Beasts in Jungle

November 28th: Pho Chau to Son Kim – 30.24 km

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Day 46

Just as we were falling asleep I began to hear what we dreaded – heavy rain. It rained all night and was raining when we woke up. Definitely very bad news for us, if the muddy and trying terrain was ahead of us, in addition to some steep uphills. The rain stopped around 8am and we decided that unless we waited a week, the roads would still be muddy so we chose a point that looked like a hotel before the border crossing, 30 km away, and hoped for the best.

Just as we were leaving, a local man stopped us and asked if we were going to Laos, and then indicated that cycling was no good and gestured that a motorcycle is what we need to pass the steep mountain roads. Regardless, we had to press on.

Fortunately, the horrible muddy road stopped as we got out of Pho Chau. Indeed some of the terrain was steep, a 10% grade at one point, but it is at least paved and smooth. The uphills were not too long before releasing us down the other side, and stunning views accompanied us all the way. This was a lucky break since the rain picked up as soon as we started today and didn’t stop until 5pm.

At 20 km we entered a small town with some very nice homes with new Lexus’s and Toyota 4 Runners parked out front. We stopped and treated ourselves to a wonderful chao lunch and some Vietnamese jet fuel coffee – 4 tablespoons of coffee and less than a quarter cup of water sweetened with condensed milk. Warm, fed and caffeinated, we bounded off to find our in-the-middle-of-nowhere hotel. Approaching the turn-off road for the hotel, we noted that it was a dirt road with puddles that swallowed the wheels of a Jeep that drove by. The hotel was supposed to be 4km in on that road. We were left with no choice but to continue on.

It was indeed our lucky day. Pedaling 100 meters further down the road, we saw another hotel on the road side. We were quoted at 250,000 VND, which for the state of the rooms we thought it was much too expensive. Again, we decided to press on and got on our trikes. They stopped us and offered 200,000VND. We happily took the offer, as we were in the middle of nowhere and still quite far from the border crossing, which we might or might not find any accommodation. After checking in we discovered the higher price was because the hotel sits on a hot spring. If you pay the full price you get to use the “hot spring building”, in which there were several rooms with large tubs and shower heads. After some bargaining, we were allowed to use the hot spring shower for free, since there is no hot water in our hotel rooms. Such a treat after a rainy cold day of pedaling! Although the sulfur aroma was strong, the water was extremely hot, the pressure was excellent, and our skin is now silky smooth.

After some more sign language with some guests at the hotel we have learned that the border is now passable by car, although 2 months ago it was damaged by torrential rains. We hope to make it to Lak Xao,  the nearest town after the Cau Treo/Nam Phao border crossing. I tried to ask how the roads were on the Laos side of the border by jumping from the concrete to the muddy lawn, alternatively shouting Vietnam, Laos and pointing at the ground. It was more entertaining than informative. Anyway, it looks the rain is clearing and hopefully we will get there before night fall.

November 27th: Vinh to Pho Chau – 49.8 km / 31.1 miles

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Day 45

Today was a day of contrasts. Taking the most direct route out of Vinh, we passed a short stretch of muddy rutted paths which opened up into spacious fields and villages on smooth concrete with almost no traffic. We were in bliss,  as we pedaled side by side, we were tailed by some curious children, and waved and shouted some hellos to the women working in the fields. Our road then took us winding over and around the railroad tracks and across a train trestle. Google Maps did it’s magic by guiding us through these tiny roads, no wider than sidewalks.

Our bliss was short lived as we started on Route 8, which will took us all the way across Laos. We moved out of the valley into the hills. Our smooth road became one of the most muddy, bumpy, and challenging roads that we’ve seen so far. Even though it had not rained in 3 days, tire sucking mud was 3 or 4 inches deep and for long stretches the road was so uneven that we only kept ourselves from flipping over by leaning over and balancing like sailors on a catamaran. With our extremely low gears and large tires, (thank you ICE for recommending 1.75 tires) we managed to inch through the worst places and never had to get off the trikes. I did have to stop once to remove my rear tire and scrape mud from my the mud guard, a process which involved taking all the luggage off my trike. We kept each other laughing while a family closely watched the two maniacs having a great time fixing their strange vehicle in the mud.

It took us almost 7 hours to get to Pho Chau, the nearest town with hotels. Pho Chau has all the feel of a town on the border. There’s a little bit of everything that you need before getting back on the road. With plenty of hotels, convenience stores, auto parts, mechanics, and even fresh baked bread. We stayed at the Bach Dai Dung Hotel for 200,000 Dong and were happy to have a clean room facing away from the hectic main road, a hot shower, and WiFi. Although it was a long rough day, we were both excited at having surmounted any obstacles the road through in our way while laughing at the worst and patiently enduring the rest. We have no idea what tomorrow will bring but we’ve already come this far so little by little we hope to make it through and enjoy ourselves as well.

November 26th: Dien Truong to Vinh – 57 km / 35.6 miles

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Day 44

AH1 is lauded as the best road in Vietnam and in the North we couldn’t agree more. However, after passing Hanoi it is a trying stretch of concrete, dirt and large vehicles. Our first 20 km were punctuated by muddy sections and gravely shoulders which we regularly had to flee to avoiding large trucks and speeding buses. Later, as we saw hills and mountains rising in front of us, there was quiet, not one vehicle passing either way. Soon the shoulder gloriously reappeared the concrete smoothed and we made quick time to Vinh.

Hoping to save some time looking for a hotel I did some research and was bracing myself as I read about people wanting to skip Vinh, and reviews calling it busy and hectic. We were pleasantly surprised as we arrived. People are friendly, traffic is relatively light, and hotels are abundant. We searched for a hotel that was highly recommended by a travel website, only to  find an old hotel with no wifi and dingy little dark rooms, for 160,000 VND (7.5 USD). So off we went on our own hotel hunt. Soon we found a quiet neat little place. For 180,000 VND or 8.50 USD, we got a very functional little room with simple wooden chairs, tables, awesome mosquito nets, air-conditioning, a ceiling fan, a porch (for cooking) and cable tv. For Cher, it reminded her very much of the 70’s in China, so we got a bit of nostalgia thrown in for free. This is one of the advantages of having your own transportation. We were able to check out 5 or 6 hotels in several different areas in about 30 minutes and have our pick in no rush. Were we on foot, it would have taken a great deal longer.

Around the corner we also found a modern grocery store and realized how small the towns were that we’ve been staying in. We were amazed at the rows and rows of packaged food and modern conveniences. Everywhere we turned we were tempted to hoard as many grocery as we could. However, we quickly discovered that a box of Kelloggs muesli, or a small bottle of Johnny Walker Red Label whiskey costs the same as one nights stay at a hotel. We reluctantly took them out of our basket, settling on a large assortment of noodles and congee. Somehow under unknown influences, some peanut butter and jelly jumped into our grocery bags.

Tomorrow we head west. Couldn’t wait to get away from the cities and into the mountains. We’re both quite excited to check out Laos, it being our first time. Well rested we look forward to more curious people, misunderstandings, and survival charades.

November 25th:Tinh Gia to Dien Truong – 47 km / 29.4 miles

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Day 43

We were kept awake all last night by a violent rain storm and high winds. Every time the winds picked up the local dogs would howl and bark. Despite only a few hours of sleep we woke up at 5:30am and got our day started. Early on dark clouds threatened but in the end nothing became of it and fortunately we stayed dry today. However,  the roads were muddy anyway and where they weren’t muddy, they were dusty.

The most trying element was not the weather nor the roads, but the people. In the countryside people are more reserved and usually yell a simple hello or wave. In big cities, most people are too busy to pay much attention to you, but in the middle grounds in between countryside and cities,  you’re fair game.

Almost every mile several people were either tailing us by only a foot, yelling, barking, or honking.  A woman followed us so closely on a scooter that when Cher stopped she didn’t have room to go around her. It’s extremely draining to drown out the wild yells and to keep an eye in our mirrors and the road ahead because drivers are passing head on into traffic or forcing traffic onto the shoulder.

Not only did everyone think it’s ok to take a seat on our trikes without asking, but they also appeared to be confused when we tell them to get off. While guarding the trikes at a gas station as Cher answered natures call, I removed a man from my trike. He assumed it was because they are expensive and began asking me how much, the only Vietnamese phrase I know, and I played dumb and shrugged my shoulders. He then pantomimed opening a wallet taking out money and began pointing at the trike. I shrugged again and he was astonished at my lack of comprehension. He must of thought I was the thickest person in the world.

Tomorrow we are heading for Vinh and we have decided to then go west to cross into Laos through Cau Treo boarder crossing, even though the road looks like coiled intestine as it head over the mountains. On the plus side, hopefully we can escape the insane motorists and bystanders that have been harassing us.

November 24th: Rest Day in Tinh Gia

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Day 42

How wonderful to wake up with only the sound of the ocean. No horns blaring nor trucks rumbling, just the rhythmic crash of waves.

With a hot cup of coffee in hand, we took a stroll along the beach. Probably a summer retreat popular among the locals, this beach was deserted during the winter time. Lucky for us, to have this coast all to ourselves. What a joy to do my bike maintenance in the sun on the beach, without drawing a huge curious crowd.

One of the advantages of slow travel is buying local groceries. We made sandwiches with freshly baked baguettes (3,000 – 5,000 VND each) and scrambled eggs (3,000 VND per egg) with fresh chives (free from buying the eggs). After spending almost a month in Vietnam, we now have a good idea about the prices. This gives us an advantage to know if the owner is charging us the “westerner’s price”.

At one of the small convenience stores in town where we stopped for groceries, we were met by more curious men who once again, without asking, tried to sit in our trike. We signed no. Then one guy took a card out of his wallet and gave it to me. It looked official. I guessed some type of government card so I gave it back, not understanding his intention. He kept on forcing the card into my hands, which only made us want to flee.

As we pedaled away I saw Cher holding it. Turned out the man forced the card into Cher’s hand as she didn’t get away quickly enough. What do we do with it? I said throw it away. Cher placed it on a patch of grass by the road, so that he might find it again and we continued on our way. Another 100 meters on, the man came flying around the corner on his motorbike and began motioning for his card. After many confusing conversations and gestures, it turned out that the card he was trying to force into our hands, was his driver’s license. He was probably trying to use his driver’s license as a token for a spin on our trikes. All was lost in translation (in this case, no translation) and what he didn’t know was that it wasn’t safe to trust us with his driver’s license.

November 23rd: Thanh Hoa to Tinh Gia – 48 km / 30 miles

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Day 41

After a poor night of sleep, we woke and put on our wet clammy clothes and got on our mud caked trikes. Although the sky was gray there was no rain today. As if to prove my feeling about the town having a sinister element, we were followed by a man on a motorbike. Many who follows us do so and are clearly curious about our trikes. They laugh, point or just have a curious look and are obviously staring at us. This guy did his best to pretend that he wasn’t looking at us when we acknowledged his presence. Several times I saw him behind and stopped and he stopped. Stopping quickly he went around us and stopped and pretended to look at some construction workers cutting a piece of wood. I took a picture of him just in case, and realized that his license was covered by mud and illegible. We waited but he continued to wait. We went around him and I saw him start up and follow us again. We stopped again, and he stopped in front of us. I got off my trike and let loose a string of expletives as I did my best gorilla impersonation and he sped off. I gestured that he was following us to a group of people on the street and they didn’t seem surprised, either that or they just nodded because they didn’t want to provoke  the crazed white guy they just saw chasing a man on a motorbike.

In order to prevent curious motorists from following and creating a barricade where we have no where to turn, we simply slow to a crawl or stop. Cars will continue on because they block the road. Motorbikes are unstable at such slow speeds so they speed up and pass by. The trickiest are the children on bikes, as they always follow us till their hearts content while repeatedly yelling “hello”.

The rest of the day was uneventful. We were just exhausted. Much of the oil on our chains was scoured off by the dirt and grime and pedaling was an effort. Cher’s knee was beginning to ache and my legs just had nothing left. Looking for a good place to spend a rest day we were quite picky about our hotels and it paid off. Finding nothing along the main road we decided to head for the coast on a narrow sandy path. After passing through fields and cow pastures, we were greeted by the ocean. Along the beach, there were many “An Nghi”s, practically restaurants with guesthouse facilities.

We found a neat little bungalow on the beach with air-conditioning and hot water for just 150,000VND. We certainly wouldn’t need the air-conditioner with the cool ocean breeze. For once, we were put to bed by the pleasant sound of waves lapping on the beach instead of highway noise.

November 22nd: Ninh Binh to Thanh Hoa – 64.3 km /40.2 miles

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Day 40

Started with a light mist today that went on all day. I like the rain, cozily ensconced in my rain gear while I roll along. My romanticism didn’t inspire Cher as she rode on in quiet misery today. Although after today I think that my fantasy about riding in the rain is limited only to modern city roads – paved and non-muddy. Also the temperature has to be right – not too hot to wear rain gear without sweating. My romance with the rain died down as we spent the day slogging through muddy streets while passing semis and buses as they sprayed us with muddy water.

Happy to arrive in Thanh Hoa, we soon were a bit disappointed. It has a rough edge, and the people show it. Today was the first day we were warned against going down to the end of a street by locals. With numerous karaoke joints on the streets and shady hotels, Thanh Hoa seems like a party town where local business men come to cut loose.

After being disappointed by many towns that we had passed, we decided to do some research on our future itineraries. From what we read on the internet, it seems like the next big city Vinh will not be a pleasant place to stop either. Which means we will see not much until we get to Laos, and then mystery. The map doesn’t show many cities or villages between the Laos/Vietnam border cross and our destination Thakhek.

Off to our next spot. Looks dry outside for now. Hopefully we’ll get a view of the sea as today we will wind down to the coast.

November 21st: Phu Ly to Ninh Binh – 34.7 km / 21.7 miles

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Day 39

I woke up to the sounds of trucks thundering by under our window before 5am. Such is our old friend –  truck stop motel! Hoping for better we set off for Ninh Binh. Nothing exceptional happened on our short ride, and we were both happy to have an easy day. We arrived in town and found ourselves dropped off somewhere completely different than what we expected, again. For the first time we saw groups of westerners and the hotel staff / owners speak enough English, quoting prices in US dollars for modernly equipped rooms – soft bed with freshly laundered white linen sheets, working toilet plumping, non-moldy walls, etc.

We settled in at a cheap hotel, and for the first time in a month, we had a soft bed. Just as I was going to have a cup of coffee and relax, I broke the hot water bottle. Million pieces of shiny glass were shattered on the floor, with hot boiling water flooding all over. For those of you unfamiliar with the concept of having hot water bottle, here is some background information. Most of the hotels in Vietnam don’t provide you with a kettle in the room, but if you ask they will bring you an insulated hot water bottle filled with hot boiling water, with which you can make a cup of tea or coffee. This is how you avoid buying bottled water in countries that don’t have drinkable tap water. A hot drink is very enjoyable after a day of travel, when we were usually too lazy to use our SteriPen or fire up the grill. The shell of the hot water bottle is usually plastic or aluminum, but don’t be fooled by the sturdy looks. Unlike the Thermos bottles, the inside of the hot water bottle is a layer of mirrored glass. Although fragile, its retention of energy is amazing. Usually it keeps the water hot enough to make coffee and oatmeal in the morning if you fill it up the previous night. As long as you don’t knock it over, or bump it into something else, or put it down too hard. Treat it gingerly.

After mopping up the broken glass, I shamefully brought the broken hot water bottle downstairs and the owner immediately told me it would cost 150,000 VND for the damage. I reported to Cher, who grew up with this technology and she assured me that they were definitely much cheaper than 150,000 VND. So we set out to find a replacement from the local market.

Now this isn’t just a boring story about a water bottle. It’s a story about how we are finally feeling confident in our ability to navigate, locate, and haggle for the things we need, however still boring in some people’s eye. In the midst of a busy market with hawkers hounding you and even grabbing you to get your attention, it can be difficult to manage to get what you want, in the amount that you want, for a price that is reasonable, while making sure to check that you got the correct change and walk away with everything that you came with. Vietnam adds to this complication, since things can easily cost millions of Dongs.

Nonetheless our mission was a success. We found a hot water bottle for 50% less than what the hotel owner asked for, after some haggling and comparison shopping. We also got groceries that we needed, and, most importantly, our own electric water kettle, only as big as a mug and relatively light weight to travel with. We returned triumphantly and showed the hotel owner the replacement, who looked it over, and said it was good. But after finding that we paid less, he responded, it’s ok, it looks the the same but it’s not as good. Having given the old one a thorough inspection before we left, which the cap was missing and the bottom was broken, we could only agree that it was different. Despite his misgivings, it was accepted and we both walked a little straighter today, with our shoulders back and the blades almost touching.

November 20th: Bac Ninh to Phu Ly – 92 km/57.5 miles

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Day 38

Today was what we have dreaded since planning this trip – passing through Hanoi. Skirting the suburb Hanoi, this section of AH1 proved to be as odious as we assumed. Of course there was the traffic. A mind boggling mix of scooters, motorcycles, cars, vans, buses, trucks and bicycles jammed into a narrow stretch of concrete. We soon learned that the onus to take evasive action is completely on the driver currently on the road. Stopped motorcycles pulled into traffic with no warning. There are no lines to mark the shoulder, so we hugged a double guardrail on the right, one atop the other about 5 feet high blocking any merging traffic from view. On the left were an assortment of food stalls, gas stations, refreshments stands and mechanic shops, creating a chaotic stop-and-go traffic. Then came the drizzling rain. It was nice at the beginning, till the road got soggy and muddy and we had to put on our rain gear. It was a claustrophobic, tense ride with nowhere to rest. We just kept pedaling until the flood of vehicles dwindled and we were out of the city.

Entering onto a portion of Ah1 that’s a little more relaxing, we stopped at the roadside to take off our rain jackets. A car pulled over, and the passenger got out and approached us. He stuck out his hand and Cher noticed his fingernails were each over an inch long. His driver insisted that I take his hand. I gave it a quick shake, while Cher was much appalled by the fingernails and tried to avoid eye contact. He then pulled out 50,000 Dong (about 2.50 USD) and put it in my hand. Another 50,000 Dong was offered to Cher, she politely refused. Thinking he might want to buy a ride on our trikes or have some wicked designs, I tried to give it back but he wouldn’t have it. After shoving the 100,000 Dong in my hands, they both got back in the car and drove off, leaving us much puzzled by the roadside. Everyone else here assumes we’re wealthy to be able to afford such an extravagant luxury as travel, and everyone asks money from us. Now that we were on the receiving end, it made us wonder, did we look that down on our luck today? We quickly pedaled away, and were a little spooked.

Although emotionally exhausted after the whole ordeal, we were determined not to sleep in another truck stop motel so we pushed on until we hit the next town – Phu Ly, which is another 30 some kilometers away. And since Bac Ninh was such a lovely town, we got our hopes up for Phu Ly. It was near dusk when we arrived, and after circling the town for a while, we finally found a motel  (of course, another truck stop motel). We were so exhausted that even the moldy walls and dirty hairy bedding couldn’t drive us away. If hunger is the best sauce for dishes, then exhaustion gives you rose-colored glasses for living conditions. However, we were determined to have a very early start next morning.

November 19th: Huu Lung to Bac Ninh – 55.53 km/34.7 miles

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Day 37

After meeting another group of climbers who suggested that we go to Thakhek, we have made that our next destination. It looks like we can follow AH1 as far as Ha Tinh, 375 km / 234 miles from here and then taking Ho Chi Minh to Q12 to Laos. As we recently learned, AH1 is the longest highway system in Asia going from Tokyo to Istanbul. Needless to say there are a lot of trucks and buses, speeding and honking nonstop. This has led some cyclists to claim that it’s a terrible road to ride on. However, compared to what we road in Southern China it’s wonderful. The shoulder is generous, the concrete is smooth, and the scenery so far isn’t too bad either.

We made it into Bac Ninh at 1pm today and found a nice hotel tucked away in a quiet little neighborhood, with cafe’s and an outdoor food market. After spending almost 3 weeks at a truck stop motel in Huu Lung, we were both thankful to stop at this town. We enjoyed a coffee at a cafe, sampled some sweet and savory pastries from street stalls, and then inhaled a whole grilled chicken with rice noodles for dinner. It was a such a treat compared to the only restaurant that we found open for dinner in Huu Lung, where we witnessed our “chef” scratching his bare foot while taking our order of deep fried fish and pig hearts.

During our 3 weeks stay in Huu Lung, we found whole roasted dogs are sold in the market, and bakers and egg sellers pedal around selling their goods and finding their clients because they are so spread out. Most restaurants are only open for breakfast and lunch. While here in Bac Ninh, men and women are sitting around in suits, on a tree shaded sidewalk sipping coffee and chatting. I felt a bit like a hillbilly coming into the city for the first time, feeling all excited at the glimpse of city life again. Since we entered Vietnam the majority of our travel has been through isolated farming villages. Regardless, it was a great day to throw our budget concerns to the wind and to taste the delectable conveniences a modern city provides.