Wednesday 27 May 2015

Queen of the Mountain:95km, part 1

OI think the Hoi An cockerels have learnt how to mimic mobile notification sounds, because the one outside my window at 3.30am was doing a very good one.  Didn't he know I had an early start and a big day ahead of me??

Breakfast was as lovely as yesterday's, so no pictures today!  Then it was out and on the bike for a 7am start.  A steady nerve is needed for cycling in this commuter traffic... and it was soon hotting up.  
On the way out of town we passed many marble workshops, any one for a happy Buddha for the front garden??
 
 
We also passed the Marble Mountains.  These five mountains were formerly islands and contain many caves, some of which were used as Buddhist ( and Vietcong) sanctuary. 

 
 
This is China beach, a famous US R & R spot during the war, and now it's just another beach I never got to sit on.  We cycled on by, gazing longinly at the azure waters and white sand, *sigh* But in reality we were having too much fun on our bikes!

 

As Vietnam has a huge coastal line it isn't surprising that fishing dominated the way of life for many.  Boats, and 


coracles, of all shapes and sizes can be found in the surrounding waters. 

 
The catch is landed and then the women are responsible for cleansing it up and selling it.


Vietnam is a very young country with a long history and there is a sharp contrast between the traditional and 21st Century way of life.

 
We did have a chance to stop, today's temperature fluctuated around 39C, so we needed plenty of water and melon stops.  From here we headed inland to cross the inlet

 
A brief stop to see what we could see.  

  
Sometimes in life you feel like a small drop in the huge ocean.


But where are we heading today?  Look carefully at the photograph below, see that mountain range? Well we are heading over the top of that.  Yes, I did a bit of a gulp too when I realised, especially as it was only 8.30am and the Tarmac was already beginning to melt in the heat.  We were heading for the spectacular Hai Van Pass, the 'Pass of the Ocean Clouds'.  It also involved a 600 m climb from sea level...


A switch back road is some consultation, but I would have liked some goats to cheer me on as I slowly peddled down through the gears.  As I now rest, feet up in an air-conditioned lounge, I wonder where I got my strength from.  But you know, sometimes you don't know what you are capable of until you try.  The two great Hawks which, quite literally, flew alongside side me at the toughest point (1:1) were a wonderful bonus, it's as though they knew I needed just a little extra help.


There wasn't much stopping on the way up, but I did manage to snap a few views.  
 

This is the other side, from where we started...
 
 
And here we are.  We all made it and boy where we pleased ( bit of an understatement I am sure you will realise!)


For the first and only time I beat Ly and Matt to the finish, so I reckon that makes me 'Queen of the Mountain', don't you?  So how come I managed to beat them?...I must confess, they were helping pu Marieangela up.  But it didn't stop me from feeling exhilarated - I did it all by my self, I climbed my mountain.

 
The top of the pass is home to several war bunkers, very much neglected now, but I just think that patina of age is worth a picture or two.

 
 Finding shade at the top was hard, but as you can see we managed,

 
Ly's fresh lemon juice, watermelon and rambutan we our reward, plus 

 
the stunning views.  Here's where we came from

 
and here is where we are going.  That's right, all the way back down to sea level again!  But before we go, spare a thought for

 

this happy couple.  They chose to come to the very top. In their full wedding regalia, just to have the official photographs taken! Bet they didn't come by bike ;-)

 
Down we plummeted through the dense jungle in switchbacks and hairpins, avoiding goats ( oh yes, they showed up, eventually!!) and potholes. The scenery was just a stunning on the decent as the ascent.

 

And then here we are, back down at the sea and another beach I didn't get to sit on.

 
Pity, looks fabulous.

 
In fact, so good I will show you it twice!


Cycling the back roads means you get to see many more things you didn't know you'd see.  Like this oyster farm.  Who knew there was such a thing?
 
 
Obviously Lam, because there he goes down the road. I suspect he's seen these ones a fair few times.


Sometime we must remember to look back, if only to remember where we came from.  And today it was that middle peak.  Hope you're impressed, because I'm not about to do it again for awhile.
 

Even I can't quite believe it.
 

So, back to the oyster farms, looks picturesque,
 

very peaceful
 

don't you agree?
 

But in reality probably more work than we realise it could be.
 

Don't worry, they don't live here, these are seasonal dwellings.  I hope.

 
Each post has old tyres tied to it, which are then seeded by the oyster, making them easier to harvest.



 










3 comments:

  1. Wow!! Ditchling Beacon is 248m - a baby compared to that 600m mountain. I'm so impressed and to top it off you did it in ridiculous heat. Well done Hazel!!!

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  2. I never suspected that you're really a crazy person under all that control! Only craziness could get someone climbing to those sort of heights, and in those sort of temperatures, and ON A BICYCLE, to boot!!! Congratulations crazy lady.

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  3. Are you still standing or are you in a little melted heap somewhere?? Amazing!

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