Even after a day of rest, the journey from Hue to A Luoi was going to be one of our toughest days. We would have to cycle up two hills rated grade 2, the first 18 kilometres and the second 16 kilometres long.
Thankfully we were able to fill up on a huge breakfast buffet and, unlike the previous scorching days, the weather was definitely on our side, with a nice dewy coolness to the air.
After we got out of the city the roads turned into rolling hills, but they were seriously rocky and bumpy. Olly got a puncture in both his inner and outer tyre, but still sped past after it was sorted.
The major hill climbs were torture; I tried the techniques Zak had taught me but my legs burned. Snacks helped a bit, including the packet of Haribos that Mai was shaking at me to coax me up the hill. Some of the mountain paths were quite winding and narrow and the warning signs of cars falling over the edge weren´t a joke…one lorry had completely crunched into a railing. You had to make sure you didn´t swerve through a gap in the barriers!
However the scenery was beautiful, lush forest and clouds hovering over the mountains…..´chasing clouds´ as Storm described it.
I don´t know how we made it to the hotel but we did. In need of rehydration some of the people who arrived early managed to find a jungle themed mocktail bar. The locals seemed very friendly and intrigued by foreigners in their town.
The day ended well as Travis treated everyone to cake….a boost of sugar for the next lot of lengthy climbs!
-- Rebecca 'Beccs' Richardson
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