Junkets

Setting Off

jaybeen — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 21:49:00 GMT

Essjay and Jaybeen are off for 3 weeks - London/San Sebastian/Bordeaux/Paris. Essentially we are sight-seeing and having a couple of gourmet meals at "hot" restaurants. We have apartments in London (South Kensington) and Paris (5th off the Rue Mouffetard). I may get in a day or two's riding if the opportunity arises but mostly we will be taking in the sights/sites. We will catch up with my bro and partner for lunch in Paris - who'd a thunk a couple of boys from the western suburbs of Adelaide would be sitting on the Champs d'Elysee drinking Chateau something or other etc

We depart on 2 September...

Our restaurant one dish grilled fish (no drinking)

jaybeen — Sat, 6 Sep 2008 23:54:00 GMT

We took the door man's recommendation for a local restaurant. Cha Ca Va Long which according to guidebooks is an Hanoi institution. We had tried the original one in Old Quarter for lunch but were too late.

We had spent a wet day shopping after coffee and pain au chocolat at Paris Cafe. Trawled through several art galleries and spent afternoon drinking Tiger and eating spring rolls at a bar across road from Sofitel Metropole (Graham Greene, Somerset Maugham etc).

The fried fish with Vietnamese mint, noodles, chilli, and greens was good and despite claims of "no drinking" one could get Bia Hanoi or Heineken. The guys at the next table shared their Gordon's gin with the falung.

A good end to our sojourn in Hanoi.

We head for home tomorrow.

Cheers to all and see you soon

Taxi to Ho Chi Minh Trail Museum

jaybeen — Fri, 5 Sep 2008 16:02:00 GMT

We decided to venture 13kms south to Ho Chi Minh Trail museum. After an hour or so driving we found it closed for renovation. By hanging around and generally infiltrating the work site we eventually were given access to several rooms of dusty relics and old black and white photos.

On the return trip we decided to visit Van Phuc silk village where we allegedly could get coffee and food. Ducking the rain we found a little beer joint where after some polite non-communication over the menu we eventually watched someone select a live fish and bash it for our lunch (turned out to be quite tasty. We also had roast chicken (oddly the feet were left behind by our group) and green weed. The house cats were pleased with our Falung eating style - enjoying everything that hit the floor.

May nap for a bit before dinner.

Trains, Buses, Boats and bikes

jaybeen — Fri, 5 Sep 2008 01:37:00 GMT

Overnight train SaPa to Hanoi was OK - 4 bunks to a room with a stock of beer, water, moon cakes and Oreos (peanut butter and chocolate variety).

We checked into hotel changed and breakfasted before heading for Halong Bay by bus. Halong Bay is essentially a tourist trap - a very formularised tour with the ritual stop each eay at he driver's cousin's gift shop. The Bay is a natural wonder but it is full of party boats, with each group visiting a limestione cave, doing some kayaking and maybe some swimming (no one fancied it having seen water close up in kayaks). Our group mercifully passed on karaoake - booze and food was OK.

Today was first unregimented day and took the opportunity to visit Uncle Ho's museum, the museum of literature (site of 12th Century university/ shrine to Confucius and his mates). WE also ate at KOTO - a training school/cafe for street kids which was very good.

I managed to part with a million or so dong in the nearby craft shops.

Rode back to hotel on one of the local motor bike taxis - OK way to travel.

We ate out (again) at Little Hanoi - bill including drinks came to around $30 for seven of us (but we were not that hungry).

You can buy a decent-looking Crumpler bag here for $20-30.

Good night from Vietnam

The Ride is Over

jaybeen — Mon, 1 Sep 2008 12:01:00 GMT

The ride is over here in Sa Pa. We had 3 hard days riding in Vietnam including one 104km day and some serious hills. We have covered some 550 kms over seven riding days (roughly 27 hours riding time - more than I would do in 4 months on of Sundays!). WE have had a range of temperatures, rain and shine, good and bad roads, bogs and quagmires and road works. Last day was wet and cool - thankfully for the 24km uphill - the last 12km downhill was on one of the worst bits of road we had encountered and required development of some mountain bike skills - we looked like PNG Mud Men at end.

We have had to deal with dogs, cows, bullocks, pigs, motor bikes,trucks buses and 4WDs. The traffic has generally been OK with the 4WDs being the ones to watch (as everywhere).

The organisation by Grasshopper Adventures has been excellent. The sight of the bus parked at at the next bend or outside some local village cafe has been very welcome because it meant drinks,food and shelter. The Lao support crew were fantastic - rebuilding a bike while we took morning tea and refilling water bottles wherever you might have left them. We were also well-served in Vietnam.

Apart from a big PB in terms of distance travelled, I have PB'd on bananas, tofu, one-one rice crackers and pho (the breakfast of champions whatever sanitarium/kelloggs might claim).

This is my first visit to Laos and Vietnam and it was worth it to get some appreciation of the differences. The range of economic and cultural difference between places separated by 100kms (admittedly mountainous) is quite stark.

The prevalence of the small capacity (150cc limit in Vietnam) motor bike for transport and satellite TV and terrestrial mobile phone services is also startling.

We are in the Victoria Resort Hotel which is easily the plushest of the accommodations we have experienced - the hot shower yesterday on arrival was a trip highlight! Accommodation has varied but it has been clean and secure and mostly quite pleasant.

I am off for a swim and a Thai massage. We catch the train to Hanoi tonight and tomorrow we are off to Halong Bay by boat.

Jao for now.

Muang Khiew to Dien Bien Phu by Jeep

jaybeen — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:24:00 GMT

We had a fast 100 km day following river to Muang Khiew, stopping en route to hand over school books. This evening we learned that the road to Dien Bien Phu was impassable (by our support vehicles any way). Adam has hired the only two vehicles reckoned to be capable (or willing to try the 75km to the border with Vietnam) - 2 ancient ex-military jeep-like vehicles driven by a couple of young Lao guys.

After crossing a swollen river we loaded the bags into one vehicle and ourselves into the other (except for 3 of us and 3 support staff with the bags). Our little convoy separated after 15kms when the 2nd vehicle with most of our group broke down. With limited comms our lead vehicle continued after stopping a few times to see if we we would be caught up. Eventually our driver sent word back via a passing traveller on a motor scooter and proceeded forward. All was going reasonably with our vehicle, which sounded like the a cross between a sick VW and an unmuffled motor mower, until we reached a Khmu village on hill top where the car coughed to a stop. The Khmu are the poorest people in Laos and we were easily the biggest event in the village. The guys rebuilt the gearbox in about an hour and we ploughed on haltingly until we reached a flooded river. This turned out to be the driver's hometown and we were taken to his father's house where we had a long lunch of his own homegrown rice, pork and river weed accommpanied by warm beer. At around 1.30 our second vehicle arrived and the fording of the river was discussed and undertaken (minus us and bags which crossed by footbridge). We were entertained by a bunch of Swiss on 4WD tour fording the river - we were taking bets against the Honda CX7 making it.

We then set off again with at least half our journey still to go and we been on the road since 8.00. The vehicles had reversed order and we were now trailing through streams, bogs and washaways and up some very high hills with precipices on one side. The scenery was spectacular at times but as "business class" meant sitting on my pack and other cases the view gave way to securing a little comfort . The vehicle failed to instill confidence making odd noise and coming to sudden halts from time to time. Finally it ground to a halt and the guys declared it stuffed. Nonetheless they pulled one of the drive shafts off and determined the problem to be a rear diff lacking oil. With the help of a drink bottle converted to oilcan we were able to set off with only rear wheel drive. It was getting late and steadily darker and we had 12-15 Kms go. The ride got quicker and the road steeper but we finally got to a large wash away two kms from the border which we negotiated successfully with some muddy feet. With the border building in sight at the top of a hill the vehicle stopped once more - out of petrol?

Rendra and I jumped out and decided to walk up the remaining km in the gathering dusk to advise of the situation. Lindsay stayed with the vehicle and bags.

With some more mucking around we got one of the vehicles and the bags up to the Lao Immigration building and did our exit arrangements by torchlight (with a small payment for "overtime"). Adam negotiated to get the vehicle to carry us a further few kms to the Viet entry point where we did our immigration requiremets and piled on to a bus to welcome Viet rolls, cheese and tomato and cans of Sprite.

It had taken 11 hours to do 75kms - our slowest for the trip.

We are now in Dien Bien Phu - rested and with new bikes ready to go again. We had a day tour of the War Museum, cemetery and the site of Giaps victory over the French in 1954. Tuan, our Viet guide, was a very informative speaker on the history of Vietnam's wars with China, France and America.

ps Both Laos and Vietnam still have Mirinda Orange in cans - in Laos it is called "Meeleenda" and in Vietnam " Fanta" (despite it being a Pepsi product labelled Mirinda). Taste not changed. I have come to appreciate sticky rice and confirmed my taste for pho.

Jao for now.

10 Ride Out

jaybeen — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 20:54:00 GMT

The trip via Bangkok was reasonable. Jetstar catering nothing to to rave about and the movie player was a bad investment. My travelling companions nearly missed the connection to Luang Prabang.

Our hotel is a little out of the main town but quite comfortable in the French Colonial style. I boasts a lovely swimming pool which saw some use on arrival and was an oasis after the first day's ride.

After sending the afternoon in the pool we headed into town for dinner at Tom Tom Banana - Adam the tour guide chose the food which was great - similar to Thai (good green chicken curry and sticky rice).

We were up early today for breakfast in an open air pavilion by the Mekong - the Ka pho (rice soup) is highly recommended as riding food.

After kitting ourselves out and sorting out bikes we set off around 8.30. It was already quite warm and after a pleasant 4 kms riding out of town we hit the one biggish hill (undulation) on the route. This was a bit of a shock and caused some trepidation regarding return ride. With one short break where we were a big hit with village kids, we made it out to waterfall/picnic ground (conveniently placed at the top of another steepish rise).

After some rehydration we headed for the promised swimming hole. A week's precipitation had turned an allegedly languid blue pool into a raging brown/white torrent. Nonetheless a few foolhardy souls thought a dip was necessary and a couple thought jumping from the top of a waterfall into a boiling cauldron of white water was just the thing to bring down the body temperature.

After lunch, the ride back turned out to be easier than anticipated and provided an opportunity to test out wind and legs for the rigours ahead.

In the evening we shopped for necessary supplies (torches for those places with limited electricity, new memory sticks etc) and went to the Elephant for dinner (food good - corkage a bit high). Adam and some of the team acquired Laotian school books for doantion along the route.

We are now a end of Day 3. We ave done 54 km out back to Kuang Si Waterfall (see above); a 76 km ride to Nong Khiaw (plus a boatride in a storm on the Nam Ou); 77km today (scheduled 118 but we pulled plug after riding a couple of hours in the rain over some dodgy roads) to overnight in Oudom Xia. We have crossed a variety of terrain with some 800m of vertical climbing today. When Adam says we will encounter some undulations in today's ride we know "undulations" = muscle-straining mountains.

WE have seen a plethora of wildlife and lots of kids have waved us on our way (I wont detail what some boys swimming in the Nam Ou waved with).

The food and accommodation have both been good so far but tonight looks like a step down (NB This piece of pre-emptive pessimism was not fulfilled - food excellent).

Riding varies from quite easy to quite hard. So far I have been among the best climbers in the group but I am weakening.

I will try to up date in Dien Bien Phu where we rest in two says time.

Sabadee

Q First Class Lounge

jaybeen — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:19:00 GMT

grasshopperadventures.com/tour-aplv08.php

I am told this is not a tag so here it is again.

Took the Skybus on a drizzly Melbourne day - good service but manhandling luggage on trams to get to Spencer St had its moments.

Check-in no gret hassle but security confifiscated my part-used 110gm toothpaste. Hmmm!

You have to love the Q First Class lounge - "Another Moet will be no trouble at all, sir". Might as well make the best of it as it is cattle class on Jetstar from here.

My travelling companions are somewhere in the terminal but have yet to appear.

Getting into holiday mode and glass getting to plimsoll line so see you later.

Gallery: Jaybeen

jaybeen — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:01:00 GMT

Melbourne

Trip Preparation

jaybeen — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:01:00 GMT

Link to itinerary in tags below.

Six mostly middle aged guys (me, Ray, Tony, Lindsay, Brendan and David) on bikes for about 11 days with our guide Adam. Most of the others have ridden in Asia before and know what to expect. I have not so I am looking forward to new experiences with only a little trepidation about conditions (heat, humidity, hills, hygiene, hetc.)

I have done half a dozen 40-50 km rides in the last couple of months and am reasonably confident despite daily distances being longer than my ride in France in 2006. Hurting my back a week or so a go playing soccer was a minor set-back but does not seem to be affecting riding.

A little more shopping to do and packing before heading for airport in 48 hours from now. What will I forget to pack this trip?