Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City: Day 14

Having survived the arduous trials of Day 13, the team started Day 14 off in P'Rao the usual way with a nice banh mi op la or mi quang with cafe sua da at a lovely little family restaurant that Chris T had set up the night before. We then met up for our warm-up stretches and set off on a more relaxing ride day.

This day for me personally highlighted the team spirit of H2Hers on the road whilst being also able to assert our own individuality at the same time. I managed to bump into everyone throughout the ride, enjoying the many downhills or powering up the undulating hills that made up the day. I started the ride off as one of the last to leave, and as the 50 odd Ks rolled on it was nice to see the other riders also doing their H2H thing, whether taking drink breaks when needed, enjoying the scenery or taking photos of the breathtaking Vietnamese landscapes. It was great to see the camaraderie and buddy system in full play all along the road.

For most of the morning I was able to push on alone, setting my own pace and getting into my own cycling zone. There was never a point that I felt unsafe on the ride because I knew there was always someone in front or not too far behind me if I had come into any trouble. There is also the ever-looming Mr. Cuong and our dynamic mechanic Chuong in the passenger van taking up the rear.

Because it was a hot day as well, the DHL drivers were strategically stopped at certain mileage points and were there to provide us with top-ups of water in the otherwise barren wilderness of the countryside.

The whole team arrived in Thanh My by 2pm this day and had a bit of time to do the usual laundry but also the afternoon to explore the town. Unfortunately there really wasn’t much to it, but there was a little fair on so we were able to bring the team meeting some freshly popped corn.

- Words by Kim Diep
Pictures by Isaac Luchini