July 1st.
I think I've used the expression finding our rhythm as it pertains to our daily routine. We get dressed in our filthy, stinky rags, strap our bags down, and gas up our bikes. I'm fine with this part. The part that I don't want to become routine is the daily repairs, and I was hopeful that the previous day marked a turn in our luck. We look over our bikes in the morning and decide they could do with some adjustments. We get the steering column tightened and chain tension adjusted. Fortunately this doesn't take very long, and before long we're just delightfully carrying on with our lovely Vietnam road trip.
Until Nicole and I exit the gas pump and attempt to cross just a few feet of slick, orange mud. It was almost done hardening in the morning sun but our tires took off that juicy top layer just enough to make steering irrelevant as we hopelessly—and quite possibly hilariously—take a low speed tumble to the pavement.
It's happened to me several times before and with heavier bikes, so my ego is more bruised than my body. I groan and get up and move off the road before assessing the damage. Remarkably, my bike is fine aside from a few loose levers. It seems to start just fine and I don't hear any funny noises. Wow, what a relief!
Unfortunately Nicole's downed bike loses a clutch lever and left-hand mirror, so we head back to the same shop with more things for them to fix. They are happy to help patch us up and, much to my dismay, we're back on the road within the same hour as the first round of repairs. And funny enough, we would've missed out on this little morning treat had we been on our way in a timely manner:
It was just enough to pull me out of my self-defeating, everything-gone-wrong attitude. Despite the hard start, the rest of the day is fantastic. The terrible roads eventually give way to some of the best cruising to be had in Vietnam. I'll let the pictures speak for me.
Our route from here meanders through foothills for days and we eventually home in on a destination: Tuy Hoa. This is based almost purely on whether or not we can find a vegan kitchen. Upon nearing town a man on a scooter skirts up besides me and shouts a happy greeting and asks, "Where from?" He invites us to pull over for a drink and our new friend, Long, seems more than stoked to show us the way into Tuy Hoa. Long blazes ahead and we follow into the city to meet a spectacular sunset and some of the best vegan food yet.
Journey stats:
Lien Son to Tuy Hoa. 219km. All day long, baby!
Route notes:
Decided against the Cambodian border and made our way back to the coast. QL29 was awful for 15km or so (which took about an hour to cross) but opened up into some amazing country roads starting at the reservoir. Worth it!
I think I've used the expression finding our rhythm as it pertains to our daily routine. We get dressed in our filthy, stinky rags, strap our bags down, and gas up our bikes. I'm fine with this part. The part that I don't want to become routine is the daily repairs, and I was hopeful that the previous day marked a turn in our luck. We look over our bikes in the morning and decide they could do with some adjustments. We get the steering column tightened and chain tension adjusted. Fortunately this doesn't take very long, and before long we're just delightfully carrying on with our lovely Vietnam road trip.
Until Nicole and I exit the gas pump and attempt to cross just a few feet of slick, orange mud. It was almost done hardening in the morning sun but our tires took off that juicy top layer just enough to make steering irrelevant as we hopelessly—and quite possibly hilariously—take a low speed tumble to the pavement.
It's happened to me several times before and with heavier bikes, so my ego is more bruised than my body. I groan and get up and move off the road before assessing the damage. Remarkably, my bike is fine aside from a few loose levers. It seems to start just fine and I don't hear any funny noises. Wow, what a relief!
Unfortunately Nicole's downed bike loses a clutch lever and left-hand mirror, so we head back to the same shop with more things for them to fix. They are happy to help patch us up and, much to my dismay, we're back on the road within the same hour as the first round of repairs. And funny enough, we would've missed out on this little morning treat had we been on our way in a timely manner:
It was just enough to pull me out of my self-defeating, everything-gone-wrong attitude. Despite the hard start, the rest of the day is fantastic. The terrible roads eventually give way to some of the best cruising to be had in Vietnam. I'll let the pictures speak for me.
 |
| Let's launch over it! |
 |
| The mechanic even tried to fix my toe with some unknown oily liquid. Seemed to clot it up nicely. Or infect it. TBD. |
 |
| Do you mind? |
 |
| Smooth roads and stormy skies. |
 |
| Some heavy brooding that would make Varun proud. |
 |
| Spine straightening adjustment is also routine. |
Our route from here meanders through foothills for days and we eventually home in on a destination: Tuy Hoa. This is based almost purely on whether or not we can find a vegan kitchen. Upon nearing town a man on a scooter skirts up besides me and shouts a happy greeting and asks, "Where from?" He invites us to pull over for a drink and our new friend, Long, seems more than stoked to show us the way into Tuy Hoa. Long blazes ahead and we follow into the city to meet a spectacular sunset and some of the best vegan food yet.
 |
| Follow the leader! |
Journey stats:
Lien Son to Tuy Hoa. 219km. All day long, baby!
Route notes:
Decided against the Cambodian border and made our way back to the coast. QL29 was awful for 15km or so (which took about an hour to cross) but opened up into some amazing country roads starting at the reservoir. Worth it!
No comments:
Post a Comment