freedomfriday - Adventures on a Bike Friday

Travel from Lhasa to Kathmandu on a Friday?

2007-10-04T01:36:00.000-07:00

The invitation was made and the challenge issued - is it possible to travel the Roof of the World by Bike Friday? The gathering of the Yvonne Bike Friday Club was made possible by a chance meeting in 2006 in Vietnam and an invitation from Yvonne (Alaska) to Yvonne (Australia) to join forces on the Roof of the World Tour through Bike Asia. At this point the challenge was on with a lot of intrepidation. The complication was that my Friday is a New World Tourer (NWT) which does not have suspension and it can not be retrofitted. Fitting a ThudBuster seat post and fat marathon tyres, double bike gloves and a lot of bump absorption by body made the whole ride possible (if not painful at times)

Thanks to the Team at Bike Asia for agreeing it could be done, for Jason from Grasshopper Adventures for convincing me it could be done and for Epic Cycles and Bike Friday for the parts to make it possible.

12 cyclists - 2 Bike Fridays, 2 fixed frames touring bikes ( no suspension ), the rest mountain bikes. 1,000 + km from Tibet to Kathmandu

2 tour leaders (Naomi and Jamie) 1 cycling guide (Chandra), 1 4WD and 1 truck and a terrific local crew who kept us fed and provided luggage support and backup service when needed.

Other startling and mind numbing statistics on distances, heights, mountain passes to follow but it was zero punctures to Freedom Friday, the Gnu had one, 8 miles from the start point and none to follow. Most bikes had brake burnout on the BIG down or the roadworks or both. Stay tuned for my new techniques for stopping when all else fails (day 23 and day24)...

For the entire story see my other blogsite http://freedomfridayontheroofoftheworld.blogspot.com/

Freedom Friday

2007-02-11T01:13:00.000-08:00

Friday is the name of a brand of folding Bike. I called mine Freedom as that is what you get when you can just take off! They come in many models, mine ( green) is the New World Tourer. I think the purple one from Alaska is a Gnu. Both were purchased in 2006 (mid year) and both being ridden by Yvonne.

They are made to measure in USA and easy to find on the www.bikefriday.com

A folding bike makes solo touring quite a bit easier.

Friday back at home in Adelaide (Sth Australia)
Just to prove it folds, take the front wheel off and put it in the touring bag and look - no bike!
Jason introduced me to Bike Fridays and convinced me they were good fun to ride. ( Mine was green first, his used to be black but green suits the concept endorsed by Grasshopper Adventures - low impact tourism)
Friday in the suitcase for airline travel
Local motodrivers "helping" me fold my bike Von assembling the "meccano bike"
Bike Friday disguised as luggage crossing from Cambodia to Thailand

Friday travelling - hotel rooms and boats and another border crossing ( Thailand to Laos)

Bangkok Bicycle tour

2007-02-06T03:19:00.000-08:00

Try the Bangkok Bike Tour ( bike provided) for sights of Bangkok you will not see any other way consider an easy ride, one morning through the back alleys and surprises of a great big city. More details on the ride http://www.grasshopperadventures.com/ or take my word for it-its amazing and i have done it more than once and things changed from one month to the next...

Floating food vendor

Local guide with giant statue of local monk ( i think)
following the waterways
Von and Jason (grasshopperadventures) and our Bike Fridays after a Bangkok Bike Tour. Jason was my e-lifeline on the Freedom Friday tour around SE Asia. he knows the area, understands Bike Fridays and my capabilities and was a great comfort to know he was on the other end of an email or Skype if I was stuck or needed a pick me up/reality check. In the end Friday needed him more than me for help to get a bike shop in Bangkok to find the missing 22 gears after 7 weeks of riding, folding, unfolding, buses, taxis, trains, planes and plain good fun. This photo was taken post bike shop realignment so we are all smiling! Cheers to Jason and Adam for making parts of my trip do-able and fun if not really hard work to achieve my goals. Save some roads or me , I will be back!

Thailand-Kanchanaburi Province Jan 2007

2007-01-21T23:51:00.000-08:00

My last rides were to be in Thailand.
The journey involved a local bus 30 to the Sthn bus station, 5 minute transfer to bus to Kanchanaburi, 2 hrs arrive and assemble Friday and ride to Jolly Frog Guesthouse.
From here it was riding up to Sangkhlaburi (137km) & 3 Pagoda Pass (51km return)
Bus back to Kanch-Erawan Park, ride part-way (24km return 0f the 45km total) to HuayMaeKhamin before organising a taxi (it was just too hard in the time I had in the day and didnt know the road).
Ride from MaeKhamin to Erawan via ferries across dam. (Three beers/cheers for a fold up bike for ease of assisted bus transfer).
Thanks to Adam and Jason from Grasshopper Adventures for helping design the ride and tee up national parks accomodation and convince me to ride such big hills (because they haven't ridden it yet!).

Kanchanaburi Region
Bridge on the River "Kwai"
JollyFrog Guesthouse (80 - 200bht/night)
Kanch railway station at 5.45am en route to NamTok

Hellfire Gorge area
Hellfire Gorge

Thong Pla Phum to Sangkhlaburi

73km, a big road with some very large hills but the rare downs were fun.

Friday impersonating the reclining Buddah after 6hrs 20 mins climbing up the road at an average overall of 12 km/hr
Khao Laem
Rd to Sangk ,early morning
Thong Pla Phum

Sangkhlaburi region

Khao Laem Dam
enroute to Elephant trek and bamboo rafting
Kids off the wooden bridge

from P Guesthouse Sangkhlaburi
3 Pagodas Pass Burma border
two cyclists on an elephant (Gerhard & Von)
Jungle

Erawan National Park

Stage/tier of Erawan Falls
View from Park Cottage balcony-yep its a hard life with a great view, a book and a beer!
National parks cottage

(800bht/night:aircon, Fridge/MVave, twin, hot water, immaculate)

Erawan National Park - Si Nakharin National Park

I turned back after 12km uphill, mostly on dirt road to negotiate a truck/taxi to Si Nakharin National Park, I was so determined to get there and knew that 45km was going to either finish me or FreedomFriday I was prepared to pay for a lift!

Erawan National Park
Wishing it was only uphill for buses?
12km - up
View obstructed by smoke

Huay MaeKharmin Waterfall (Si Nakharin National Park)

View of Si Nakharin Dam from National Park cottage

Sunrise

Huay MaeKharmin Waterfall to Erawan National Parl via ferry to Si Sawatt

approx 60km with the last 5 km in the back of a ute as I could not resist the offer of a lift up one last big hill

Si Nakharin Dam after ferry ferry ride bamboo forest

The last 5km without pedalling!

Touring solo on a bicycle... Vietnam & Cambodia '06 & Thailand 07

2007-01-21T03:17:00.000-08:00

"Touring solo on a bicycle, I discover, is an act of stupidity or an act of divine belief. It is intense stretches of isolation punctuated with flashes of pure terror and indelible moments of friendship. Mostly, it is dirty work particularly suitable for the stubborn masochist. I was suckered into the adventure, the elegant simplicity of its execution, and, yes, even the glory of its agony". Andrew Pham Catfish & Mandala. Flamingo, 2001 p33.

First solo ride in Vietnam LaoCai - Sapa (35km uphill)
halfway - possibly act of stupidity at this stage
solo means celebrating the ride on your own and taking your own photo! Hoi An (Cua Dai beach)
Bike friday at a rest stop
Yep, hot, tired, pre-beer, pre-shower - I was suckered into the adventure, the elegant simplicity of its execution, and, yes, even the glory of its agony

Chong Kneas floating Village

2007-01-20T04:17:00.000-08:00

Sotheara - Tuktuk driver and English language student
drinks shop mid lake
floating home and workplace
floating school

Via tuk tuk from Siem Reap, hire a boat and driver- facinating lifestyle depending on water level. A break from the temples and I expect a good chance for the credit card tourists flying between sites to see something of the countryside.

People of the Temples at Angkor

2007-01-20T03:35:00.000-08:00

Self appointed guide at Ta Prohm

Cambodian musical instrument (Customs allowed it into Aus)
"buy MY cold drink"
Kim Huch - waiting for her friend after work at Angkor Wat
Young sand artist at Preah Khan
Guardian of Budda

Temples of Angkor

2007-01-20T02:41:00.000-08:00

Von with the group of young "sellers", I opted to buy them all an icecream to everyone's satisfaction

Von and new friends (male) Suors Kuorch at South Gate
Ta Prohm
Chess game at Preah Khan

Banteav Kdei & Sra Srang
Angkor

Preah Khan

Angkor Wat

2007-01-20T02:24:00.000-08:00

Collecting plastic drink bottles
time for quiet reflection or a sit down in the shade

Angkor Wat

view from the top of the temple

Kep & Kampot

2007-01-20T01:29:00.000-08:00

Still in Kampot, a change of guesthouses to Cambodian cottage
Room for Friday in the verandah area of the cottage

Sunrise from the Raft House Room
Raft House room ($8usd)
Rural setting on road between Kep and Kampot
Bay - Kep- old port area 24km from Kampot
GuestHouse on other side of River at Kampot run by young Aussie. Cottage/Raft House/ Share Rooms in main house approx $8usd/night

Bokor Hill Station and National Park

2007-01-20T00:17:00.000-08:00

fungi
an option of a trek through the forest appealed to few of us while the others drove on (backpakers, I supsect with hangovers judging by their state of general awareness) , rare treking as tigers, land mines and poachers are suspected hazards!
view from the Black Palace first sign of settlement originally Royal.

Bokor Hill Station is a remote area near Kampot which was originally settled by French and eventually the Bogor Palace Hotel (1925) the road was a feat to build and now is a feat to travel in a pickup truck, rough, bouncy and narrow. The Hill station area was originally abandoned in 1940's and later in 1970's when it was left to Khmer Rouge forces. (An entrepeneur wants to develop it again - the view and cliamte is very favourable)

Bokor Hill from the river later in the day
Overlooking the "town site" from near the church
watertower from the hotel

View over the bay from the balcony of the hotel
Main building Bokor Hill Station (Hotel/Casino)

Kampot arrival

2007-01-19T23:38:00.000-08:00

Kampot was immediately a comfortable feeling and the guesthouse Teddy and I chose was in keeping with syle and comfort, for one night at least.

well, style and comfort (at a cost of course) but it was time to spoil myself. I reasoned it was hot riding and i would go insane soon if i saw too many more pink,purple and orange bedspreads before an adjustment phase.. this was it.

s Oh yes, along with the great company, English speaking conversation as well as talking to the locals, the great view and an OK bottle of white wine with dinner I was as close to comfort zone as I had been for weeks.
Umm, the view was I in a hurry to move on......no, in fact I was trying to work out what you had to do to get a gig in this joint - what was i good at that could be transferable, I dont need to leave Kampot. (Still pondering that one)

Takeo - Kampot

2007-01-19T22:22:00.000-08:00

Takeo had been a challenge as it was hard to find some english translations of anything. Luckily I had the directions (courtesy Grasshopper Adventures) to the better guesthouse by the square with the Independence Monument. Dinner was a case of lift the lids on all the pots and try and guess what it might be. Shuddering at non recognition I smiled and shook my head and wandered on. I ended up in the street stalls around the market and having some satay type meat on small sticks and a pastry samosa type snack and 2 wonderful fruit shakes tukalok and suprise an alcohol free day.
I later find out that Takeo is the poorest province and that explains a lot but still my room (a/c, tv, hotwater) was $5usd and my dinner probably cost me less than that.
Takeo to Kampot 85km , weather - hot sun, ride easy but long

Vanak a young schoolboy who rode with me on his way home about 9km so he could practice his english, his conversation was good. He asked was I tired , was I bored (yep a bit of both) and did I mind if he rode with me (not a problem at all). This is his house,shop, farm and once he had lunch he had to take the cattle somehwere - it's is so different to what city Australian schoolkids do!
Town along the way
market place en roue to Kampot, it rained overnight. I am so glad most of the road was sealed cos Friday and I got quite dirty in just a short time in this surface.
A typical Cambdian rural scene - palm trees in particular
Grasshopper on my bike carrier at Takeo - good sign for I was wearing my Grasshopper Adventures bike shirt that morning!

scenery

this was an icecream sandwich for lunch after I flagged down the "Mr Whippy Van"
A rare sight - mountain and I didn't have to ride it.

Phnom Penh - Takeo by bike

2007-01-19T21:15:00.000-08:00

A typical roadside "shop" making travelling easy as rarely more than 5-10km apart. Often put out a chair for me to sit on while having the drink I just purchased
Scene from handlebar height but no lunch in sight
finally some food - turned out to be frogs on a stick! (3 sticks for $1us

there is a really interesting temple building just out of shot!
fairly typical Cambodian rural scene
Market stall
Bananas I only wanted 1 but that was too ahrd to explain so I tried the bicycle, where do i carry them charade and the problem was solved by the saleslady.... i gave the bunch away to a family a few km down the road
road scenes - Takeo is the poorest province and farming is certainly the main living

Cheoung Ek Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng Museum

2007-01-19T19:29:00.000-08:00

Visits to both of these areas are sobering and depressing but an important visit, to show that we can not ignore the recent past and the atrocities of 1975-1978. I left feeling somewhat helpless and still completely unable to understand why ?
The visit to the genocide Museum - Khmer Rouge S21 Prison Tuol Sleng shows an converted school building that housed over 1,200 people at one time and tells the story of ordinary people detained for months, tortured and then transported to Choeung Ek (Killing Fields). I would advise to do both sites, it does help with connecting information but in my case, not with understanding how this could happen in the 1970's ( let alone what is happening elsewhere in the world now - don't we learn?
Read on at your own risk.

Tuol Sleng -Exhibition of stories and resumes of ordinary people, well documented at the time
Choeung Ek - some of the 8,000 skulls in the memorial
Choeung Ek Memorial to the 20,000+ victims and as a memorial to the spirits of all 3 million lives lost in the regime (1975-79)
Choeung Ek : is a peaceful place today and in the background a school with children playing brings some hope to the recovery from the horrors. Everyone there on the day I visited were respectful and took time out to view the peaceful scenes.

Tuol Sleng converted school, classrooms as prison cells, some divided into many small cells of brick boxes
Tuol Sleng - identities of ordinary Cambodians and several foreigners, only 7 from 20,000 survived from a notice in the museum
Tuol Sleng
Tuol Sleng : no merriment - it is such a cold, depressing place only the truly hardened or absolute naive would fail to observe this simple request.

Cambodia - Phnom Penh

2007-01-19T17:16:00.000-08:00

street scene Phnom Penh
River front Tonle Sap River
Royal Palace grounds

Day 1 in Phnom Penh, giving the bike the day off I hired a tuk tuk to see the main sights
Street scene
end of an enjoyable day

Laos Grasshopper Adventures December 17-31st 2006

2007-01-13T02:42:00.000-08:00

This post on the Blog has proved that order is overrated and photos are a bit haphazard in order, best to read from the bottom up!

You may think I am mad as I have returned to Laos (the mountains) for a second trip exactly 12 months after first. The Grasshopper Adventures Lao Lao trip runs over Christmas for a festive season with a difference. see www.grasshopperadeventures.com. for full trip details and hill profiles.
Last time it was a group of friends, this time 7 people from over Australia who had signed up. At least this time I was not fresh out of a frantic stress filled office but with 2 months cycling holiday under my saddle already I was in a much better frame of mind. I was curious to see how much (if any) easier it was knowing what I had to expect and by being more prepared psychologically.
Pak Beng on the Mekong

Pak Beng- view from our room overnight stop on the river. This was the place with the magic thermos of hot water for a warm wash rather than cold shower.

Sa baidii
Sa baidii
Sa baidii
Was that a falang?? Sa baidii
Sa baidii

road obstructions
Eucalypt and rice fields en route Nam Nung Dam - Vientiane
transplanting rice
Welcome 2007 KaoSan Rd Bangkok

Misty morning out of Kasi
Scenery around Kasi
School kids picking up litter
Grasshopper Adventurers on the day off in Van Vieng-cave exploring
Sunset from Elephant Crossing Hotel beer garden (more Beer Laos)

Village on the road
locals beating grass for brushes (I had a go, I got green stuff everywhere!)
Mountain scenery
Merry Christmas dinner at Kasi

Monks collecting Alms dawn in Luang Prabang
Ready to ride?
Roosters need remidial training on their Cock-a -doodle and their time management ( 3am is NOT dawn)
Ku Ka Cham - trucking stop only used by truckers or cyclists, at the end of a long uphill day of riding. The bonus is a bucket of hot water to add to the cold for a bucket wash.

Mekong boats with 2 bikes on the roof
Kuang Si falls - 35km ride out of Luang Prabang
Chilli drying
Luang Prabang young girl facinated by our bicycles as they were being serviced, particularly liked Friday
Uses for everything on Phou Si hill in the most bombed nation in history of warfare (p29 Lonely Planet Laos 5th ed)

Rural scene en route to Kuang Si waterfall
Lazy morning in the bookshop L'Etranger Books in Luang Prabang ( yes, its cold the only reason I packed polar fleece, tracky pants and beanie was for the Chistmas Lao trip - stored in Bangkok until I needed them)
Reclining Buddah on Phousi or Phu Si Hill (Luang Prabang)
Mekong over Laung Prabang from Phu Si Hill

mountain scenery any excuse for a stop to take photo
Mountain scenery
Temple enroute to Van Vieng
Martin's favourite pancake vendor in Van Vieng

Kids in Pak Beng
Our boat crew
Sunset from our hotel room in Luang Prabang
Kids enroute to KuangSi Waterfall ride( Jacinta in middle and Dwe our driver)

Jason (Grasshopper Master) and Friday and Von with Son of Friday "Freedom" after the Bangkok Bike Tour ride

Laos from Thailand from guesthouse atChiang Khong
Adam (Grasshopper leader) and Kien (Local Guide)
Our luxury boat all to ourselves for the two day trip to Luang Prabang, Helen B, Julia in full picture

Mekong Delta

2006-12-16T21:36:00.000-08:00

Mekong backwaters from MyTho
Deep fried Elephant fish ( you eat it all)
me a top the big bridge ( yes there were drinks sellers and postcard sellers at the top too)
scenery
Friday on boat from CanTho floating market tour - we were put ashore later to ride on

Twilight boat ride
My guide insisted on taking this shot and i actually like it!

Mekong Delta Ride via My Tho, Can Tho, Long Xuyen then bus to Chao Doc as I was fed up with riding on the highway, very same same and long and hot and boring sort of. A disapointing ride as it follows the main roads rather than the back roads so I was happy to skip the last 53 km and the last day to push onto chau Doc to cross into Cambodia next day.

I did a few boat rides in the Delta, one from My Tho (dusk) and one at dawn from

CanTho to the floating markets. Features include the very big bridge, a couple of ferry crossings

Saigon Saigon bar

2006-12-16T21:33:00.000-08:00

View from the cocktail bar
Pretending to be rich!

While waiting for my passport to come back from Hanoi with a visa extension to go to Mekong Delta, I decided to hang out with the rich for a day and ended up having a cocktail at the Saigon Saigon Cocktail Bar

HCM City [Saigon]

2006-12-16T21:04:00.000-08:00

Cao Dai Temple
Chu Chi tunnels
wake me up when the fighting is over
inside the "enlarged tunnels"
Post office - yet another small parcel posted home of just stuff!

HCM City , day one did the sights by cyclo and orientation of city. Day 2 a tour to Cao Dai temple and the Chu Chi Tunnels. Get down and get diry at the tunnels trying them out. I think about twelve months ago I would have struggled to fit in the entry hole but with all the work we have done in teh last twelve months I must have shaved some excess off the hips... no comments except compliments thanks.

Mui Ne Beach

2006-12-16T20:56:00.000-08:00

6.30 am fishing fleet and tourists
View from my hut door

The bus to HCM City

A day off to recover and enjoy the seaside .

The beach was a hive of activity with fisherfolk and families gathering after the catch to have breakfast. The town is flooded by windsurfers and kite surfers who spend weeks here soaking up the surf , wind in the afternoon so laze around all morning waiting for the conditions to be right! I decided to early morning Kayak which was just beautiful and calm and mixed it with the small coracle style fishing fleet. Bus in the afternoon to Ho Chi Minh City for the next phase of my trip

The last leg Ca Na to Mui Ne beach

2006-12-16T20:47:00.000-08:00

The town that bottles nineral water, she tried to sell me 10 litre container ! Yikes.
Kids on the beach at ca Na ( see previous post) playing while mum sifts coral from the sand
Sugarcane drink vendor
the end of the ride from Hue- Teddy, Friday and I share a beer to celebrate
Just in case you think I made it all up! the turn off to Phan Tiet and Mui ne is just after this post

The last leg was the longest yet to go all the way to Mui Ne was going to take at least 136km of pedalling depending on where I chose to stay in Mui ne (as the accomodation stretches kms down the road).

I set off at dawn, yet another sunrise from handlebar height.

The number of drinks stops were getting closer together and more varied and included hot coffee ( Vietnamese drip style of course), iced coffee ( same but over ice) , sugar cane drinks with a dash of lime, softdrinks, mineral water from the factory town, and warm water from the drinl bottle as one strech ahd about 10km without a roadside stall
.The day did end with a beer of course.

Cam ranh - Ca Na Beach

2006-12-16T20:39:00.000-08:00

Scenery between Cam Ranh and Ca Na
Locals hard at work
almost felt at home Grapevines!
Ca Na Bay from my bedroom window
Ca Na beach

Ca Na beach is a ten minute stop on theOpen Bus tour but a half day stop for me and it is a delightful little place, tiny beach, no tourists ot travellers but me it seemed. Guest house was sandwitched between the road and the beach with the railway line along side the road . A very narrow bit of land. My room overlooked the bay. Charles the owner spoke excellent English as was proud to show me that we could even access ABC Satelite TV, a rarity so far. A walk, a swim with the local kids and a beer completed my afternoon.

Southwards down the coast on highway 1

2006-12-16T20:30:00.000-08:00

Scenery enroute to can ranh
A mid morning drinks stop and much amusement for locals
As the lady road off on my bike I thought I could always take possession of one of these hammocks and just stay put out of the sun for days!
The best room in the house at Cam Ranh (note the interior design)
Scene from restaurant window

Nha Trang to Cam Ranh, following highway one still with a reasonable distance between planned stops according to the lonely planet cycle guide. early starts to beat the heat meant getting somewhere early in the afternoon and in someplaces there was just not a lot to do and cable TV wasnt always in English!

Nha Trang

2006-12-16T20:15:00.000-08:00

Von waiting for the second leg of the bus journey to Nha Trang (Vietnam). the bus waits till it is full, then drives round the block looking for more passengers, even hijacking them from bus stops for the public bus - all part of the adventure
Islands off Nha Trang
The "boy band" entertains us after lunch - no swimming for half an hour just like when we were kids! The crew of the boat doubled as everything and take a close look at the drum kit. Fivem minutes later everyone was up and dancing on the deck.
The floating bar ( Mulberry wine)
Von paragliding after a quick sprint to launch the short but beautiful ride was only marred by the number of plastic bags ( not jellyfish) you could see from up high but it was very scenic never the less.

Nha Trang was reached by two buses which appeared to be attempting the world record for number of people in a Ford transit bus. Ths whole day spent travelling with Bike Friday folded up in the luggage saved me three long days riding and gave me time to relax in Nha Trang. this is a beachside party city. heaps of hotels, beach, boat tours, a good base for diving ( we snorkled on the boat tour to the islands). I figured when in "rome" do what everyone else does so I went on a boat tour, parasailed over some spectacular coast.
.

Hue-then on the road to Hoi An

2006-11-21T22:22:00.000-08:00

Von and two French cyclists in Hoi An ( yes I got to use my poor school girl french but combined with his english and my french we had many a conversation - just missing a few words)
what is Hoi an well known for - tailors!
Sunset in Hoi An
Market lunch
Scenery of Hoi An ( one of many many photos)

Yvonne (Aust) and Yvonne (Alaska) - both with Bike Fridays riding HaiVan pass from opposite directions-true story!
Scenery on the way down ( very hazy)
Preparing for the long climb
My new friend at the top of the Hai Van Pass who insisted I needed a massage

Scenery enroute to Lang Co beach (i think)
people on the way, very hospitable
the road and ps there are no rules except avoid things that may hit you! But the noise from the horns will give me holiday induced hearing loss
LangCo beach end of Day 1 ride 73.6km from Hue

Thuan's family where I had dinner (moto driver and 2 day guide)
Getting ready to leave Hue
People along the way, this was a drink stop, much amusement with the bike and the helmet
Hmmm are we there yet? day 1 on on the south bound journey, luckily the km stones vary the destination not all TPHCM !
Thuan in the thermal swimming pool

Hot springs about 30km from Hue-visited by Moto (I was one of two foreigners there, the other is an visiting young intern from Holland)
Friday getting a lift to the railway station in Hanoi by moto, the panniers and I were on the other bike
Hue historical day lots to see, too many photos to load
Noodle soup breakfast - Hue
Note : I had to spend an extra day in Hue to wait for my bike to arrive as it was not able to travel on my train (even though I checked and i was too slow to fold it up and carry it on)

2 nights Hue

1 night Lang Co bch

3 nights Hoi Anh

if you are confused I should have loaded the photos in reverse so read from the bottom up it is more geographically sound

Hanoi and Halong Bay Cat Ong Island

2006-11-14T18:21:00.000-08:00

Cat Ong Island 2nd night of Halong bay trip. Last cabin on left was mine, tide comes in underneath. Kayaking. beach volleyball, swimming, bush bash to hilltop. Great seafood bbq on beach. Recommended.
Badminton and a cup of tea before breakfast Hanoi
Sunset Halong Bay
Sunrise Cat Ong Island from the hut window
Enroute to Cat Ong Island

Cave dwelling dolphin rubbish bins Halong Cave
Floating Village Halong Bay
Halong Bay near the cave
Floating Village
Von and Mr Ving at the Cave enroute to Halong Bay o'night

Bangkok airport waiting for flight to open
Dorm room "the nunnary" at Hanoi Hostel (nearest is mine)
Old Quarter Hanoi
Dyes?
Taste of street vendor, ricewine steamed rice

LaoCai-Sapa ride

2006-11-11T05:41:00.000-08:00

The start of the uphill ride at lao Cai at 7.30am. I managed to find a motorbike place to pump up my tyres for 5,000vmd
the valley at Sapa

3 young boys who walked alongside me for a while in the middle part of the ride total of 35km
Local family who shared their snacks with me ( loaded on my front bike bag are tube like corn/rice crackers. the little girl was about to go off to get water with a 4 litre container
View of the valley and Mt Fansipan from my hotel window
Scenery on the slow ride up

This is an attempt to add illustrations to my previous emails.

I have selected somephots from the LaoCai - Sapa ride which took me 5 hrs of riding time up a 10% incline and yes, the lowest gears were well used. In the 7 hrs of travel I was stopped for photos, meeting people and generally getting my breath back for 2 hrs.

My speed up hill was around 5kphI only had half the pannier weight on board for this trip so i was a bit apprehensive of th HaiVan Pass later in the trip.

but i did not have to resort to walking the bike. Total ascent 1275m descent 159m (sapa @1473m above sl)

Return journey took 1hr and 31 mins, max speed 53.6kph to LaoCai (100m above SL).

The overnight train trip back to Hanoi with Bike friday booked on as cargo was just as well, the 4 berth cabin already had a large screen tv in box, 2 fold up chairs, 2 large suitcases and then a very large coil of rope.