Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City

[I'm With Stupid]

I'm flying up to Hanoi today ready to cycle back down for the annual H2H charity ride for children's charities here in Vietnam.

Here's the route we're taking complete with links to Map My Ride maps if anyone's interested. We'll be blogging every day on the ride, and I'll try and update the maps with a bit of detail. It's 1938.5km in 25 days with 2 rest days.

It's all been a bit hectic, because everything's only just reopened after Tet, meaning that we had 2 days to do all of the last-minute things, which for me, included moving out of my flat. And our flight has been delayed until 4:30. Hope this isn't a sign of things to come.

Oh, and if anyone's interested in making a donation, drop me a PM and I'll send you the details. And if anyone's interested in joining the ride next year, do likewise.

 

[I'm With Stupid]

Bit of a hateful first day. 2 punctures, 2 broken pedals (not me, the team), freezing drizzly weather, and this happened to our van.

But some of the scenery was nice.

Believe it or not, this is all from the road:

First puncture:

Hoping for a better days riding tomorrow.

 

[Alun]

Did the motorcyclist end up in the back of the van?

 

[Camrider]

That looks a pretty cool trip, but as it looks rather wet I think I would have fitted mudguards

 

[I'm With Stupid]

Yeah the motorbiker's head went through the window. I wish I had mudguards, although this is supposed to be the dry season. The afternoon was much drier than the morning. Mudguards would've done nothing to stop my trainers getting ruined though.

 

[Ticktockmy]

You and your bike will look a lot worse than that shown ing the pic, if you going cycle through the coal mining towns going North, if its not raining then you will need a face mask unless you like lungs full of Coal dust, if it raining well guess you and your bike is going take on a darker shade of Black.

 

[Keith Oates]

Keep up the reports, when do you hope to reach HCMC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[I'm With Stupid]

What do you mean "hope?" We are arriving on 29th Feb.

Just got to the 3rd destination, Quan Lao. Pictures from the last two days to follow. Suffice to saw a mountain bike would've been nice at times. But the weather was much nicer.

 

[I'm With Stupid]

From day 2:

 

[I'm With Stupid]

Day 3 was fun. Got chased by a dog.

 

[I'm With Stupid]

Days 4 and 5 were pretty miserable, because they were mainly on highway 1 (aka the smelliest, roughest, most dangerous highway in the world) and we stayed in a hotel that I assume had ran out of money halfway through construction. There was a beach and some of the best food of the trip so far though, so that's something.

Day 6 was difficult. It started out wet, stayed wet, had a headwind all the way, rolling hills, and thanks to someone cocking up, 86km turned into 108km. I don't know who's decision it was to organise this thing in February, but it was a terrible idea. Every morning, there's a mist everywhere, which makes everything damp and stops you from getting a proper view of the scenery. Plus because of the humidity, it's next to impossible to get anything to dry afterward. And because it's not proper rain, it just covers all of the roads with wet mud. There doesn't seem to be a time in the year where it's pleasant throughout the country though, because if we left in summer, it would be monsoon season down South, and if we left between the two, it would be monsoon season in the middle.

Anyway, days 7 and 8 were much better. Really short rides through great scenery, even though it was still wet.

Oh, and we did meet a tour group that were paying $2000 for a trip that was half the length, while we're paying $150 plus abut $5 per night on hotels, so that made us feel quite smug.

 

[Keith Oates]

Good to see the reports on your progress. I don't know which part of the journey the weather improves but in HCMC we've had quite a long sunny dry spell. Don't bring the rain with you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[I'm With Stupid]

Everything was pretty straightforward for the last couple of days. We stopped at one of the big military cemeteries a couple of days ago.

After that, we stayed in a hotel that had a worrying number of short-term guests and some suspect stains in the rooms.

We had a Hawaiian shirt day as we were riding into Hue.

And I'm currently enjoying my first rest day, and I'm really excited, because we've just received our custom-made cycling tops from ABPro and they look great. Oh and a quick tip: if you've ridden for over 80km without any food, don't make your first stop an expensive French restaurant.

 

[Crashtel]

Looks brilliant and brings back memories. Did Saigon to Hanoi a few years back, remember a 13mile decent from Dalat to Nah Trang, fantastic views and big butterflies. Of course for you it would be an assent but Ive checked your route and looks like you miss this one but from memory your day23 will have a great decent down the road away from Dalat. Thats because I remember the climb upto Dalat on our draggy big tyred mountain bikes. have a great time. Terry

 

[Crashtel]

I should also point out that, when I was there we were stuck in Hoi Ann due to flooding, unforunately there were some crocodile farms that were also flooded and the beasties escaped, probably not a good combo growing rice in paddy fields and crocs. The people we met were fantastic and I have lasting memories of kids trying to speak english to me, what a great country, I'm totaly jealous of you guys.