Taking our recommendation, our climbing friends also moved to Lam Son, our current hotel and were also happy to find a cozy clean room.
We are both eager to get back on the road and will set out early in the morning tomorrow. All of our gear is organized and packed. Goodbye Huu Lung, and a special thanks to Jean Verly at Vietclimb for getting us there, and Francis Hayden for bolting some awesome routes.
Started so early today that we scared a rooster in mid-call. I watched him strut out to the road side, his head held high, his chest jutting out, and just as he was in all his glory and he began to crow, we passed by on our human powered vehicles. Half of his yodel was caught in his throat as his voice changed from a cocky warble into a hennish scream and he ruffled his feathers and fled. We were both laughing but Cher took the most delight, having been bullied by her parents’ rooster when she was 5.
Another great day. Red pointed War and Peace, a 7A and said to be one of the best climb on the main crag. Feeling exhausted and having no skin left on our finger tips, we left early and found that our trikes were locked in the garage of the house we parked in front of. We assumed that they had offered to let us park there after my mirror was stolen. We waited for 30 minutes while some local ladies went to fetch the home-owners. As we waited they tried to feed us and even offered us the use of their scooter to take to town for some grub. Wary of driving a motorized 2 wheeled vehicle, we declined and waited patiently.
The home owner returned and then tried charge us 40,000 VND as we were leaving. Thinking this was the land use fee we motioned that we already paid the landowner who stopped to chit chat with the other ladies gathered around to watch us. Then we realized that this was for parking at the house, and that the other day when we thought we paid for land use, we were actually paying for parking.
We were disappointed and felt that we were being taken advantage of. We could have parked practically anywhere for free, but they offered without indicating they wanted us to pay, and to make matters worse she charged us after my mirror was stolen and her kids were playing on our trikes. It wasn’t an issue of money, just that we both felt deceived. I found the word honest, made sure I had some one read it and motioned no, not, and dis-, making all the no and negating gesticulations I could think of. We refused to pay and took off.
We both found it hard to reconcile the fact that sometimes people are so generous, feeding us, wanting to lend us their scooters, inviting us into their homes, while others appear greedy for money. When we first arrived and shopped at the markets we received a fair price. After we returned several times we had people pushing us and waving their produce in our face. Many people have their own gardens and supplement their meals with produce from the market. So comparatively we buy a lot of goods, and with language barriers we don’t bargain. Everyone tried to take advantage of the situation and we soon became a target. We realize that getting as much as one can is a result of having live through such meager times, but wanting to leave on the positive side, we thought it was time to move on.
We cycled out of the valley for the last time, and said goodbye to our friend Kiem. We were both satisfied that we had found and climbed Huu Lung and could now provide other independent travelers with the know-hows of a lovely isolated spot.
On the advice of the climbers we met, we changed our plan and will be going to Thakhek instead of Vang Vieng. Looking forward to a new scenery.
We had our first company today – 3 European climbers fresh from Yangshuo. The land owner returned and another debate over cash ensued. It was funny to hear another group, now with a German accent, going through the same pantomime and arguments we just made. One guy was pointing at the sky to indicate the sun traveling from east to west, to indicate days, and pointing at the 3 of them to show that they were a small group. Trying a new tactic, a young girl named Stella was trying her best to read phonetic Vietnamese, telling the landowner she was a poor student and had no money. Vietnamese is a tonal language so nothing is comprehensible if the tone isn’t correct. Not understanding any of the arguments, the landowner had returned to her previous argument, broken fruit trees, pay 200,000VND. Even our previous agreement went to the wind.
After a group effort of pairing up and body language, we had an agreement of 25,000VND per person per day. The landowner left looking satisfied, but maybe it was just the infectiousness of the loud cheer that we gave when we struck a deal that caused her to smile.
We explained our previous ordeal with the land owner to the new group and we wondered how it was that after bargaining with us for 2 days she returned to the 200,000VND fixation. However, we have told her through our translator, that if she charges an individual rate, she will make more in the end. Climbers passing through are more likely to stop and climb several days if they don’t have to pay 200,000VND every day.
We had yet another fantastic day. We’ve moved on to 6B’s and 6C’s and I on-sited every one. The grading is definitely an ego booster, maybe a half grade soft. 6C’s usually take me a couple of tries before a send. Enjoyable nonetheless! The rock is varied and the holds are still new and rough, so you have great friction. After only 4 climbs we were exhausted, but at 30 meters each you feel as though you’ve done ten. Many of Hong Kong’s climbs are quite short and bouldery, while here you need a quiet mind and good endurance.
We stopped and bought some eggs today. Cher is a language master and has made great use of her Vietnamese numerical vocabulary. Chicken eggs are 3,000VND a piece and duck eggs with a fetus inside are only 2,000VND a piece, and luckily we only brought 2 of the duck eggs without any insight. We are brave but after finding a bloody half developed duck baby, we fed them to the locals dogs.
We spent the morning locating a new mirror, and for 3 USD I bought a second-hand scooter mirror and a couple of hose couplings and voila! I had a new mirror. On the way back to our hotel, we also stopped at a bakery for some baguettes, from which you can also buy urns and coffins.
We were both wiped today, so we spent the rest of the day resting. The exertion of cycling back and forth every day to the crag plus climbing have caught up with us. Although the physical exertion is quite pleasant, compared to the emotional exhaustion of a day of work. We now know “Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers.”
Another perfect climbing day with a high of 26 degrees Celsius, cool and dry. Checked off several 6B’s, followed by an enormous picnic lunch at the crag. The grades are definitely on the light side, but great for the confidence. We are both getting back a little more fluidity. We were more sore climbing a couple of 5’s on day one than we were after 3 6B’s.
We finished at 4:00 today with just enough time to get back before dark. On our way down from the crag we heard the chime of bicycle bells and children laughing and discovered a couple of children from the house we parked in front of playing on our trikes.The owner of the house appeared with a sign for 50,000VND. We didn’t see the land owner who usually shows up rain or shine to collect her fee today, so we assumed that was the bill she left us and she would collect money from the house owner later. We tried to tell the house owner that we agreed on 40,000VND for the land access, and she happily accepted the money without objection.
We packed and left and after 1 minute I noticed that my mirror was missing. I interrogated the kids who were playing on our trikes, but neither fessed up. My mirror was a bit lose and I imagine that one of the children wrenched it back and forth until it came off and then thinking that they broke it, hid it and made a pact to never tell anyone. At least that’s what I would have done. Our delay gave us just enough time to get back before sundown. Tomorrow will be a mirror shopping day.
Climbed early today. The main crag is in the sun for only 1 hour during the early morning at this time of year. The rest of the day it is all blissfully shady and cool. Also the winter has brought us perfect conditions: no more than 27 Celsius today, with cool and dry breeze. No excuses if we didn’t send today.
Completed some nice climbs. The easier climbs on the right and left ends are a bit sharp, being exposed to the rain, since they are less overhanging. On-sited all routes in 6a range, we will move on to 6b’s tomorrow.
Getting to the crag from the hotel is a long haul, 45 minutes each way over rough dirt roads with patches of concrete. We would consider finding a guest house or a room near Yen Thinh, but Lam Son hotel on AH1 is a great place to stay. Coming back after climbing, we always find our room tidied up, our grocery items neatly arranged in a pile. It’s amazing how your perception can change based on emotion. When we first arrived, all we saw was a run-down hotel, now I’ve been calling it home.
Finally just as we were all ready to get back on the road, our English speaking friend Kiem wrote back and agreed to help negotiate a reasonable price for climbing. We agreed to meet her this morning at 8am and luckily the landowner showed up in time to collect. After 30 minutes of conversation between Kiem and the landowner, the price was settled for 40,000VND per day for 2 of us. We gave the landowner 100,000VND, intending to pay for 2 days, and she took off on her bicycle, and never returned with the 20,000VND change.
Kiem insisted that we should have lunch with her family. After the huge favor she just rendered us, we couldn’t be grateful enough for such hospitality. As agreed, we showed up at her house 2km away from the crag at 11am, and were directed to the living room to take a rest, while served with ice water and yogurts. 1 hour later, the host laid a feast on a grass mat and gestured us to take a seat. We were also offered beers, which we guessed were in our honor. The whole family was in attendance, with 5 adults, 2 children, and 2 babies, although we weren’t able to figure out exactly how everyone was related because of the language barrier. Some of Kiem’s relatives she referred to as her second family, while others she said were her brothers. Our cumbersome communication was not a problem though, everyone seemed happy just to have us there, sharing a meal with them.
Quickly the children found Cher’s trike was the only one small enough that they could reach the pedals. They wheeled around the driveway on their newest toy. Having finished lunch, we were given freshly brewed rose hip ice tea, and were invited to take a nap. As the lunch had lasted for almost 3 hours, we were eager to start climbing. We skipped the nap and got back on the rock.
We offered to treat Kiem to dinner, and anyone she should choose to invite the following day. Still we felt even a most extravagant banquet would not express our gratitude enough for all the generosity and kindness this young lady has shown.
Several friends and family members have warned us of Typhoon Haiyan and after seeing its destructive capabilities in the Philippines, we decided to stay put for a few days before Haiyan passes. Fortunately for us, the typhoon petered out and made landfall in China, just sweeping the coast of Vietnam. We experienced some high winds, and very little rain.
We have now had a great amount of rest (12 hours of sleep per night), home-cooked meals, reading, language study, (Mandarin for me and Vietnamese for Cher). We also have chosen a route to Laos. Despite our reservations about passing through or near Hanoi, we eventually decided that AH1 is the safest route to cycle on to get to our next climbing destination Vang Vieng. We are now organized, lubed, fed, refreshed and eager to start the next leg of our journey.
No word yet from the young girl we met. Still resting and decided to clean the trikes. The hotel owners have proved to be extremely helpful and attentive. When I indicated I wanted to wash the trikes I was provided with a hose, a basin, and a long brush for cleaning the wheels. After finishing, my hands covered with grease I was also shown to the back of the hotel where I was given a bar of soap and a scrub brush to clean my hands. From sun rise to sunset the family is up cleaning and taking care of us and their 3 year old son. We are quite impressed and highly recommend this place to any cyclists or climbers passing through.
Speaking of hotels, although we have a tent, we have only used it 3 times and all of those were in China. When we planned for the trip we imagined that we would need to camp out to stay within our 20USD/day budget. But the prices for accommodation are low enough for us to stay indoors and enjoy the conveniences, as well as stay within our budget. The reasons that we aren’t camping are as follows:
Convenience: Hotels are everywhere and we rarely pay more than 10 USD per night. Most of the time we are well under that. And as I pointed out above we are well within our budget. Camp-able space is very limited. Most fields are cultivated and the one forest we pitched our hammocks in was only grown for commercial lumber.
Safety: This is our major concern. We’ve debated camping near some towns but judging by the look or feel of the town decided against it. Some towns are quite friendly and safe, but others not so much. From the amount of attention we draw even just stopping briefly, the prospect having a crowd of audience right before bed would not make for a good night sleep.
Water: There is barely any natural water that we would consider safe even with our double water purification systems. Toilets run directly into rivers, and the rivers are filled with garbage. Pig and poultry farms are right on the edge of reservoirs. Run-off from fields sprayed with pesticides and fertilized with chemicals and human manure makes all water suspect. We have not seen anyone swimming in any body of water that we have passed. Not even wading. We need at least 5 liters of water to camp (making dinner and breakfast, plus drinking water). Unless we continually refill along the way, we are not prepared if we happen to find a spot.
Enjoyment: Perhaps the most important of all. After a sweaty dusty day on the road, nothing is more satisfying than a shower. One thing that we didn’t expect is how insanely filthy cycling can be. Hiking for 1 week in the forest leaves you cleaner than 1 day of cycling on a dusty busy road under the tropical sun. Our goal is to travel, not to unnecessarily test our ability to endure discomfort. We’re sure that we’ll find plenty of opportunity for that in the coming months.
Finally our first climbing day! Huu Lung is a newly developed area with the potential for much more. However, as we were told and found out for ourselves now, it’s not the most conveniently located. The climbing area is on the way to Yen Thinh, a little town in the middle of mountains. The crag is about 12.5 km / 7.8 miles from the nearest group of hotels on the AH1.
Arriving late in the morning a group of locals directed where to park our trikes and even showed us the path through the orchard to the base of the crag. After only two warm-up climbs the landowner appeared and not even waiting for me to stop belaying, demanded payment. After Cher safely anchored in and began to abseil, I started the negotiation. We had been warned that the land use fee was 200,000VND for a large group, and since we are only 2, we should bargain.
I indicated that we would be there for 7 or more days and the price she insisted on (200,000VND per day, roughly 10USD) wasn’t only for 2 climbers. In response she gestured to her trees, several of which had been cut down or damaged by climbers lowering off into the branches. counter gestured that there were only 2 of us and she lowered the price to 150,000VND. It was still excessive I since we were only paying 200,000VND for a hotel with air-conditioning, internet and hot showers.
Cher descended and with the help of a Vietnamese dictionary and a note book communicated the same. While writing 20,000VND down on our note book, the landowner refused to take our 20,000VND bill and started to add 2 more zeros to bring the amount to an absurd 2,000,000VND. Then we realized that she probably is not so well educated. While still on good terms we politely refused, packed our things and left.
Earlier we met a young girl who accompanied us to the crag who spoke some English. We had her Facebook and sent her a message. A year ago we paid 50,000 VND for land usage at Butterfly Valley on Cat Ba Island, and that was a very well developed crag with more than 50 routes. The area is also very touristy with plenty of accommodations, restaurants and sight seeing. Hopefully the land owner will learn that if she charged a lower price we would come for more days, and she might get more than 200,000VND that she insisted at the first place. All we could do now was wait.
When the sun shone in and we were rested we re-evaluated our situation. Looking around the room we noticed the long bloody snot streak on the mold covered wall and the pile of ants that had accumulated during the night. Why they gave us the room, we weren’t sure. We saw the ants in a pile when we arrived and she swept them away, but they continued to accumulate as they were projected dead and frozen out of the air-conditioner. On top of that the owner tried to change our price several times after we agreed on a price with air conditioning, in writing. Suddenly she tried to add on 50,000 for checking in early and another 50,000 for the air conditioning. We paid 200,000 and went two doors down to Lam Son.
Next door we were lucky to find a modest place run by a husband and wife team. When we arrived they changed the sheets and immediately brought us a container of hot-water. Opening the large wooden doors and shutters we were happy to have a sunny, airy room. We spent the afternoon reading and writing in front of the large open doors that lead to our porch, where we are also able to cook.
At night we closed the shutters, as there is no glass in the windows and found that the wood was much better than single pained glass at blocking the noise from the highway below. Looking forward to our first climb in 3 months we were satisfied that we had found a place where we could live for the coming weeks.
Despite the normal cacophony of crowds of industrious people waking and going about their business reverberating through our room, I wanted to stay in bed. We could split the distance in half, but it’s also close enough that with a little perseverance we could make it. My subtle hints to make the distance more appealing failed as Cher quickly saw through my ruse. So we left it at, let’s just see where the day takes us.
Take us it did! After 4 miles of slight downhill, our angle of decent increased until we were cruising at 15 miles per hour doing little more than steering and breaking. Mile after mile, we rolled by and waited to see a mountain rising in front of us but none came. Instead of mountains rising in front of us, they rose on either side as we were channeled into a plateau, bearing the resemblance of postcards showing the signature Vietnamese landscape. Soon we began to see the rolling Karst formations that can only mean one thing, rock climbing! Stretching through much of Southeast Asia, these limestone forms, readily eroded by water, create a climber’s paradise with a multitude of features – pockets, stalactites and tufa, all of which are gentle on the finger tips. Only after 35 miles of downhill did our decent start to peter out.
This is what we came for, and the reason that we are carrying an extra 25 pounds of gear mile after mile. Both of us could use a few days of regularity. The daily adventure of finding food, and shelter is loosing its luster. Twice today we were hounded by over-curious individuals. First there was a man who was stepping over the line with his touching and refused to stop while we stopped at a street stall. I tried to make a point by pretending to get in his car, to which he thought we wanted him to put our trikes in his pint-sized car. This time Cher was not amused by my ambiguous international body gestures. Then a group of screaming school children on bikes surrounded us while we tried to locate our current position.
Finally upon arriving in Huu Lung, we quickly pulled into a hotel, unpacked and showered. Going out to the nearest town for groceries afterwards, we cycled without our bags for the first time and felt light as a feather. We are both looking forward to crashing with the promise of sleeping in.
