon who found the cute salt and pepper shakers that fitted together like a couple just too much of a temptation - engaging them in conversation and doing who knows what rude things with them.

The Bamboo Sapa Hotel is a delight - the plumbing works without washing the floor each time you use the sink or the loo and the shower is heaven - didn't want to get out.  But the sky is about 18 inches off the ground and very wet with mist.  A lot colder than Nancy and I expected as well, even though we brought warm things for this region.

Walking around Sa Pa I am sure would be a delight if we could see anything.  The fog or whatever (I think the clouds live here) make it appear like London in the time of Dickens.  But that didn't prevent a few of us finding some decent wine in a shop near our hotel for a bit of a happy hour.

Dinner was at a restaurant a seven minute walk from the hotel - numerous courses and quite good, but I suspect it was at a different place than Group 1 went to as it was certainly not formal which was fine by us.  Obviously Group 2 has a more laid back approach to such things.

All in all another memorable day, to be filed with all the other memorable ones that we have experienced.  And the group has been eminently compatible and a pleasure to be with.  Nancy and I are obviously much less experienced at such trips than many of the group members so we have learned much and picked up more ideas about possible future ones.  Bonus.  All we have to do now is turn our pictures into something we can share or show or keep for posterity.


Paul Hough

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

November 24th Sin Ho to Lai Chau 66 km

Minimal breakfast at 6:30 am of 2 cold fried eggs and the usual soggy anemic sweet white bread but for a first time welcome treat with honey.  Drip coffee addicts don't seem to understand the 2 ounce serving of espresso and finally go direct to the kitchen to get boiling water to add.  The coffee is actually authentic with crema sticking to the sides of the little cups as it should.  Supersweet condensed milk like Eagle Brand is served on the side.

Assembled in the parking lot at 7:30 am which is the usual appointed hour.  Started climbing up out of the village in mist and busted streets.  Wake up climb without warmup got juices flowing.
Early this morning the mist cleared for a few minutes.

The itinerary and our guide had emphasized that the day would be hard and begin with 30 km of 10% uphill.  Wrong.  It was 30 km of 10% DOWNhill.  Greasy downhill, so steep that your forearms ache from braking.  Soupy fog and layers of rutted red clay and condensation leaving a film everywhere.  Tricky riding.  In fact, a couple of people did lose it but with minor consequence and back on the bike.  Paddy had a small accident and is doing fine.
One of many muddy sections today.

Everyone else made it through fine.  Brendan was in Lai Cau shortly before 11 am  followed by Dawn who is riding quite strong some days.  Directions for the hotel over the last 4 km were terrible and many of us had a nice frustrating ride around the beaten up town.  [Group 3:  easy directions to the hotel.  As you come into Lai Cau from the mountains, you can't miss a huge new multi-lane freeway.  Turn right and go about 2 km.  Watch for high building on left with big neon sign on top Muong Thanh Hotel.  Go left 200 m and you're there.]   Everyone made it by 2 pm and had a well-deserved lunch.  Short distance but with the mist and steep climbs in the second half it was the most challenging day but still fabulous mountain riding.  Vertical gain:  1277 m; vertical loss: 1884 m



Tonight we are celebrating Paul's 65th birthday with some secrets shared.

Poinsettias grow readily, sometimes wild.  A reminder that Christmas is nigh.  Sweet mandarain oranges also common.




Doug Sly

November 23rd Dien Bien to Sin Ho 102 km

Spectacular adventure today! Great climbs - we even had to break down and use the granny gear on the first climb today - mountain Thai villages, neatly piled cords of firewood (an indication that it can get cold), beautiful warm temperatures, the riding just gets better and better. A couple of people had to jump in the van today but for some at least it was easy fantastic riding. Near the end coming into Muong Lay we ran into mega construction as a huge new dam is being built on the Da River and communities are being relocated before being flooded.  This creates what they call in Chinese fashion a New Economic Development zone.  Not easy for us to get a feel for how willingly this transition will occur. Then we drove and drove and drove, up and up and up to 1573 meters to a secluded mountain village. We had to get out at one point as the driver spun and slid over greasy red clay. We were all holding our breath, some nearly sobbing. Took 3 hours to drive 60 km and we arrived just before 7 pm.  But all safe and sound.  Vertical gain:  1376 m; vertical loss: 1671 m

The hills are beautiful vistas to the eye, mists hovering, but it does not want to be captured on camera: still shy from the wars and devestation.

The hotel tonight in Sin Ho was a delapidated Communist hotel.  Service lacking - the girl at the reception rolled out a Thai blanket and slept on the floor all night.  One computer.  Lighting dodgy going bright and dim.  Little or no hot water at times.  Everything damp from the high mountain mists.  Dinner and breakfast sketchy.  But we were expecting it so everyone at least reasonably happy.

Doug Sly

Timeless Essay: WHY THE FRENCH WERE DEFEATED AT DIEN PHU

We recently spent 2 nights in Dien Bien Phu and were acquainted in a variety of ways to the historic importance of the battle with French colonialists in 1954.  History is a children’s story written by the side that still has at least a piece of paper and a pencil after the hostilities have ended.  The losing side has the shirts on their back and about half the men they started out with.
Our tour leader, Chau, has repeatedly told us that the Vietnamese won because they dragged their cannons up to the top of the mountains and then bombarded the French who were meandering in the valley below.  At the war museum in Dien Bien Phu we were afforded another version related to the destruction of “A1”, the “impregnable headwaters” of the French.  The presentation was by less than state-of-the-art electronics.  A 26” flat screen TV was placed about 10-15 feet away from the audience and the TV’s audio system was used for the audio.  This meant that you could only hear about every fifth word. 
Much of the commentary was coordinated with a diorama directly below the TV screen which showed French positions in green lights and the slow but steady advance of Vietnamese forces—in red lights-- through the use of tunnels.  The speaker went through the French positions: “strongpoint 501” and some lights when on. “Strongpoint 502” and more lights, and on and on.  I noticed there was a “strongpoint 505B” and I think that stood for “505 barely adequate” and I think that may have been the weak link.   Anyway after all the green lights were lit, they began lighting the red lights.  By the end of the narrative, all the green lights were out and all the red lights were on.  Since you couldn’t hear hardly any of the commentary, I concluded if the French had chosen to be the red lights, they would have won the war.
Well, after doing a considerable amount of research and utilizing the information provided, I have reached several conclusions about the reasons the French were defeated Dien Bien Phu.  First, why the French would establish a command center at the “headwaters” is very poor planning.  The place would‘ve been overrun with water every day.  It is impossible to get any work done.  Second, the French would have preferred to get hill C-12, but the Chinese already had that one.  The French were Johnny-come-latelys at abusing the Vietnamese.  Hill A1 was a loser from the start.
Third, to properly establish their headwaters, the French needed to produce a large amount of “semen” to reinforce  their trenches.  But since by 1954, the French had been in Vietnam for several years, they had a large number of older soldiers, who were no longer had the ability to produce a large amount of semen.  As an aside, historians have debated for decades which is more important: high semen production in wartime versus high production of semen in peacetime.  I will not weigh in with my opinion, but encourage the reader to engage in this debate with family and friends and see what conclusion you reach.
As a back-up system the French attempted to use a layer of “mazo’leum” to reinforce the trenches.  Unfortunately, they forgot to spray the mazo’leum with “lisol” and thus a lot of soldiers came down with dysentery, further depleting French forces.
Another problem was the French housed their troops on one side of a busy street and placed the eating facility on the other side of the street.  Every morning around 7 a.m. a large number of troops were rundown by motor scooters, as they casually attempted to secure a croissant and a caffé.
Early on some French troops were captured by the Vietnamese.  The plan was to torture them and then return them to their unit, creating fright and despair amongst the French.  The chosen torture was to force them to eat an entire porcupine, quills included, and then make them do pilates for an hour.  Ironically, this is a training technique  originated by Canadian bicycle racers over 100 years ago, which may explain the short list of Canadian Tour de France winners.  On a positive note, it was a Canadian cyclist who pioneered the use of ear wax as a medium for repacking wheel bearings when far from a repair facility.
But I digress.  Another crucial failing of the French was to not have enough certified public accountants (cpa) on staff.  A large amount of materiel was lost and unaccounted for.  The United States is well known for its large number of cpa’s (more than probably needed, and it has certainly helped to make the country prosperous and model for other nations to emulate.)
There is another lesson learned from the battle at A1.  The French believed their fortress impregnable.  The Vietnamese realized their only hope was to tunnel under the main fortress and blow it up.  The chief engineer was instructed to build a series of “undulating” tunnels.  Unfortunately, the chief engineer interpreted undulation to mean long steep uphills followed by short downhills.  Although the tunnelers eventually reached their objective, they were several weeks later than planned, and the term “undulation” has been held suspect every since.
As you can see, there are many issues to consider to put this historic battle in proper perspective.  Simple answers simply leave too much unsaid.

By Michael Goldberg, M.B.S., B.F.D.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Monday, November 22nd Rest Day in Dien Bien Phu

Day Fifteen: Rest Day in Dien Bien Phu
 
We arrived at the beautifully groomed grounds of the tranquil government owned and operated resort, the Him Lam Hotel, on the outskirts of Dien Bien Phu late yesterday afternoon. Our airy rooms are in small typical Vietnamese red wooden buildings on stilts in the Thai style. After happy hour on our open balcony, we enjoyed a great dinner before being entertained outside under a full moon by local communist party members and singers. The entertainment, where "rice wine" was shared freely, was all in Vietnamese and much of it boring, but Les and Bernie last till the end when everyone participated in lively Vietnamese dancing including the "bamboo stick dance" that many of us have learned.
 
Bananas are one of the daily fruit staples that are easily available here. Last night some of us stored a banana in our airy room to eat with breakfast. In Michael & Bernie's room, something (?) ate through the skin of the banana and half the inside. Paul & Nancy discovered half their banana eaten last evening and threw it in the garbage can; this morning the banana was gone. We are wondering what kind of animal/insect is in our rooms at night? Chou says its the Thai ladies that come into our room at night?
 
After a breakfast that is marginally little better than yesterdays, we enjoy a day off from cycling. It is another warm sunny day (3'rd in a row). In the morning we have a tour of Dien Bien Phu which is located in one of the most remote parts of Vietnam in the flat Muong Thanh Valley surrounded by the thick forests and steep terrain that we cycled through yesterday.. A small village until recently, the city has grown quickly with parks, tree lined boulevards and new buildings (war monuments, communist party offices and congress centre) that have been constructed. This is definitely a communist party stronghold; red flags and banners are everywhere although we are unable to understand the messages.
 
Dien Bien Phu, near the border with Laos, is famous as the site of a decisive Vietnamese battle. The French colonial forces were soundly defeated by the Viet Minh following which the French Indochina empire began to crumble. First we see an English film about the battle, that is difficult to understand, then visit the War Museum, walk up the previously well fortified and guarded "A1" hill, complete with tunnels, trenches and crater where the most important and last battle of the war was fought and won by the Vietnamese on May 7, 1954. This was indeed a good but very detailed history lesson. The next stop was at the reconstructed bunker which served as the french headquarters for the 16,200 french troups located in the Muong Thanh valley.
 
Last stop of the morning was at the local market where you can purchase everything that is required to live in this town.  We purchased some fruit and other local snacks. We were the only tourists at the market and were not hassled like we have been at markets elsewhere. The group separated after the market; some stayed for lunch in town and some returned to the resort for a relaxing afternoon by the pool or in the shade in the beautiful resort grounds, anticipating tommorrow's 100 km cycle with one long 8 km 10% hill climb. 
 
The 16 of us are well and healthy but keeping our fingers crossed. We have all cycled the distances and routes outlined in our daily itinerary. Our excellent guide, Chau, warns us about picketpockets and not to eat local foods from street venders or markets. To my knowledge, none of us has experienced any issues related to picket pockets, lost bags, etc.
The Vietnamese wine "Vang Dalat", available in red or white, "produced from Dalat regional fruits" is not very good. Some of us have tried other imported wines but none have impressed us. Wine is very expensive (relatively speaking) here because it is heavily taxed. We have few choices for local and imported beer but what is available is good and inexpensive ($ 0.50 to 1.00). A few of us have been taken to the local vodka, straight up. It's made from fermented rice with 29.5% alcohol, according to the bottle. It's actually pretty good compared to the wine.

Sharon brought a couple of surgical masks and they work for her. Some of us have obtained a local mask to wear for protection against the dust and smog while cycling. I tried mine yesterday but found it to be too thick for breathing properly while huffing and puffing up the hills. My whole face overheated (hot, sweaty, glasses steamed up). I used it only when the road dust was very bad.
 
Dinner tonight is in the hotel restaurant.
 
Written by Bernie Phillion

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Sunday, November 21 Son La to Dien Bien 89 km

We stayed at the  Him Lam Resort Hotel in Son La last night, a government operated hotel.   The facilities were plain, clean, roomy, poorly lit, but quite adequate.  Dinner was very good.   Breakfast fell just short of sh___ty -- the service right out of a communist manual.   We had the sparsest selection of food items so far on this trek and the waiter resembled a deer in the headlights.  For Vietnam, this was an excellent illustration of free enterprise vs communism as all the other places we have stayed provided excellent service, still,it was all part of the experience.

The ride today was incredible, the scenery stunning.  We rode 50+ km of almost flat road through countless terraced rice fields, by limestone hills and cliffs, through villages with busy street markets, by many Thai ethnic minority people, women and some children and men in traditional dress ( some women wearing their scooter helmets over their ornate head wear)  The terraces were marvels of basic hydraulic engineering, their shapes and levels accurately placed to facilitate the irrigation necessary for rice production.  all this done without transits or laser leveling, probably by eye and trial and error over many many years.

We were driven up Pha Din pass for which we were all very grateful. This was a steady climb for 30 to 40 km along hillsides and through valleys with fields cut and planted on steep slopes with the occasional house and small villages off to the sides.  We had lunch in the village of Tuan Giao, and drove on past many more terraced fields, some of them supplied with water from water wheels placed in a river flowing through the valley.  We drove to the top of Tang Quai Pass and then rode the last 30 km to Dien Bien Phu, mostly downhill, arriving at the beautiful and unique Him Lam Resort on the outskirts of town at about 3 p.m.

The ride provided many interesting events and sights for us to remember. We watched a 30 man crew doing the framework on a new home, saw some pot bellied pigs, noticed flowering poinsettia bushes, saw many Thai women wearing colourful head wraps.  We saw Doug's upper lip, the first people in over 40 years to do so, as a language barrier contributed to his barber's mis-interpretation of his request for a trim and shaved the whole thing off!
We noticed the first two monuments to Vietnamese soldiers of the French War, probably more to come tomorrow

North Vietnam has proven to be more busy than many of us imagined, with many more cars in the traffic mix. The roads and village streets often have spilled gravel on the edges and are much dustier.  There seems to be more garbage on the roadsides as well.   The people are just as friendly and the children shout "Hello" or put out hands for us to touch in a sort of "high five" as we cycle past.

Another day of great cycling and memorable sights and experiences.
written by Ross

Friday, November 19th Hanoi to Mai Chau


It was an early start on Friday.  The bike route was shortened because of some concerns about truck traffic.  We started cycling in Hoa Binh town rather than Luong Son Quan. This shortened the day by 12.2 km still leaving two passes that would give us a great workout on the 10% grade in places.  Some of our group encountered a wedding as well as a Vietnamese version of a "sock hop." The kids were rocking and rolling.  The kids work hard.  According to Chau they start school at 6:30 and go until 10:30 when they go home for lunch.  School resumes at 12:30 and goes until 4:30.  I guess they need to let off a little on steam on Friday afternoon!

Tonight we are staying at the Mai Chau Lodge in Mai Chau.  The village is noted for the Thai women who are masterful weavers.  You can see women weaving on looms under or inside their houses in the village.  Examples of the weaving done can be found on all the textiles in our rooms. After a wonderful meal we were presented a native dance troupe of young men and women in native costume doing traditional dancing.

A tip of the hat to frugal George et al.  So far, due to the  advice and suggestions, we are still pretty healthy and appear to have dodged several BULLETS!

Dan Carey

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Thursday, Nov. 18 Transition Day....Hue to Hanoi

After a more leisurely breakfast than usual, most of us headed off with Chau to absorb some of the history of Hue.  Eleanor stayed back to enjoy some well deserved R&R.  Eleanor is our role model and our inspiration: mot, hai, ba, DYO to Eleanor.

Along the way to our first stop, The Citadel, we picked up a few details about its history.  The 5,000 hectare Imperial City was established by Emperor Gia Long in 1805. This huge complex, protected by watch towers and moats, housed temples as well as living quarters for the emperor, concubines and eunuchs.

During the Tet offensive in 1968, the US destroyed much of the Citadel in order to take back Hue from the Viet Cong.  This battle has been described as the fiercest of the whole war.  Hue did not come back into the hands of Ho Chi Minh and the communists until 1975.  Then, in 1993, UNESCO designated the Citadel a World Heritage Site and this has allowed money for restoration to flow into the Site.  For more information, consult Bernie, who is as good as any guidebook.

When our group is not cycling a certain lethargy creeps in and we don't look like the active fit group we are, but all the men in the group perked up considerably when Chau gleefully described the special leaf pressed into a tea and consumed by the emperor to improve his performance with one of his 200 concubines.  The original viagra - murmurs of "sign me up" were reported heard.

Our next stop was the mawZOlium.  What was that Chau?  Oh, you mean mausoleum?  Yes, that's what I said, mawZOlium.  He is so keen and eager to please, we smile and move on.  Set high on a hill outside the city, this impressive and ornate structure was built by the 12th emperor of Vietnam, Khai Dinh, the last emperor to be buried in a royal tomb at Hue.  The tomb combines Vietnamese and European architectural styles.  Built into the hill, the tomb rises steeply through three levels and at the summit is a bronze bust of the emperor. 

Lunch was at the Ancient Hue restaurant which was quite off the beaten path.  Most enjoyed good soups, and some inferior milkshakes and meagre cups of coffee (no Starbucks grande here).

After checking out of the hotel the vans headed off to the market.  Yvonne, Paul and I lasted about 7 minutes.  I guess we weren't in the mood to handle the aggressive approach and were reluctant to look at the merchandise or make any sort of eye contact, for fear that the merchants would literally reach into our pockets for our money.  We wound our way back to our vans and found our drivers sitting around at a tiny cafe drinking coffee.  What a great idea.  We pulled up chairs and enjoyed a cup of that wonderful milk and coffee for a mere 10,000 dong (50 cents).  Chau showed up sporting an olive green army cap complete with yellow star which he had purchased for 12,000 dong (60 cents).  Our eyes lit up and he headed off to buy 5 of them for those of us that wanted them for the same low price.  Thanks, Chau.

At the airport, Paddie, Les and Bernie, the last three to register for the trip, casually walked by the rest of us and headed for the business class line.  Bernie wasn't sure about all this, so while we were waiting for our flight, Brendan borrowed his pass and headed in for some tasty pre-flight snacks before rejoining the riff-raff.  When we landed in Hanoi, Bernie, sweet guy that he is, gave Yvonne and me each a chocolate bar that he had picked up during the flight.


WOW!  HANOI!  It's a shame that we'll not see anything here.  The city is so different from Ho Chi Minh City.  There are more cars, English billboards and larger buildings to name just a couple of first impressions.  This city of 4 million, the political centre of Vietnam, definitely has a buzz about it.

Dinner was a series of lovely dishes and accompanied by 3 musicians.  The older gentleman could make his stringed instrument sing!

It was late, but Bernie, Sharon, Paul, Paddie and I headed out for a walk and topped off the evening with a soft ice cream cone with chocolate from Lotteria, the Vietnamese version of Dairy Queen.  Not great, but hit the spot.

Tomorrow, we hit the hills of north Vietnam.  Bring them on; we're ready!

Nancy Hough
 

November 20th Mai Chau to Son La


As you can imagine, it is quite a daunting task biking with a bunch of Canadians.  Sadly, they come from a country one tenuous step from third world status.  They suffer under a health care system, allowing them two doctor visits a life time, at birth and at death.  They have only one major league baseball team.  With global warming, half the country will be melted away within a few years.  Most raised on the prairie, poorly educated, require different colored units of currency, due to only a small minority able to count beyond ten fingers and ten toes--except for those with eleven toes.

Still I admire this spirited minority.  So few have ever left their own borders, they are ecstatic to take photos of trains entering tunnels, leaves falling from trees, small animals suckling from their mothers.  Not surprisingly, one participant, although appearing to have extensive bycycling experience, has chosen to manually lift his chain off his forward chainring for the first half of the trip, completely ignoring the requisite hand toggles normally assigned this purpose.  Dismissive comments about “defective rental bike” seem less than genuine.  I am especially encouraged by one couple who obviously have traveled little more than beyond the corner grocery, afraid to ride separately for fear of encountering unfamiliar sights, they have
fused their bikes together so they can rely on each other's emotional strength.  Although this allows them to proceed with caution, they are still easing into the concept of sychronized pedaling.  How inspiring to the rest of us.

Always the competitor, I appear to have succeeded in developing a cold in advance of any of my co-riders.  This is in addition to my other non-cycling induced foot ailments, including scraping the top of my foot on some barnacles during our snorkeling adventure, incurring several sore spots due to ill-fitting sandals, and last night, severely bruising my big toe, as I was paired with a somewhat inexperienced native dancer, who carelessly lead me through a native dance requiring expert manipulation through constantly moving bamboo poles.  But I’m not complaining.

Alas, my plugged nostrils will prevent any further assignations on this trip.  Per usual, from the very beginning I noticed many a wayward glance in my direction from several of the energetic but sexually repressed matrons in our group.  My boyish good looks and massive power-thrusting thighs have placed me in many a dicey situation in the past.   Fortuitously, I possess a firm resolve to avoid any unseemly contacts unless the male partner appears either sickly or cowardly, or both.  The last thing I want to worry about is six months later, some enraged mass of testosterone, grabbing a .44 caliber revolver out of his desk drawer, jumping into his Volvo stationwagon, and racing 500 miles or more at breakneck speed intent on some death-dealing mission.

Continuing on a positive note, I must say we have a very compatible group of cyclists.  We have no sour apples, no big heads, no whining ostriches.  We seem to have the same taste in photos, often lining up for identical shots.  At the end of the trip, we will probably vary by only 10% or so.  Accommodations have been great.  Enough food for a group twice our size.  Or conversely, we will be twice our size when we finish this tour.   Active Asia staff has been incredibly helpful, although today I had to ask the new driver to allow me to stop before he took my bicycle to park it.  On another personal note, I have learned that 20-inch wheels are no match for 10-inch standing water.

On a more serious note, as an American, being in Vietnam, I am
reminded daily of the insanity and inhumanity of war.  Although there are seldom simple explanations to political endeavors, I am saddened to think how many civilians we killed, how much land we poisoned, how many homes and historic buildings we destroyed.  Forty years later, we witness a healthy economy, a stable government, and an apparently good-humored people.  The United States never admits defeat and never admits it is wrong.  Since World War II, we have endeavored to subjugate and exploit one country after another.  Our anthem is always Democracy and we support anyone who offers us easy access to their economic system.  We find ourselves fighting the ones we used to
support and supporting rebels who often have no interest in building a democracy.  Vietnam is a sad chapter in US history.  Seeing the country rebound without our help and in spite of our efforts to destroy it, is a wonderful object lesson to other countries tempted by the proferred rewards of US "assistance."
So you wanted to know something about what we actually did?  We left the hotel and backtracked approx. 4 km and then stared a very rigoroous 34 km ascent with many false summits.  After approx. 3 hr. of climbing we proceeded over some significant rolling hills, culminating in a somewhat satisfactory meal.  I must say the chicken entree was so dry that shoe leather would have seemed like filet mignon in comparison.

After lunch we rode about 13 km downhill.  We then began a 100 km
drive to Son La.  Not the nicest way to spend 2 1/2 hours. The day was highlighted by observing women from several minorities in native dress.  These people are much more concerned about their privacy.  Many did not wish to be photograph.  We stopped at a home where we were allowed to use the outdoor toilet, otherwise known as a hole in the ground next to the pigs.  We all relished this experience.

We are staying at the same hotel as group 1 and look forward to
discovering if food poisoning is still the "piece de resistance."
That's all for now.
Michael Goldberg

Friday, November 19, 2010

Hoi An to Hue Nov. 17th

Hoi An to Hue.   Interesting start from the Thanh Binh Hotel, weren't sure if we were biking, driving or paddling.  Our street had six inches of water.  Much of the town is on the river's flood plain and there are no dikes so floods happen frequently.

Today was a nice but sometimes challenging ride.   First, about 50 km along a sandy beach shore (China Beach area).  Then we went over a pass where it poured then fogged in, in addition to the rain.  At the top were some kiosks, selling drinks and crafts.   While the shelter was appreciated in the downpour, everyone soon found they were captive to an onslaught of pressure to buy.   A break in the fog allowed a welcome escape.   Later we passed graveyard after graveyard along a windy single lane quiet country road.

There were lots of new developments along the sandy beach shores and the future for more seems great.  Low labour costs, warm air and water temperatures, and lots of unspoiled sandy shores all support this areas' competitive position in the condo development world.  One interesting stop along this section was at a marble carving business making use of the marble from nearby Marble Mountain.

The quiet country road mentioned above was on a long narrow island.  A dominant feature was the multitude of graves and massive grave site structures.   Even recent graves had large structures.

A few general observations of the areas we have passed through so far are:
1. Villages usually have:
    a) motorcycle repair shops
    b) a few restaurants or eating kiosks... all open air
    c) blacksmith or ironworks shop (all welders,grinders etc and some have lathes)
    d) small portable sawmill and milling equipment for making planks and other deminsional lumber(band saws and edging machines are all hand fed)
    e) small building supplies stores

   2. Villages often have:
    a) coffin sales outlet and sometimes a manufacturing shop of them
    b) billiard ball recreation room
    c) internet access cafe or similar
    d) hair dresser/beauty shop/massage shops
    e) beautiful wedding dresses displayed for sale
    f)  small carpentry shop making doors and windows but often cabinets etc as well (portable circular saws, bench saws, planing machines, routers and wood lathes)

 A common sight in these low lying rice growing areas is the water buffalo.  They were a common sight over the day, often seen pulling tillers and carts but most often loose in the fields and roads.

We ended the day arriving after dark at the Heritage Hotel in Hue.

Submitted by Les who wrote and composed this report and Brendan, who proofread it and added nothing of value, including the following observations.

After a few days of cruising around this was the first day of any form of climbing,and with the entire group  meeting the challenge,  any concerns Chau  our ever smiling leader might have held  quickly vanished.

Les must memorize his room number, and Doug and Gala need to continue to pull me to the bottom of the hills.   Brendan needs to promise not to wheelsuck his way to the top.

Consult your travel guide or Group 1's blog for more information.

Tuesday, Nov. 16th, Day off in Hoi An (morning)

Another packed day off. Chau met us promptly at nine for a walking tour of old Hoi An. First stop: the Chinese Temple. The building is an elaborately decorated pagoda with many ornate curlicues and dragons. Inside are statues to various gods including the god of midwives and the god of money. Chau explained that Chinese people who want to start a business go first to the temple and pray to the god of money. Vietnamese people being more practical go first to the bank.
Second stop:: a live performance featuring traditional Vietnamese music and dance by a troupe of young, flexible and graceful performers.
Third stop: a historic house owned by the same family for 200 years. The architecture is a combination of Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese elements. The owner pointed out heavy wooden pillars set in concrete to withstand regular flooding. The family runs  a business out of the house producing hand embroidered table cloths. Bernie caved in and bought a cloth and twelve napkins.We were ushered upstairs and graciously offered tea and then the hard sell began. No takers on water pipes or toothpick holders.
Last stop: the local market which was partially underwater because of the previous day's flooding.
Later in the day I returned to the same area to find the streets submerged in water. A Vietnamese woman offered a ride in her wooden boat but wouldn't let me board the boat on the corner muttering something about the police. Instead she led me to a narrow alleyway where her mother was piloting the boat up to meet me. The water taxi took me down a back street which was now one with the river. I watched a boat loaded with merchandise back out of a shop. The shop owner was busy hurling his stock from the boat up to the second floor balcony. Flooding is a regular occurrence and families and shop keepers are practised at moving upstairs until the water recedes.

Paddy Miller

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Tuesday, November 16 Rest Day in Hoi An

Paddy will add the details of her day off tomorrow. I have just returned from the Spa where I had a Purifying Facial and a Coffee Scrub! Wow, this is the grand treatment.

To catch up on our exciting news from last night. I had arrived at the hotel, turned in my laundry, booked for the Red Bridge Cooking School and went to have a Vietnamese coffee (an aluminum top with the grounds through which you pour the hot water...I had to ask what to do with the top when I was ready to drink the coffee) and catch up on my journal. It is still not finished because through the downpour appeared two familiar faces hooded in raincapes. Sandy and Glenda Kirk had managed to connect with us.....what a wonderful surprise. They came to dinner with us and caught up with Dan and Robin, Sharon and Eleanor, Michael and Paddy and I. They had waited for three days in the rain at Hoi An to see us as they regreted that they didn't get to meet Group 1 (on the train coming south while the group was flying north). Glenda and Sandy are looking healthy and to be having fun with their trip. It was difficult to say goodbye.

Chau took a group out this morning for a tour. Paddy will give details. Some of us had to switch rooms as the power went out on the third floor.

I went to the Old Town to search for the location of the cooking school. On the way I found a silk jacket ready-made just for me! Later on it was indicated to me by a local, by looking at my map and the asterik on it, that the school was down there where the water was flooding the street. In fact, boats were coming up the street from the river....I haven't seen flooding like we saw yesterday (we waded and pushed bikes through two causeways with water to the knees but were unable to navigate the third one) since the Fraser River Flood of 1948! In frustration and to reward my helper I took a cyclocab back to the hotel.

Had a coffee with Robin, then she went to her fitting (Paddy will give details) and I had a bowl of Pho Bo.

I tried again and this time found the school (Doug and Gala had gone for the 8 am session, too early for me). The 2 pm class was full with 16 students (from England, Scotland, France, Norway, Switzerland, Canada, Washington DC and Qatar) and three leaders. We went first down to the market to check spices, knives and other utensils, to identify foods that we had eaten or read about. We tried a locust fruit but the guide thought it was sour....we liked it. Because of the flooding we couldn't go by boat (docks underwater) to the Red Bridge Cooking School so we went through the countryside by van back to the river and the school.

The cooking session was fun but fast!  The chef, who had the jokes of a TV chef, would demonstrate, then we would cook on gas burners, then arrange our product with flair, then eat it. We made rice paper to use for the spring rolls we made; we made a Hoi An pancake which we wrapped in rice paper; we made a hot pot of eggplant, tomato and herbs. While the hot pot cooked we practised making a cucumber fan and a tomato rose. (Unfortunately my camera battery expired on me; I hadn't been able to charge my other one as the power was off during the morning). I hope Doug and Gala will be able to post some pics. We went into the eating area to continue our meal of green papaya salad, our hot pot, rice and steamed mackeral. Then it became clear why we were working at such a feverish pace....the flood was coming up on the grounds of the school and in fact had reached the steps! The quickly hailed vans took us back to our hotels.

Then came the finale to my day....the facial and coffee scrub. What a way to end a so-called "rest day".
written by Yvonne

Monday, November 15, 2010

Quy Nhon to Quang Ngai

Today looked promising with slightly overcast skies & a breeze as we headed out of Quy Nhon i by van to begin our rural route from a small fishing village some 30 Km from the city. Showers were just starting so ponchoes & jackets went on.  As always the locals, especially the delightful children, were excited by our presence and kept us busy responding to their constant greetings.  The paved path/highway ran immediately in front of private homes, almost all of which had lakes of muddy water up to the porch or doorstep from last nights rain and the present downpour.  The condition of the path quickly deteriorated to an ongoing series of large and larger water-filled potholes which had to be very carefully negotiated which we all managed save for Paul who delighted the locals by taking a brief but complete mud bath. In the short intervals between potholes we had rice paddies, shrimp farms, duck farms and salt farms on either side, all dotted with white cattle egrets tip-toeing through the water and numerous butterflies fluttering among the bushes.  This flat cycling eventually progressed to first one and then a second climb at a 10% grade through a solid rock-walled hillside. Between the two passes we descended down to another remote fishing village right on the mist-covered ocean where raging brown waves pounded the beach, and just past that area we encountered our first road wash-out.  Not serious though as the van drivers and mechanics were waiting to carry the bikes over the mud & water and send us on our way up the next pass.  Rain continued on & off for remainder of the day and following another plentiful lunch of seafood, rice, veggies & spicy meat washed down with beer or soda we boarded the bus to weave our way further north through the fascinating Vietnamese traffic ballet of honking, weaving, dodging and swerving vehicles.  There are alot of miles to cover despite the relatively small size of the country so considerable van/snooze time is needed.  This is a fabulous journey into the Vietnamese culture and life and we never cease to be amazed by the consistently energetic positive and cheery attitude we see in everyone we meet.  Tomorrow, weather permitting we will cycle and drive toward Hoi An.   


Sharon Warren 

Quang Ngai to Hoi An

Boots on bare feet in the Peace Park at the memorial site of the Son My massacre March 16, 1968.  Now, aspiring to peace with every step.
Mr Do Ky's house, restored after the Son My massacre.  Haunting photos in the memorial showed GIs setting fire to the houses and destroying crops, point-blank shootings with oversized weapons, piles of bodies.  Relics included an umbrella skeleton, a bracelet, a glazed terracotta jar of rice, small round-bellied jars of fish sauce, a plastic crab toy, and a 500kg bomb dropped after the massacre to destroy evidence of the crime.

Bed in restored house of Mr Do Ky, with bamboo mattress and wooden pillow.
The first of several flooded sections we crossed this morning.
Siblings

Local helmets
Flood season

Narrow backroad riding

People watching people watching people.
Vietnamese tandem.  Often both pedal together.
Always the conical hat
Smoke break
Every town has a shop selling formal wear.