Cu Chi Tunnels and back to the doctors

I was off out to the Cu Chi tunnels for the morning, I had breakfast and by the time the bus arrived my gut was not feeling the best, I had finished the Anti biotics the night before, so I thought I would see how it went hopefully my gut would settle down. Jumped on the bus with 23 other people we had 5 still to pick up, went around to the next hotel and waited, and waited some more, then two girls jumped on the bus, a few seconds later they were taken off the bus by a guide from a different bus, all we heard were them saying the driver said it would be alright and then the guide said the driver does not speak English. Bit of a laugh to start off with.
We finally started to move and headed towards another hotel and meet up with the 5 remaining passengers, so we were off, we were to have a stop at a place where they make pottery and other things, the usual to try and sell stuff to the tourists, then it would be off to the caves. The bus trip took two hours to get out of the city, for the distance I recon I could have got there faster on my bike, it did not help that we got pulled over by a cop and the driver got a ticket the naughty boy.
The pottery shop was interesting enough, but my gut had not really settled down and was still gurgling, I was quite relieved when we made it to the tunnels. It was pretty busy, every man and his AK 47 was out there, we watch a movie and had a look at the different traps and snares, pretty lethal stuff really, some of the group went off and fired the AK47’s and M 60 etc, which have to say were pretty loud that’s for sure.
We got to the international cave system, this is a part of the cave that they widened and made higher for the Europeans to fit. I would not have wanted to be sent down the smaller caves, I don’t really like caves anyway, give me a cliff and a hundred foot drop any day over a skinny little hole. I managed about the first 20m before I bailed out of one of the exits and escaped it to fresh air. I don’t know how they could have survived the conditions down there, and I can see why the Americans lost the war against people who would injure that for so long.
After the caves it was back on the bus and back into town, my stomach had not really improved but it had also not really got worse so I thought I would jump out and have a look at the war museum and then head back to the hotel, by the time I walked the couple of blocks from where we got dropped off my stomach had gone south, well more north, I felt like throwing up, my stomach was still making lots of noise and was getting sore, so it was time to go and find a doctor yet again.
Back to the hotel and asked them if they knew where I should go, and asked how much it cost to get there, went outside and asked the first motor bike guy how much he gave me a price 3 times over what it should cost, so I told him what I would pay, was not really feeling in the mood for arguing so when he kept on with a price well above what I should be paying I walked away, as I was about 3 meters from him he agreed to my price.
So off to the doctors, got there and got my temperature checked 36.9, got to see the doctor pretty quick, told her my symptoms and told her I had taken some anti biotics and that it seemed to help but once I stopped taking them I felt worse. Got an injection of Anti biotics and then told I have to give a stool sample as well. Got the drugs I needed then back to the hotel and slept for the rest of the afternoon and that night. Just have to produce some stool in the morning and see what the results are from that, time will tell.

The road to Ho Chi Min City (Saigon)

Back into the early starts, the only problem was it was earlier then I wanted, they have these people here with some really crap speakers and they blare out I am not sure what, but some pain in the arse decided it would be a good idea to set up outside my hotel and have it running from 4:30am so you can imagine I was not to impressed. If I had a gun I would have shot the dam thing.
I was up thank you very much so headed off, out on the open road, which is not really open because there are shops and houses all the way along the side of the road, I had 75km to go and had hit the 40km mark when I decided it was time to stop. Stomach was starting to growl. Nice Breakfast of Rice, BBQ port and some other stuff I was not sure about. The back on the bike again, had heard and seen pictures of the roads in Ho Chi Min so was looking forward to that.
It seems the more crazier the roads the more I like them, I think with Vietnam it is not really if I get hit but how badly I come off when I do get hit, the only way to survive is to be as aggressive as them without getting upset when someone cuts you up. They are a very understanding people in that way, will I think they are because I cut a few people up on the way into Ho Chin Min and no one said anything, if that was NZ I would have had abuse thrown my way without a doubt.
The traffic for Ho Chi Min really started on the out skirts of My Tho, it is pretty much duel lane mayhem all the way in, so you really have to have your wits about you, always look forward, had a couple of close calls again when I was looking round then all of a sudden there is a bike coming down the wrong side of the road, don’t swing to the edge of the road swing in, otherwise it confusion time for them.
Have had a couple of times were the traffic has been that manic I have started out on the wrong side of the road thinking I was back on the left, then realized that I am wrong when all the other traffic that I was with on the wrong side with me suddenly heads back over to the other side. This mostly happens in the morning when I have just woken up. It’s insane..
Anyway the traffic into Ho Chi Min just gets crazier, it even makes Phnom Penh seem like a small village on a Sunday morning, not only is the traffic coming from the front it is also coming from both sides and the usual stuff coming from behind. I think though most locals see the crazied wild look in my eyes and give me a bit more room. You know the look I’m talking about, animals do it when they are shit scared. The whites of my eyes are showing and their heads swing from left to right.
I had breached the interior of HCM in no time at all, and soon became lost in the streets, it is always hard to judge distance in a big city, the maps are really not that good, I ended up stopping at a crossroads to get my bearing and a lady came up and asked where I was heading to, after I found the area she said it was another 12km down the road, back on the bike and into the traffic, I was passing cars, motorbikes and trucks as I headed deeper into the madness. Who’s madness you ask, I think a bit of mine and a bit of HCM’s.
I had purchased a face mask as well as my bandana to help to stop some of the fumes, as we hit more and more lights I thought I must be getting close, all the bikes stop in front of the lights so you cant tell when they turn green the only way you know when to go is when the engines start to rev up behind you and the horns start to blare. This of course does not mean that the traffic going across has stopped people are still running the lights, some get it all wrong and end up right in the middle of the traffic this is when it really gets crazy and bikes and cars swing to the left and right to miss the bike that is moving across the flow of traffic. I myself pushed the lights a bit too much and only just made in across a few times.
By the time I made it to the fairly tranquil traffic around Pham Ngu Lao I was ready for a break and a sit down, I had made it by 11am which was pretty good time considering the traffic. I found a guesthouse and settled in, then went out first in search of food and then to find some books to read, I had finished my last book at the border so was very keen to pick up a couple more.
I found some books and spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the streets much to the amusement of the local motorbike taxies, why would I want to walk when I could take a bike, pretty much because I had just spent the last 4 hours on a bike, thank you very much. I also booked myself a trip out to the Cu Chi tunnels for tomorrow, will be interesting to see.
These tunnels were used by the Viet Cong to live, it was whole towns living under ground, the tunnels used to go under an America base. 1.3m high and .6m wide, little bit too cramped for my liking but it will be interesting to see non the less.

Easy rider, super glue and a bridge

Well I was up and off by 5:30am, an’t you proud of me, say it, say it, good, headed for the river, had to catch a boat over the Mekong, got lost once on the way there, got my ticket and then joined the throng of people waiting, as the boat drew in close you could feel the anticipation of the crowd, all eager to get the optimal position on the boat, engines revving, choking smoke and then we made our way slowly onto the boat, after the anticipation of the wait it was a bit of a anti climax. Can’t have everything by the seat of my pants can I.
30km then breakfast, the road once I had left the town are all being redeveloped so it was a case of going from duel lane to single lane to less than single lane for the whole 30kms, luckily there was more duel lane than the other two so not so bad, made good time, and just cruised along. Found a little food stop for breakfast which good.
After breakfast pulled my glasses out of my bag and found they had broken, now I had got these in Malaysia so they had done well to survive this long, I had had to fix one of the nose pads before now but that was still holding sweet. Superglue, brought in Malaysia to fix the glasses last time they broke, I have also used it to fix my denture when I broke a tooth, still holding, has fixed a couple of things on my bike as well, still holding, so got into my bag and glued my glasses back together waited a couple of minutes then through them on and off I went, and there still holding.
Had to go over this pretty big bridge, might be a little bigger than the Auckland harbor bridge, took the walking track as thought I would stop in the middle and do some photo’s as you can see I did, everyone else on their motorbikes stops up there as well, I did not think you were allowed to do that but it seems in Asia you are, there was a guy up there telling everyone to move on if they had been there for more than 10 minutes. The Australians helped to build the bridge which I thought was nice of them till I got down the other side and found the toll booths, nice one Aussie. Saying that it is more likely the Vietnamese government making money.
The rest of the ride was not really that interesting, made it to My Tho and after a few wrong turns found the area I wanted, found another big bridge here as well which is not on the map, if I had know about this bridge I could have save about 20km of riding, o well I will know for next time. Ha next time…
Have decided I need a horn or something that makes a bit of noise to scare people when they pull out in front of me, so far I have wire and a switch, I just want a 6v horn so I can use a small battery, but am having a bit of trouble finding one, and making myself understood as well, well really that is the real problem it’s the communication that seems to be a problem, I am hoping to have a bit more luck on my way into Ho Chi Min City tomorrow. Then I’ll show them.

Floating market and food glorious food

Early rise this morning, up at 5.30am then off to the boat for the morning market, I grabbed some yogurt and had some fruit from the night before for 1st breakfast, it is a pleasure being able to eat normally again, now my last few pages in Cambodia sounded like I was getting a bit sick of riding and at the time I was, I think it did not help that I had not been feeling that great for a time and I not really sure Cambodia was for me. It also may have been that 3000km barrier that has been holding me back. Let’s just say there were a few things that were bringing the riding down.
Since crossing the border, passing that 3000km mark and my health improving I am feeling ready to go again, I have been working out my path so I do no more than 100km in a day, now I realize this might have to change but not for a while, it will take me longer to get places but I won’t be getting as tired and so hopefully energy will be a bit higher.
Anyway back to the floating market, meet my lady who was going to be taking me on my journey to the floating market then for a trip through the cannels, we jumped in our little boat and off we went, at about 5km an hour, ok so this was not going to be a race then. I sat back and just enjoyed the sunrise, the yogurt and fruit really could life be better than this. As the sun made it’s sleepy way over the horizon we had done about ½ a km, boats full of tourists were screaming up and down the river and my little boat just chugged along.
As the sun cleared its way over the horizon mainly because it got sick of waiting for us to get to the market we still chugged on, by the time we got to the market it was starting to warm up quite a bit, even on the river I could feel it was going to be a hot day. This market is not your small scale market, it was more you whole sale market, the scales were not in 1,2,3 kilos but 10,20,30 kilos. Large boats had one or two things to sell, the smaller boats would come in and buy 20-30 kilos of said produce and then off to another boat for something different.
Me and my driver swung in past these boats while I snapped away on the camera, it was more people spotting for me, the back bone of the country at work, these are the people that break their backs in hard labor to keep fresh fruit and Vege at the markets. With the sun position in the sky it made nice shadows on the faces around me, the only problem was I had to be quick with the photos as the flow of the water pushed us along quickly.
We had just about made it to the other end of the market when the lovely lady offered to let me have a go at paddling the boat, silly women, of cause I would have a go, the only problem is, is it is all backwards to normal rowing, so lets just say it took me a bit to get used to it, Paddle right move right, paddle left move left, long strokes are best, watch out for the boat, ok don’t watch out just crash into them sorry learner rower here, were did I put those L plates. Alright got it now, only took a couple of minutes, had my photo done as well, you will have already seen them of cause because there up on facebook. Paddle back up river then my driver nice said she would take over. You ever see a Asian turn White I have, no I was pretty good for my first time.
We wandered back through the market, the other tourist boats that had been screaming up past us earlier don’t come right into the market, they stay out on the edge of it, so they may have paid less but I think I got a pretty good deal. We headed off down some cannels on the way back, people were washing the dishes in the river and all other manner of things, large boats full of sand even plow the smaller cannels and we came across a couple on our little trip. One of them crashed in to a bridge, not really that bad buy it did break a cover on the back of the boat, we managed to squeeze passed him.
It was a nice enough day and my lady was really nice even though she could only speak a little English, after the boat trip I went and had breakfast, that’s right second breakfast, my appetite is back, Harold my intestinal worm must be feeling better to, so I had a banana shake and some bread with jam, then went back to the hotel, on the way back, the local restaurant were preparing a beef for the spit roaster so I knew where I was going to be having dinner. I picked up the laptop at the hotel and headed out for lunch, see you were thinking bread and jam was not much well I was eating lunch 1 hour after second breakfast, and that was noodles with Shrimp and squid, then a banana pancake, then after lunch I went out and brought some more fruit and had that then 2 hours after this I had beef soup, then another pancake and two yogurts, and I finally felt full. So my day was just eating.
I had also decided that I would get back into the 5:30am on the bike and riding mornings, it gets a bit too hot here in Vietnam to be riding much after lunch. It also means I have more time exploring the cities. And finding my way around when I get lost.

A lecture and a few Km

Well I tried with the letter style of writing, I am in Nam, don’t think it would work for everyday, but you have to try these things. I had looked at the map and thought I only had 70km to ride today, sweet an easy ride, the city was madness, you really have to watch in every direction at one here, nearly crashed this morning because I was looking around and a dog ran out in front of me, locked up both wheels, did manage to miss it though.
After biking for 7km I was still in the city but made a left turn north, onto what I thought was 30km straight road, it would turn out to be 57km of straight road, dead straight, not even a hint of a turn, few small rises but that was just over bridges. After finally leaving the city and being on open road I had a guy come up besides me and start to have a chat, we must have talked for about 20km riding side by side, have to say here his speedo was showing 30km/h the whole time. His name was Thi and he invited me to stop in at his parents restaurant which was at a cross road I would hit further along. Sounded like a good idea and that would be my lunch break and then I would only have 50km that after noon.
I pulled into the restaurant at 11am, thought I would stop for 1 hour and the head on to Cam Tho, I meet up with Thi again and ordered some food, I have to say it was really really good, the flavors’ of the food were sublime, it makes my mouth water now just thinking about it now. I chatted with Thi for a while, he is a interesting young fello, they really all do look to the west as being the big shining light in the sky.
I did not ruin it for him and told him at home I have three cars and two houses with 6 wifes, who all have their own cars and I have a TV screen that makes a truck look small. No I would not do that, told him the only thing I own is sitting in front of him, my bike and trailer. When I decided to leave his dad came out and asked me if I knew anything about Vietnams history, he said if I come to the country I should know what has happened. For some reason I think he wanted to have a rave at a westerner. I however do have a little knowledge, yes just a little.
I think really he is still pissed at the Americans for what they did to the people of the south at the end of the war, I think he may have been one who was persecuted by the north Vietnamese after the Americans pulled out and left the south high and dry, good one America. Lucky I was leaving he seemed pretty heated up about it. I give him his due though, if what I have read about happened to him he has a lot to be bitter about. It has made me slightly more interested to check out the war museum in Ho Chi Min City. Have to point out here lots of locals still call Ho Chi Min City, Saigon.
The rest of the ride was fairly uneventful, I did get into a argument with some guy how was trying to charge me a over the top price for a toilet that he did not even own. It was a bit funny really, I nipped in to us a loo at a gas station and when I came out this guy asked for money, now if he had gone lower then what he said he might have been lucky but he wanted to much. So I told him I was not going to pay that much, It was only over about 25cUS but still, I am no ATM.
After about 10 minutes of really getting know were because he could not speak much English and my Vietnamese is next to nothing, I suggested we find someone to translate he seem to think this was not such a good idea, especially when I started to walk towards the guys working at the garage, he thought it was time to let me go. At this point he went back to his job with his mates laughing at him.
I ended up down by the water front and found a hotel for the night, some guy when I arrived tried to push a whole day site seeing trip on me, he got the cold shoulder very quickly as I was not really in the mood, I was hot, sweaty and tired and all I wanted was to get to a room and have a shower and relax before I went out for dinner.
I wondered toward the water front and started chatting with this lady there, there is a new bridge being built over part of the Mekong river, it looked really cool and I thought it would be nice to have a closer look, I did not realize she was a tout at the time, she went over and talked to this guy who just seemed to be walking passed with a group of locals, well lets just say they happened to be going out on a boat to see the bridge.
She asked me if I wanted to go and said it was for free, so you have to wonder now what she wants, so much suspicion. She touts for the floating market trip in the morning, we negotiated a cost for that, which with a little more haggling I could have got it cheaper but I was getting a free ride to have a look at the bridge so let her off. The bridge is pretty remarkable and I enjoyed my sunset run around the bridge. I think I have some nice photos of it. So I am now all booked in to see the floating Market in the morning, there is another one north of here and will see that tomorrow on my way towards My Tho my next port of call.

Letter home

Dear Dad and Mum
I was posted to the Border town of Ha Tien, we have strike out for Rach Gia and then further into the Mekong Delta. The locals of this small provincial towns are really friendly and have looked after me, they seem shocked to see me as I pass and are always yelling out hello. I have crowds gather when I stop to view my transport, In fact when I was poising by my bike someone asked me to move out the way so they could have a better look at the bike.
The terrain is mostly flat with a few small hills, after leaving Ha Tien my path hugged the coast line. On leaving Ha Tien I came across the locals up to their knees in mud on the mud flats at low tide, it seems hundreds head out to gather crabs. It looked liked colored spots through a dark brown land scape.
The road carried along the coast for some way till it took a turn in land, no hostiles here at all, I stopped for food in a small town of Kien Luong, the locals gathered around me to watch me eat, it is a strange sensation, I felt a little uncomfortable, not that I was threatened but more that I hoped I was eating with the correct ethics. Not sure if Ethics is the right word but you know what I mean.
I had thought Rach Gia was only 50km away but it was 95km away, by the time I got there with the late start and the hot day I was pretty tired. I found a good room just across from the local market, The colors and the people are amazing, already had a few local girls tell me they love me. I had had a break earlier in the days and was invited to sit down with some locals, I was told by one that I was a handsome man. Seems myself esteem and ego are getting a boost in Vietnam.
Once I was stationed and dug in for the night at Rach Gia, I headed out to find a map, the first shop I got directions to did not have the maps I wanted, a local girl offered to take me to another book shop that might have the maps I wanted, it ended up that the shop was across town so I rode her bike and she sat on the back it was a bit of a laugh, at one stage she asked me to slow down. We managed to get the book so I can work out the distances and the terrain I may encounter. Very sweet young lady.
I stopped for dinner at a café next door to my hotel, it seems cafes here don’t sell food, I was given a coffee drink, and then one of the girls went across the road and got me some food. You know how I don’t like coffee and I would have felt bad about sending it back, so the plant that was by me had a bit of a drink, hope it servives.
I think you would love this country, the people are amazing, I only hope it stays like this all the way north. I have about two months left of my tour of duty.
Hope all is well at home, Take care.
Love Steve

To Vietnam in a roundabout way

Washing found, outside of room some still wet, if they had given it back to me the night before as I asked it would have been dry, luckily nothing of importance was wet. Had some breakfast before I left still not sure how the stomach was doing. I had to ride about 25km to the border then into Vietnam and Ta Hein a town 6km from the border, easy ride.
The trip out of town was nice, overcast so it was pretty cool, the road was getting fixed up so it was an easy ride, I have to say I like Kep, no one hassles you or anything, they just get about their business and if you would like something you just have to ask, no constant nagging. This mornings ride to the border consists of a straight road, then a right turn then another right turn and straight to the border, sounds easy does it not.
I got the first right turn no problem, the next right turn was a whole other matter, to tell the truth never really found it, I realized this when I came across the town I had seen on the map and told myself I don’t want to go there, not because it’s not a nice town but because it is about 10km out of my way and a bit of a roundabout way to get to the crossing I wanted. Well that was a shame. Top up on some fluids and got directions, headed off and went straight passed the road I wanted again, turned around and stopped on the corner, it was heading in the direction I wanted, Ask a local time again, pointed down one road Vietnam reply Yes, pointed down the other road Vietnam reply Yes, great it was one of those that if I pointed up to the sky and said Vietnam I would have got yes. Took the road that was going south, bit of a dirt track, enough for 1 ½ cars, lots of traffic must be it.
Spent the next 10km on a dirt road with minivans bellowing smoke and dust everywhere, I wonder who is going to pay for my dry cleaning bill. Even with my directional mistake and the rough roads I still made it in good time and the repairs on the trailer worked as it was towing well.
After the 10km dirt road track I came across the road I should have been on, another dirt road, now you don’t really find the Cambodian border here you more just stumble across it, it dirt road, dirt road oops border, if you blink you could miss it. Got my passport stamped and got a photo done, 3000km people, 3000km how about that, who would have thought, I have ridden 3000km and have a few thousand to go.
After the dirt road of Cambodia, which was kind of a nice way to leave Cambodia for some reason, it just worked, it hit Tar seal and a big building on the Vietnamese side. Now it was a hot day and I did my health check and the guy asked for a US dollar and I just paid, did not really think about it till after I had done it, I have not have to pay for a health slip, brain just must have jumped out of gear. I found it funny really, and I think so did he because he gave me a big wave when I left, probably thinking stupid tourist, ha and he would have been right. The jokes on him, because I ticked no to everything, yet I have had headaches and diarrhea, that will show him, I think…
Off to Ha Tein, skip a jump and I was in town, found a bank so had some Dong(money) all was good, time to feed the machine and think about heading on east in to Vietnam, so I pulled into a hotel, plenty of time for Vietnam easy day today. I tried to find a map for Vietnam but that was not going to happen in Ha Tien, to tell the truth there was not really much here at all. My room was nice and the people who run it were friendly enough. So the tour of Nam had started.