Vietnam Cycle Challenge Day 11 - Thursday 29 March 2007

Today we bid farewell to Hanoi and to Vietnam but before we did, we got another couple of hours to wander round Hanoi. Tony and I had decided to go and visit the "Hanoi Hilton" (Hoa Lo Prison, nicknamed as such by the American POWs who were imprisoned there during the American (Vietnam) War. Don tagged along and we had a most informative, if disturbing, morning, as we toured what is also known as the Maison Centrale, where the French, in turn, had gaoled Vietnamese political dissidents during their occupation.

When we got back to the hotel, no one had a particular interest in lunch, so Chris, Don, Tony and I headed off again, to see what we could see. When we thought we might eat again in Pho 24, Don said he wanted some "authentic" food and so we wandered down an alley where we had the most delicious (if not the most hygenic) meal of our trip. Yes, that is a lady on a motor bike driving between the "chef" and Chris - adds a new dimension to the idea of dining al fresco.

Before we got back to the hotel, Don wanted a shave and we found our street barber, who kindly provided the service. This was my last photo in Vietnam.

We boarded the Vietnam Airlines flight VN783 at 5.00pm reluctantly, but with a host of memories and stories to tell (and photos to show!).

Vietnam Cycle Challenge Day 10 - Wednesday 28 March 2007

We arrived in Hanoi at an ungodly hour and were transferred to the city, where we had local breakfast at Pho 24, and then checked in to the Army Tourist Service hotel. The whole day was free to look around Hanoi, do some shopping and to relax, which we all did quite a bit of (resting).

Before we did that, though, we went to visit the Ho Chi Minh museum and Mausoleum. Here we see Tony with one of the guards outside the Mausoleum. If you're wondering about the bemused look on Tony's face, it's because the guard happily agreed to the photo and then grabbed Tony on the backside (heh heh). The picture of Tony and I in front of the Mausoleum is a more subdued one.

In the evening, we went to The Seasons restaurant for our farewell dinner and were entertained by Don and Hobbo, who had prepared a series of limericks, one for each member of "Team Northcott".

Vietnam Cycle Challenge Day 9 - Tuesday 27 March 2007

We spent the morning in Hue, cycling to the mausoleums of famous Nguyen Emperors. Tony showed his appreciation of the moon house as he viewed the scene.

In the afternoon we boardedthe Reunification Express for an overnight ride to Hanoi. It was here that we said goodbye to our driver, Mr Tri and his assistant Tang (pronounced "tongue"), whom Tony had nicknamed "Bluetongue". We were also able to witness some railway maintenance Vietnam style in the process.

The itinerary said we would have 4 soft-bed berths for the journey, but the picture betrays a more crowded environment. Tony and I were put in charge of the "cold drinks" (kind of like putting Dracula in charge of the blood bank).

Vietnam Cycle Challenge Day 8 - Monday 26 March 2007

Today is "Youth Day" in Vietnam and I wondered whether I would be feeling young or old, especially by the end of today's ride. The first photo shows what we faced at the beginning of our ride which required a 10 km climb over the spectacular Hai Van pass (‘Pass of the Ocean Clouds’).

I'm afraid that I wasn't up to the challenge - in conditions where we estimated the "players' comfort" temperature approaching about 48C, I made it about half-way up and was overcome by the heat and a touch of asthma. Tony struggled further up the hill and we picked him up on the bus about another km or two along the way. On the other hand, Don, Studs, Hobbo, Wal and Chris did the climb in 40 minutes, breaking the previous record of 43 minutes, so we were able to celebrate their success at the top of the pass. Hugh continued the mighty effort, also getting to the top a little later.

Once at the top we freewheeled back to the ocean, then continued through small villages and along a spectacular peninsular coastal road to Hue. Part of the trip involved transfer by ferry, and I was fortunate to catch the captain in the middle of his pre-launch preparations.

In the evening, we dined on the river to the strains of a local "folk" group, who delighted us with a series of instrumental and sung music while we noshed. At the end of the evening we sent our prayer floats off on the river.

Vietnam Cycle Challenge Day 7 - Sunday 25 March 2007

... and on the seventh day, they rested!


Today was a rest day, with time at the beach and in the markets (and trying to find somewhere to do internet *grins*). Tony and I have been getting around on the back of motorbikes (pretty much the local transportation and walking about where we need to. Been to the tailor for the obligatory suit and shirts, as well as some souvenir buying.

Tony has been doing really well with the riding and has shown the benefits of his more extended period of training for the ride. I have struggled on some of the parts but still not bad for only about 6 weeks of intermittent training (certainly could not do this without training). The group has been very supportive and we have worked for each other pretty well - it is reaffirming to be part of this kind of group rather than some of the groups I have worked with in the past.

Vietnam Cycle Challenge Day 6 - Saturday 24 March 2007

Voting day for the NSW State Election in Australia, but here in Vietnam it's day 6 of our riding. After a visit to the My Lai museum and memorial (which was very sad indeed), we visited a local school and passed on a series of gifts (pens, rulers, notebooks, and stuff) to the kids. They sang their national anthem, we sang ours and we sang the "Vietnam Ho Chi Minh" song together. After playing with the kids for a while, we rode for about 36km, during which time I had my first flat tyre, which Huy (one of our local guides) sorted out quick smart.

We stopped for a break in a field and saw an old lady digging in the field. Turned out she had been given money by the government to build a house - she had enough for the bricks, etc, but not to hire the labour, so she was doing it herself. We all chipped in to do some digging and in about 45 minutes had saved her about 2-3 days worth of her digging.

We got to Hoi An and had dinner followed by a trip to a local bar where we let our hair down (knowing that Sunday would be a rest day) and Tony and I won the pool table for the group, so we showed them the "old blokes" still had it. Later we went to a salsa bar but To and Thuy couldn't stand the pace.

Vietnam Cycle Challenge Day 5 - Friday 23 March 2007

On Friday we left early, transferring the first 30 km by bus. This was a chance to get away from the main highway to follow the railway line as it looped through a quiet agricultural area where rice gave way to sugar cane. The railway gently climbed beside us and the road undulated through unspoilt villages. Of the 60km ride, about 40 km was off road (well it was supposed to be road but was mostly graded dirt). It was a lot of fun as well as hard work, with 3 mums wanting to get me to kiss their babies for luck because they see me as the "laughing Buddha" with the big tummy (I'm now referring to myself as "Buddha" ;-) ). A hot day compared to the previous days.

Just before the town of Dieu Tri we hopped back into the support vehicle for the 156km transfer to our hotel in Quang Ngai, a convenient spot for continuing to My Lai the next day. Stayed at the local government hotel and after dinner all the lads went to karaoke - I decided 11pm was a good time to clear off but most of the others stayed until 2 or 3 in the morning (and there were some very sore heads the next day, I can tell you).

Vietnam Cycle Challenge Day 4 - Thursday 22 March 2007

Thursday and another full day of riding from Nha Trang to Tuy Hoa, but this time mostly flat until the afternoon when we went up more hills (including a 9km uphill stretch). We set off early in the morning for the ride to the beautiful fishing village of Dai Lanh.

We spent lunch with a swim at the beach and cycled through some villages along the way (taking plenty of photos by the way and we're all going to share). Today though, by the time we'd done the early cycling (about 60km all up, and down), Tony and I decided to get on the bus - we've had a few bus conductors but it's all in good spirit.

Hugh was the star of the show today, staying on the road the whole way to the hotel, another 55 km, with the seasoned bike riders in the group. We all had taken a wrong turn at the top of the uphill stretch (well we actually didn't take a turn at all) and had finished up at the bottom of the hill on the other side before the bus caught up with us. Hugh hung in with the others, even when the distance seemed interminable. We arrived at Tuy Hoa well after dark and had dinner at the beach, staying in the local Trade Union Hotel.

Vietnam Cycle Challenge Day 3 - Wednesday 21 March 2007

Wednesday - the first full day of riding, from Dalat to the Po Klong Garai Cham Towers, near the coastal town of Phan Rang. While the itinerary said the ride would be predominantly downhill, we began with a 40 km climb, before we descended nearly 1,500 metres through pine forests and paddy fields over another 45km. The total ride was about 110km, but Tony and I got to the 85 km mark before the bus "swept" us up. We all met and walked up to inspect this memorial (just what you need after an 85km ride!). Tony and I were pleased with our effort as it was the furthest we have ridden by about 20km and we had so much up hill riding to do.

The four brick towers that constitute the Po Klong Garai Cham Towers are among some of the best-preserved in Vietnam; they were built in the 13th century, during the reign of the Cham monarch Jaya Simhavarman III, as Shiva (Hindu) temples. After visiting the temples we drove to Nha Trang (120km). Nha Trang beach is idyllic, with swaying palms, golden sands and the beautiful deep blue water of the South China Sea (although we didn't get to see much, arriving after dark).

The pictures show Tony and I at the top of one of the hills we climbed and then later at the local butcher shop in one of the villages we passed through. The last picture shows Don working in the rice field with some of the locals (he's the one wearing the cycling knicks).

Vietnam Cycle Challenge Day 2 - Tuesday 20 March 2007

After breakfast we drove 250km out of Ho Chi Minh City to the mountain town of Dalat in the Central Highlands. Dalat is a pleasant hill station, formerly known as Le Petit Paris, and has been described as the most beautiful town in Vietnam. Dalat was favoured by the French for its climate, and is now a popular honeymoon resort for the Vietnamese.

When we arrived, before we checked into the hotel where we stayed overnight (in the Novotel Dalat), we went for a 32km ride looping around Dalat in the rain. It was bitterly cold (being 1,500 metres above sea level) but it was great to get on the bikes and shake out the cobwebs (as well as getting some hill climbing practice in).

Showered and refreshed, we headed off to dinner at the restaurant across the road and then into the market area of Dalat for a wander through the stalls (not very helpful for "larger" chaps like myself, but interesting nonetheless). Part of the walk back to the hotel was retracing steps we had taken by bike earlier in the day and when we arrived back at the hotel it was off to bed to get ready for the big day the next day.

In the photo above you see the "3 Amigos", Tony, Hugh Perrottet and myself (someone, I think it was Tony, unkindly suggested the "3 Stooges") are ready to ride. We're all wearing our Parramatta Eels shirts, kindly donated by Parramatta Leagues.

Vietnam Cycle Challenge Day 1 - Monday 19 March 2007

And we're off!!

First my apologies to all those who thought they would be reading a day by day account. Unfortunately, the internet in Vietnam is such that I could not log on to the blog until today (Wednesday 28th March) so I've got a lot of catching up to do. I will also fill in with photos over the coming days as well.

After meeting at the "Big Frog" at 8.30am, we checked in together and departed Sydney International Airport this morning at 11.30am and flew into Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam at 4.00pm on VN782. The flight over was the same old same old, but good from the point of view of getting to know some of the folks we were going to be cycling with .

We met up with the Don, Hobbo and the lads who had headed over a day early. We were originally scheduled to wander about in a local park to get our bike allocation and make sure the bike was properly set up and we were properly kitted out, but this didn't happen so we were at liberty apart from dinner in the evening.

After checking into the hotel we had some free time to explore this fascinating city, formerly known as Saigon. Hobbo and the lads found a bar where we sat for a few hours drinking some beers and taking in the night life, then it was a walk back through the markets to the hotel and so to bed.

We stayed overnight in the Au Lac Hotel.

VCT Day minus 1

One more sleep to go and then we are away!

Had a great ride yesterday with Tony, Lee and Katie. We did the Bay to Bay run and Katie got to try out her new bike - even Lee got to have a bit of a spin on it. All this and "Rocky" too! No, not Rocky II; Rocky as well - at the end of the ride yesterday we rode to the top of the hill Tony and I had christened "Rocky" (after the movies of the same name), with singing out the movie theme music when we got to the top - a real sense of achievement after scooting along to keep up with the girls (no bus conductors yesterday).

A quiet night and a few glasses of red and white wine to wash down some yummy prawns with my good mate David White while Kerry worked night duty and we arrive at today and packing time. I've spent most of the day in front of the computer screen though, finalising last minute emails and such to tide over until Friday week. The combination of items to be dragged over to Vietnam are strewn about the lounge room, so I'd better go pack them away.

VCT Day minus 3

Yeehah! Tony and I are going to Vietnam! After the dramas of the last couple of days, we wondered if we were fated not to go, but we now both have brand new passports with Vietnamese entry visas pasted in, as of 11.30am this morning.

Last night, I sat in front of the screen, hoping that all would be well tomorrow, and that we could pick up the passports on time and get over to the Vietnamese Consulate before the visa office closed. I can say that we have indeed closed the door on this "interesting" part of the experience ... oh, except for one thing .... I arrived home this afternoon to be presented with the express envelope, re-addressed from Caringbah 2150 to Carlingford 2118, containing our travelling passports! After all that, Australia Post had come through and delivered the mail!

In the meantime, Tony and I decided to make the best of the process and so I drove over to his place this morning, from where we rode back to my place for a quick shower before the taxi picked us up for the tour of APO and the Vietnamese Consulate. When we got back from our international traveller duties, it was back on the bike for the ride to his place and the day was complete. One more big hit out tomorrow with Katie and Lee and I think Tony and I are ready to take on Vietnam .... and we can too!

Thanks to John Chedid ($200), Tony and I have now got more than $12,500, so we're pretty pleased with that - thanks John!

VCT Day minus 4

What a roller coaster ride over the last couple of days!

After the fun of talking with Jeff and Vic over at 2CCR on Monday morning, Monday afternoon was taken up with work , a Board meeting with the Western Sydney Business Connection, and then a hitout on the exercise bike on Monday evening, while we waited for our passports and visas to arrive back from my travel agent.

Tuesday was spent meeting with my friend Trevor Oldfield, President of the Wenty Leagues Club (and then joining the Club - what an impressive array of refurbishments they're undertaking). Later in the day, I dropped Kerry and Fiona out at Macquarie Uni so Fi could attend her Tuesday evening class (she's doing Honours in Ancient History and this semester's class is on historiography). I did this while Tony and I continued to wait for our passports, them having not arrived on Monday or Tuesday and being the subject of some increasingly terse phone calls to the travel agent.

Wednesday was when we got to the top of the roller coaster and headed off down the steep slope. Tony and I went for a good 35km hitout from his place to Parramatta Park, a series of laps round the park (including seven times up the hill section) and then back to his place. We were feeling good enough to reward ourselves with a superb sirloin steak lunch (medium rare), served with a most delicious mushroom ragout and washed down with a very pleasant Margaret River cabernet shiraz. I dropped Tony home and when I arrived home, I was feeling very satisfied with the day. Then the phone call from the travel agent.

We'd already established that the passports had been sent to Caringbah 2150 instead of Carlingford 2118 and held out (vain) hopes that Australia Post would be able to track the passports through its bar coding system and get the passports to us, eventually, and better late than never. On Wednesday afternoon, we officially gave up hope of seeing those passports again, but decided to give one last try to the system (here we break into strains of the old Beatles song "I should have known better ..."). I alerted Tony and it was a restless night with two business days to go until we leave.

This morning we went to "Plan B" - new passports and visas! A series of frantic phone calls between the travel agent, Australian Passport Office (APO), Tony and me and by 2.30pm this afternoon we were being interviewed by a very pleasant gentleman at the APO who concluded by saying "Yes, that's all in order. Your passports will be ready to pick up on Monday". You can imagine our reaction and I'll leave out the curse words that floated through my consciousness at this point as I calmly explained that we needed the passports tomorrow morning at the latest so we can get the Vietnam visas sorted out at the Consulate, which is only open for visas between 9am and 12.30pm. A further examination of our flight tickets and some more enquiries and we're on a tentative promise for the passports to be ready to pick up tomorrow morning at 10am - thanks APO!

We know the passports are being worked on because our good mate Paul, who vouched for us and signed our photos, was rung by two different APO officers in turn to confirm he had indeed signed the forms for each of us in turn (we had been filling these out in the taxi on the way down to Sydney - time was short! - and so he had first hand knowledge of our processes).

In the meantime, we'd had a call from fellow Challenger, Hugh "The Player" Perrottet, to say that he had some Parra Eels polo shirts for us to pick up and wear during our time away. Being Parra supporters for over 40 years, we didn't have to be asked twice and I'm still wearing mine from this afternoon (Go the Eels!). A $200 donation from long time friend and former Macquarie Uni colleague, Richard Braddock, completed the day's activities on another high note.

So here I sit, hoping that all will be well tomorrow, that we can pick up the passports on time and get over to the Vietnamese Consulate before the visa office closes and so close the door on this "interesting" part of the experience. Whew!

VCT Day minus 7

Seven sleeps till we leave and it's all systems go! Tony and I went riding with Katie and her Bike North group yesterday, from Meadowbank Wharf to Brighton Le Sands and return, with bacon, eggs, tomato and toast for brunch along the way. We left at about 7.45am and returned at 1.40pm, having averaged about 16km per hour while riding - not bad for a group of about 50 riders with all sorts of different age ranges and abilities.

We learned some things about riding in groups and discovered a couple of nice variations on the ride that make it more pleasant and involves even less road riding than before. We're planning on having one more big hitout next Saturday, doing the Bay to Bay with Katie and Vietnam riding colleague Lee, who'll be coming down from the North Coast on Friday, and perhaps Hugh "The Player" Perrottet from Parramatta Leagues, if we can get him out of the Club long enough ;-). In the meantime, we're going to do some local rides and mix it up with more exercise bike riding for stamina and aerobic fitness.

We were pleased today to spend about half an hour with Vic Meli and Jeff Ruitenbach up at 2CCR FM (90.5 on your FM dial) talking on air about the ride, our fundraising efforts and what we hope to achieve for Northcott Disability Services along the way. That was a bit of fun and we got to listen to some good music while we were there too. Ah well, back to the work now.

VCT Day minus 9

The days are just flying past now and Tony and I are continuing to get out for a ride - yesterday I went over to Tony's place and then we rode to Parramatta Park for a series of laps and then back to his place, about a 30km ride (just a little one in light of our more recent efforts).

We're off tomorrow morning early with Katie's BikeNorth colleagues to do the Bay to Bay "Bacon Run", starting off at Meadowbank Wharf at 7.30am, so I've just spent time on the exercise bike today, getting a nice sweat going in the process. I'm looking forward to tomorrow because it will give us an opportunity to see what it's like to ride in a group along a familiar path. In the meantime, the work continues and the arrangements to be completed are getting packed closer together.

Matthew Wood from EMFD in Brussels has kindly added $150 to the kitty, so we're continuing to build the pot well past our target.

VCT Day minus 11

This week just keeps getting better! Not only have Tony and I cracked the $12,000 mark in our fundraising efforts (thanks again to all our fabulous supporters!) but a trip to the doctor's today gave me a clean bill of health as far as my, errr, "men's problem" is concerned. The doctor wants to do more tests (don't they all?) but he's in no rush and wished me well for the trip. Tony and I celebrated with a 35k ride round Parramatta and to our respective homes and will be out again tomorrow morning for a similar length ride round Parramatta Park.

A series of business functions so far this week had kept me off the road, but I had managed to pinch a half-hour here and there for time on the exercise bike and that appears to be keeping me in good stead. I made all the hills between Tony's and my place, including the incline from James Ruse Drive up to Pennant Hills Road (this has been my nemesis over the last 5 times I've tried). We're going to see if we can get Hugh Perrottet from Parra Leagues along for a few rides between now and Monday week (11 sleeps to go!).

VCT Day minus 14

Fourteen sleeps to go! The plane ticket arrived today and it's becoming increasingly real as the days go by - whew!

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of doing the Bay to Bay run with Katie ("The Boss") Camarena from Inspired Adventures and had a thoroughly enjoyable time, in spite of the heat and the crappy shoes I wore for the occasion (I got back from Wellington, New Zealand at 4.45pm on Saturday, but my bag, containing my usual riding shoes, didn't arrive back in Sydney until 7.45pm last night). Katie introduced me to the joys of 2nd gear and I was able to ride in the right gears for once (I had been riding in 3rd gear for most of the time in the past, and wondering why my knees screamed at me at the end of each ride) - hindsight's a wonderful thing.

The generous support for Northcott keeps coming in, with donations from Patrick Dawson ($100), Steven Boyd ($50), Denise O'Rourke ($20) and Martin Daniels ($20) - thanks to these good folk!

VCT Day minus 16

Writing from a hotel room in Wellington, New Zealand, after a very successful series of presentations to academic colleagues at Unitec (Auckland), Waiariki (Rotorua), Victoria University and Open Polytechnic (Wellington). Picked up a rental car in Auckland on Tuesday and then drove down through the centre of New Zealand between presentations - a wonderful series of scenes when I could check out the window.

Heading back to Sydney later today and looking forward to getting back on the bike for the ride with Katie tomorrow. Getting very close to the two week mark - only 16 sleeps to go!