Monday 18 May 2015

Goooooood Moooooorning Vietnam

Don't judge me, I've waited ages to write that as a post title!

Having arrived (and been delayed) due to heavy rain it was with trepidation I looked out of the window this morning.  Nothing to fear, blue sky!


A 7 am start so I needed my five-a-day, which this morning included mango, passion fruit, banana, pineapple and something green which I didn't know of, but ate anyway.  Oh and some really lovely yoghurt in a cute glass bottle, which I admit I only selected because of the bottle! 

I had met Lam the tour leader late last night but this morning was the first time I had met my fellow cyclists.  They couldn't be more lovely, one from Germany and the other from Naples, so we are really international.  I joked how I was worried that this would be their honeymoon, and do you know what, it is! But they got married two years ago, so I don't think it counts!

We drove for an hour to the outskirts of HCMC and if you could have seen the scooter traffic you'd understand  why.


On and on it went......

We are riding mountain bikes this next two weeks, here's mine

 
I love it already.  And here is the team who will look after it, and me

 
Tang ( or is it Tong?) the bus driver ( or does he drive the bike truck?), Lam, the tour leader who is very cheerful,Tong (or Tang) who drives the truck ( or could be the bus) who is also cheerful, but is shy to speak and finally Lee, the mechanic.  He hasn't spoken much, but cycles at the back to fix us up if needed.  Tong and Tang drive ahead and at junctions act as traffic marshals, so what with all the waving and 'hello-ing' as we cycle it rather feels like a Royal Progress!

The Vietnamese are renouned for their friendliness, and going by today that is true.  One lady nipped up alongside me to admire my bright lime green top.  So add fashion icon to the list too ;-). School children wave and shout 'hello' - actually the adults do too.

 
However not all the locals are necessarily accommodating, so we have to move out of the way from them...
 

More water than Cambodia at the moment, Vietnam is green and lush.  Although hot, after Cambodia it seems cool and there is a breeze as we cycle along.

 
One of our drink stops was a military cemetery, so had a quick wander round.  Think I need one of these for my allotment -

  
There is just so much to see

 
I love the way the sun through the plan leaves creates the secondary patterning on the trunk and the lime green against the blue sky is just wonderful.


Before lunch we visited the Tunnel Complexes at Ben Dinh.  These were used by the Vietcong, and what ever you think about the whole Vietnam War situation, you have to stand in awe at the skill of the 'tunnel rats'.  First we were shown how they hid the openings, 

 
Then it was our turn to go down.  Build small to accommodate the slim Vietnamese, the bigger American soldier then got stuck and trapped


The picnic lunch was ready when we had finished our tour of the tunnels, fortunately it wasn't chicken

 
there's no fat chickens in Vietnam!

And one final shot of bamboo, which reminds me I still need to buy some for my beans when I get home!







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