Because survival is insufficient
Morning on the boat in the bay, with more incredible views and fantastic food, before a long bus ride back to the craziness of Hanoi. The insane traffic and buzzing night market are indescribable, an assault on all the senses as you put your life in the hands of a thousand moped riders every time you cross the road, and your faith in the immune system every time you sample a street-brewed "bia hoi" or an unidentified morsel of deep fried mystery meat.
Halong Bay, Vietnam, is stunning. Our boat is superb, a triple dealer with en-suite cabins, a bar and restaurant, and sun loungers on the top deck. After a lunch of freshly caught fish and sea food, Vietnamese style, we sail to a spectacular limestone cave. Then I take to the water in a kayak with Steve, and we paddle around the islands. After a while we find our own private beach on one of the islands, and I go swimming in the wonderfully warm waters of the south China sea. Dinner is even better than lunch, and the view of the bay as night falls is sensational with the many boats lit up and the islands in silhouette.
Rainy cycle tour of Hue and the citadel, boat ride on the perfume river. Phone wet in heavy rain, now broken, using backup which is rubbish. Overnight train to Hanoi. Interesting…
First two legs of today’s cycling are along the roads I rode yesterday on the motorcycle. As usual, I finish each leg about 15 minutes before the rest, some as slow as 30 more minutes over 20km. The third leg is up the Hai Van pass. I start last and I ride hard, catching those that started a good 3 or 4 minutes before me after about 2 of the 10km, and I track the fastest for another 7. Near the top, a petrol tanker passes, I stand up and sprint after it, and just manage to catch it, grabbing hold of the rear bumper. I truck surf the last 500m to the top, swallowing diesel fumes, laughing along with the truck’s passenger who hangs out of the window and waves, fighting to balance and not be pulled under the wheels. A minute of exhilaration and I’m at the top, where it’s very foggy. The downhill is good fun too, but having reached the top and knowing there’s only one short ride left, it feels like I’ve finished this trip. Tomorrow we have a morning in Hue
before boarding the reunification express to Hanoi, then a night on a boat in Halong bay, and a final night in Hanoi.
Leaving Nha Trang we follow the coast north, enjoying blazing sun and dazzling views of the south China sea, islands and fishing boats, before stopping for lunch at yet another idyllic beach. Afternoon brings challenging climbs and a cruise through a village in the middle of rice harvesting, people everywhere and rice spread out over the road to dry. We arrive in Quy Nhon in time for dinner followed by a drink on the rooftop bar.
