Saigon to Can Tho
Day one of riding, what a packed day! We loaded on to our airconditioned bus, and got out of Saigon and to the Mekong River Delta. As we were driving to the ride start, we watched the city scape morph in to jungle and rice paddies.
Once we started riding, the "roads" were a mix of pavement and packed dirt that was roughly the width of a narrow sidewalk for 2 directions of traffic. The roads was continuously twisting and turning. All types trees over hung the road including banana trees and durian trees. Motor scooters we passing us and we were passing bicycles and people waking. It was crazy! We also were criss-crossing over small waterways on narrow arched bridges without any railings.
We crossed the Mekong river for the first time on a ferry at the very start of the ride. The ferry was a big slow moving thing jam packed with bikes, motor scooters and pedestrians. the Mekong river is huge, more than 2 kilometers across in places.
After a bit of riding, we stopped for a treat of sugar cane and cumquat jiuce over ice. It was fantastic and refreshing! And know you're thinking "don't drink the ice" but it is ok, they has special ice just for us made from boiled water. It was fantastic.
As we were riding the local children would wave to us and say "hello" or "sinchow" and wave and smile. Everyone was friendly and polite. We were riding past a school when school let out and hundreds of kids were waving and saying hellohellohello as we rode by. It was really special. Jeff said he felt like a celebrety.
After a bit more riding we took a second ferry. It was pretty ghetto. The shifter and stearing were pretty much controled by pieces of rebar that went in to the cracked wooden floor.
Back on bikes for a little and then lunch. Amazing! Vietnam pancakes and greens, shrimp, elephant ear fish with rice paper wraps, shots of fruit liquor, fresh fruit... I was so stuffed, it was a good thing we had a little break before we got back on the bikes. Ferry ride number 3 across the Mekong again. This time it was a very nice boat and just our group. We were also given fresh coconuts, yum!
More twisty tunning riding after lunch. We ended the day with the bikes on a fourth ferry ride, then back to the bus. We bused to the hotel for a much needed shower. The red dust from the days ride was all over our legs and made us look sunburnt. It was a relief when we discovered it was just dirt.
We just had a fantastic 7 course Vietmaniese/French dinner and I'm falling asleep...
Yep, its me!
People fishing in the Mekong.
Harvest moon and bridge on the way to dinner.
This is the group!
This is the rest of the group.
Jeff and I.
Elephant ear fish for lunch.
Once we started riding, the "roads" were a mix of pavement and packed dirt that was roughly the width of a narrow sidewalk for 2 directions of traffic. The roads was continuously twisting and turning. All types trees over hung the road including banana trees and durian trees. Motor scooters we passing us and we were passing bicycles and people waking. It was crazy! We also were criss-crossing over small waterways on narrow arched bridges without any railings.
We crossed the Mekong river for the first time on a ferry at the very start of the ride. The ferry was a big slow moving thing jam packed with bikes, motor scooters and pedestrians. the Mekong river is huge, more than 2 kilometers across in places.
After a bit of riding, we stopped for a treat of sugar cane and cumquat jiuce over ice. It was fantastic and refreshing! And know you're thinking "don't drink the ice" but it is ok, they has special ice just for us made from boiled water. It was fantastic.
As we were riding the local children would wave to us and say "hello" or "sinchow" and wave and smile. Everyone was friendly and polite. We were riding past a school when school let out and hundreds of kids were waving and saying hellohellohello as we rode by. It was really special. Jeff said he felt like a celebrety.
After a bit more riding we took a second ferry. It was pretty ghetto. The shifter and stearing were pretty much controled by pieces of rebar that went in to the cracked wooden floor.
Back on bikes for a little and then lunch. Amazing! Vietnam pancakes and greens, shrimp, elephant ear fish with rice paper wraps, shots of fruit liquor, fresh fruit... I was so stuffed, it was a good thing we had a little break before we got back on the bikes. Ferry ride number 3 across the Mekong again. This time it was a very nice boat and just our group. We were also given fresh coconuts, yum!
More twisty tunning riding after lunch. We ended the day with the bikes on a fourth ferry ride, then back to the bus. We bused to the hotel for a much needed shower. The red dust from the days ride was all over our legs and made us look sunburnt. It was a relief when we discovered it was just dirt.
We just had a fantastic 7 course Vietmaniese/French dinner and I'm falling asleep...
Yep, its me!
People fishing in the Mekong.
This is the group!
This is the rest of the group.
Jeff and I.
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