We saddled up at 6:30 this morning, and headed to breakfast about a mile from the hotel. And by 7:30 we were on the road, hoping to get most of the miles in before it got too hot. The road was straight and paved, but with rolling hills, the first we’ve seen on this trip, and despite the early start…
Category: An Epic Adventure
Cycling Day 8: Kratie to Stung Treng— 48 Miles (UDPDATED)
My travel mate Donna has been ill, so opted not to ride today at all. And given the itinerary I had decided to not cycle after our lunch break at all. Although it was to be quite pretty and quiet, the last 15 miles were said to be on a gravel path, and I’m finding the bicycle that I have…
Cycling Day 7: Phnom Penh to Kratie — 32 Miles: UPDATED
We met at the hotel in Phnom Penh early to ensure that our “new” bikes were fitted properly; we had left the bikes we used in Vietnam there, and had the equivalent cycles lined up for us for our Cambodian riding days. We biked through the city on the early Sunday morning, with fairly empty streets, making it easier to…
Chau Doc to Phnom Penh: January 14
A day off from cycling today, and I was quite happy for the break. We had an almost 5 hour speedboat trip up the Mekong River, crossing the border into Cambodia. It was possible to be inside in comfortable seats on the boat, or outside in the wind, so the time went quickly as we watched life on the river…
Cycling Day 5: Can Tho to Chau Doc — 40 miles
We started the day by getting on a boat at the river walk to take us to the Cai Rang Floating Market in the Mekong River. Basically a fruit and vegetable wholesale market on boats, it’s even divided in sections based on what is being sold, which can be identified by what is hung from the poles. Among the market…
Cycling Day 3: Cai Be to Can Tho — 52 miles
We were picked up from the Lodge by a small boat to take us across the river to meet the bicycles and begin our long ride. Our guide taught us about water hyacinths, which grow naturally in the Mekong, and are both the source of multiple uses, and celebrated in poetry. The large leaves are used as a decorative means…
Cycling Day 2: Wednesday, January 11 — 32 miles
Today we headed south toward Cai Be in the Mekong Delta. It was another almost 2 hour van transfer to get to our starting point, but once there, it was lovely cycling along various tributaries of the Mekong River (which means Mother River — it is one of the longest in the world). The paths were at times gravel, rough…
Cycling Day 1: Tuesday, January 10 — 20 miles
Once again it’s been proven that the people I meet on these active adventures are like minded, well-travelled and interesting companions. After being fitted for our bikes on Monday afternoon we enjoyed a lovely group dinner. On our cycling adventure we have a couple of retired litigators from NYC, retired pediatricians from Oregon, a dad and daughter celebrating her college…
Ho Chi Minh City, Part 2
Most guidebooks suggest about 10 sights to see or things to do while here, and Donna and I had agreed to try to see as many off them as possible before we are to meet up with our cycling group and leave the city on Tuesday. Cutting through a local park enroute to a famed pagoda across town we were…
Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon)
I arrived very late last night, (Friday January 6 in this part of the world) and successfully connected with my travel mate for this first part of the trip. I met Donna in NZ last year, and we discovered a common interest in travel and so will explore Vietnam and Cambodia together. The airport was crazy busy, as were the…