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.
