Down at the bottom of the deep blue sea

Yesterday's cycling left us exhausted - and hungry.  So Lam had arranged for us to eat in a local seafood restaurant not far away.

 

The raw fish is brought to your table with a mini BBQ and it's a DIY affair, but boy was it good!

First up, marinated beef, which Lee and Tong seem to be aiming to be char-grilled, but there were also tiger prawns

 

and cuttlefish fish too

 

with plenty of rice and sautéed morning glory to accompany.

No cycling today so it was lovely to have a long-lie this morning, but what do you know I still woke up at 6am! Today we went out among the islands on a boat for a day snorkelling and swimming amongst the fishes and coral. Our boat was like the one on the right, just the four of us and the crew.

On the way out we passed the local fishing boats,

left the others behind,

past several other islands,

Took a detour to see the fish farm.

Rather him than me in that small coracle.  I think I would end up just going round and round in circles!

We're getting closer, just up ahead, can you see?

And we're there! Time to drop anchor and look overboard.

The water looks inviting...

So we grabbed snorkels and masks and went off exploring the reef.  I've never seen a reef before....magical.  So many different kinds if fish, different sizes, colours but best of all were the herds (?) of sea horses.  Always wanted to see those in the wild. :-). I was so busy bobbing up and down, following the shoals I just lost track of time.  Whilst I was down at the bottom of the deep blue sea, the cook was busy in the galley.

So it was time to come back on board and dry off

 

and when sitting propped up was too much I just had to stretch out !

 

How was your day at work today? ;-)

Then, joy of joy, there was time for a bit of pampering before lunch was served, so it was the full works.

First the hands.

 

Then those poor cyclist feet

 

Just love my toes now **big sigh**

  

Then a lovely massage.  But you don't get to see that!  But here's lunch instead...

Just amazing, all freshly caught and cooked onboard.

Once that was eaten time for a nap before back to some more snorkelling before we had to up anchor and cruise back.  This is the view from my window and as it is still a beautiful afternoon I am going to change and then go for a stroll out to find the market before meeting up with everyone else for dinner.

Just so you know it isn't one big long jolly, I have to be up at 5.30am as it's a 7am on the bike start with 90 km to pedal tomorrow!

 

 

The full Vietnam experience:103.5km

At lot of miles today, so this five - a - day was added this morning!

But I am still exploring the fruit, those little brown balls?  Another type of lychee.

As we had a long way to go today it was another 7.30am start on our bikes.  We stay in these rather grand hotels and then trot out wearing our brightly coloured tops and skin tight shorts...

 

To warm our legs up we did a circuit of the lake before heading out of town on the rolling hills.  Through the roadside villages, catching glimpses of everyday life. Because Dalat is in the Vietnam Highlands they days are much cooler, so there were moments of goosebumps to begin with.  A novel experience!

First stop was the old French Railway Station, now no longer in use due to being bombed heavily during the war.  But there is still a working steam train which takes visitors up and down a shop stretch of line.

 

These rather beautiful flowers were also growing, part morning glory part Lilly, they were delicate and fine.  Before we started rolling through the mountain plateau  I needed a rear wheel change and all our breaks were checked over...

 

As we climbed up we rode through lush farm land with the huge greenhouses full of vegetables and flowers.  They seemed to go on for mile after mile.  This area is also renowned for it's strawberries as well.

 

 

See the blue van driving off into the distance?, that's our bike truck and where the huge blocks of ice are stored in the boxes.

 

Everywhere you looked the scenery was stunning, the forests are mostly pine at this level, although we were soon passing through acre after acre of coffee plantations.

There doesn't seem to be anywhere the coffee bush can't grow, often the strip fields are terraced into the hillside.  Seems impossible really, so I shouldn't moan about the slope on my allotment!

 

  

 Soon we were heading up high again and passing through tiny villages where some of the smallest cultural groups live. One little boy gave me a very cheerful 'hello' and a high five!  And I swear I was whistled at in one village, but I bet it was just a bird ;-) Talking of birds, I can hear but not really see them, although kingfishers are everywhere and those I do see perched on the telegraph wires.

This lady was busy turning the coffee beans as they dried out in the warm sun, but when she saw me taking photos she quickly made a decorative pose!

 

See that heavy cloud cover? It was a meant to be a gentle ride today, despite all the hills, but it turned out to be anything but!  A true Vietnamese experience - monsoon rain.

 

It's a wonder I managed any cycling because the hills were getting steeper and steeper,

 

but there is so much to see your legs just get on with turning the pedals and so you don't realise how the miles are passing.

 

When I see these terraces planted up I am amazed at just how remote farming can be here in Vietnam.

The dark clouds carried on getting larger and larger, and typically just as we started another stage of the journey the heavens opened.  Now we can say we have truelly experienced Vietnam!

I don't know why we bothered with the rain gear, at one point my sleeves were acting as reservoirs so I had to stop and empty them! 

There are no photographs...naturally.  It took all my energy to keep upright and steer.  30 km down hill, so steep I had both brakes on as hard as I could pull and still I was doing over 20 mph. Still I couldn't complain I was too hot, although strangely we kept passing through warm patches and then as we came lower down the rain started to stop and the air warm.  

 I know I don't look wet, but believe me when I say I have come out of a shower drier!  But the warm air as we pedalled soon dried us and of course the views were just amazing.

 

Still only halfway down the mountains...

 

... and we are going to the very bottom.

 

A really great cafe was waiting for us at the bottom. This was the view were I ate the best fried egg roll I have ever had and the fresh lemon soda just hit the spot...

 

 

... and I could finally pour the water from my shoes and put my socks to dry!

 

Still another 40 km to go, but compared to that it was a walk in the park.  Even when I had to cycle with the guys trying to stay ahead of the rain clouds.  Never have I gone so fast for so long, but they said I had to start training for the London Prudential 100 !  Doubled my average speed anyhow, even if I couldn't walk afterwards ;-)

Thankfully the last 30 minutes were in the bus as we went into Tran Phu.  Two days here, no cycling tomorrow, it's a rest day so just swimming and snorkelling from the boat and generally being on holiday.