Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City

Day 17: Great food and groin strains

2012-02-21T02:39:00.000-08:00

Compare this morning to yesterday and the mood amongst theriders couldn’t be more different. Whereas yesterday everyone looked on the verge of tears as, dejected andmiserable, we set off to tackle a day of unreasonably big hills in the freezingrain, today everyone was cheerily greeting each other with good mornings as weplied the excellent local market for breakfast treats. Even a 5am public service announcement overthe town tannoy system and all night noise from a rather dubious sounding partyin the room next to us couldn’t dampen our spirits. In the space of one day we seem to have leftthe cold and rain of north Vietnam behind (touch wood!) and entered the south,where we’ve finally been greeted by sunshine and delicious food. Quinn evendonned his best threads to celebrate.

So, bellies full Banh Xeo (Vietnamese pancakes) we set off ona relatively easy day of undulating hills through bright green rice paddies inthe baking sunshine. Yesterday seemed like a distant memory as we took aroadside break for a refreshing cup of sugarcane juice while topping up ourcyclists’ tan lines.

Team spirit prevailed as Zara kindly shared her bike withSandra who has been plagued with bike problems and Anna sang Salt ‘n Peppa’s ‘PushIt’ to help me get going again after my chain jammed on a hill.

We arrived in Kon Tum in time to soak up a few more rays bythe river and found a wonderful lady who made us an obscene amount of Bun Thit Nuong (noodle salad with meatand herbs) and Banh Cuon (freshspring rolls). It was so good some of uswent back for seconds later on.

Sandra’s morning lunge sessions came inhandy in the evening for Joe’s culture night. The drivers watched on in stitches as we eachtried to retrieve a cardboard box, gradually decreasing in size, from the floorusing our mouths with only feet allowed to touch the ground. The team made avaliant effort using a number of interesting techniques, and groins werestretched far more than is natural. In the end it came down to an intense timetrial between the ridiculously flexible Phong and Sandra in which Phong wasultimately victorious.

Kirsty

Day 17 from a helmet's view

2012-02-20T16:57:00.000-08:00

This was a pretty easy day, juts 60km from Ngoc Hoi to Kon Tum, and the beautiful weather (and puppies at our hotel) had everyone in good spirits. By the end of the day several people were sporting some awesome tan lines, while Joe's culture night left many of the guys with nearly-ruptured groin muscles. I'm sharing a couple of videos in today's post. The effervescent Ms. Dana let me use her GoPro helmet camera for the day, so here are the two clips I was able to take before all of its memory was used up. It's a bit like watching a video game.

Mike

Soaking Up a Van Tan

2012-02-19T07:26:00.000-08:00

Sunday 19th, most of us should be working a 12 hour shift at work, or suffering a Saturday night induced hangover, instead the H2H team are tackling "Evil Bitch Day II".

The H2H team bar one - I've been signed off for a couple of days with a torn muscle. I can't even say a cycling wound in the aid of the orphans, instead a drunken stumble down a hole - soz fam.

Today I watched from the van as my team mates struggle 104km (20km of which was a constant uphill climb) in the freezing pissing rain. Viewing from my seat in the warmth of the van, leg elevated, wrapped up, listening to ABBA's Greatest hits with Daddy Cuong, with my unshakable feeling of guilt as the team fought through bike malfunctions and old injuries re-arising in the dangerous cycling conditions.

But as ever H2H 2012 prevailed 7 hours, 3 flat tyres, one broken bike and one projectile vomit later and the sun came out to greet us into Ngoc Hoi.

Massive love to all the amazing people that make up the H2H team 2012!!Be back on the road with you asap.

Zara

Day 11: Huecation time.

2012-02-18T07:13:00.000-08:00

It's time for a holi-Hue...
There's a long Hue to go...
Time to get Huested...
Looking forward to some Huesty food...

Okay, that's enough.

Day 11 was important for several reasons. Firstly, it represented us leaving the wonderful Blue Hotel and its array of by-the-hour guests and suspect stains. Secondly, it was the final ride before our rest day. Thirdly, everyone was looking forward to finally getting something other than noodles or rice. But most importantly, it was Hawaiian-shirt day.

The ride itself was pretty straightforward and uneventful, although we got a few more bemused looks than normal, particularly when we arrived in the tourist district of Hue. And it was almost as if the sun gods saw our Hawaiian shirts and blessed us with our first real spell of sunshine.

And so it started; a night of gluttony and excess (quick tip: if you've just cycled 80km without eating, don't make your first meal an expensive French restaurant) and a new team member. I don't think Jim knew what hit him when he arrived at about 11pm to a Hawaiian-shirt-wearing rabble who had been drinking since dinner time in celebration of our driver's birthday.

The actual rest day was a much more sober affair, with some of the riders enjoying a bit of pampering.

He's enjoying it really.

Tin enjoying a face massage.

Funny how it's only the boys.

The other big news in Hue was that our new shirts arrived, all paid for by the lovely people at AB Pro.

Rhona showing off her new shirt.

So, that was the rest. Now for the hard bit...which I realise has already been written about on this blog, because we're a bit late with day 11.

Day 15: Thanh My to Kham Duc

2012-02-18T05:03:00.000-08:00

Aaaand the H2H team valiantlyenters Kham Duc, bruised but never beaten, and triumphant over what had become adeceptively long day. Upon waking up in Thanh My and feeding the Hotel’sresident pet monkey (seriously!) whatever odd bits of food were around, thecrew set out for what was to be a progressively wetter and rougher ride. Whilethe vistas of high, green mountains certainly lend themselves to the billows offog, we cyclists are a group decidedly preferring of drier climes, and after10km it’s safe to say that we were all soaked to the bone. Furthermore, thetrend of better roads and crash-free rides that we have enjoyed so much,cruising down to the valley bottoms, was broken. The first casualty of the daywas Mr. Joe Piechura who, upon receiving a call, lost cycle control in themuddy shoulder of the road and went careening towards a cement gutter. With afront row seat to the event, riding some 15 feet behind, I watched as Joeperformed what was at once terrible falling technique (if a good techniqueexists), but with such an unwavering grace that he made the entire crash lookmuch more casual—even smooth. Luckily Joe’s face broke the fall, and now hisroguish good looks have been taken to a whole new level. His recovery wasquick, his attitude was positive, and he managed well the flurry of first aidpacks that were thrust towards him by the surrounding H2H team members.

Thesecond of the day’s mishaps provided some crash-contrast, as I witnessed itonly audibly, and to describe the event, will have to rely upon thedescriptions of fellow rider (all of unquestionable character and integrity.)From my forward position I heard what sounded like tire trouble and Ms. DanaGibson call out a loud expletive (I never knew you spoke Spanish!), signalingimpending calamity. This serious of sounds was then joined by the similarshouts of her father, Corey Gibson. Turning around immediately, I saw averitable pile of Gibson, and came to offer assistance. It seems that asuspiciously tire-width gap in the road had claimed Dana’s tire, not allowingher to turn and eventually causing the spill. According to eye-witness reports,Corey’s arrival in the aforementioned pile was due to his chivalrous leap fromhis saddle to catch his tumbling daughter. Again, recoveries were quick,spirits unbroken, and team assistance forthcoming.

Unfortunatelythe third mishap of the day was of a larger scale, upon rounding a corner wecame to a point where traffic had backed up, and as we approached, we came upona car crash that had upturned and smashed a smaller vehicle and left a massiveindustrial truck on its side, effectively closing both lanes. We proceeded withcaution and reminded ourselves to remain wary on these roads.

wasn't expecting to see that today

bicycle crashes aren't quite this dramatic looking

Theday did end quite happily with a big H2H lunch, with team members filtering intoKham Duc from the pouring cold to find hot rice, beef, pork, and eggs. Withbellies full and bodies done shivering, we agreed that the day had beendifficult but that we had prevailed, and while my fingers are still slightlypruney as I write this, I know that the wet 100+ kilometers that await us inthe morning will be taken in similar stride.

Tom S.

Map for day 14: P'Rao to Thanh My

2012-02-18T01:46:00.001-08:00

&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/embedded/53262534"&amp;gt;H2H Day 14: P&amp;amp;#39;Rao to Thanh My&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/?location=Qu?ng Nam Province"&amp;gt;Find more Bike Ride in Qu?ng Nam Province&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;
Find more Bike Ride in Qu?ng Nam Province

Day 14: P'Roa to Thanh My

2012-02-18T01:08:00.000-08:00

Leaving P'Roa in a blaze of red mist and bad taste at the scamming hotelier who would charge us three times for everything eaten or drank and an extra room un-used we soon stretched it out and got on the smooth winding road to Thanh My. Still with a few climbs that definitely get the quads working hard and employing the traversing method of turning constantly (like skiing...uphill...on a bicycle!) we made it to my personal favourite downhill of the ride so far, all the way into the town of Thanh My.

With views like this it was hard not to keep smiling all day.

The addition of a, albeit trickling, waterfall also gave us a nice rest and paddle, with Phong and Sarah making the most use of the small pool dunking their heads under. Unfortunately Sandra took a spill, big rocks in the middle of the road don't gel well with bicycles, but she's a total trooper and was ok.

The two Tom's and Phong enjoying the pool
So it was a really good day all round I think. The hotel was pretty good in the evening and apart from the misty rain we had a good kickabout in the car park in the afternoon, which almost didn't happen as Quinn (showing his 'magic skills') hoofed the football onto the roof, while some people chilled or found food or relaxed on the comfy beds.

Here's a final picture of me making the most of a conveniently fly-tipped chair atop a pretty steep climb, right before a ridiculously fun downhill stretch all the way into town.

Maps for days 9 to 13

2012-02-17T06:34:00.000-08:00

&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/embedded/53259004"&amp;gt;H2H Day 09: Dong Le to Dong Hoi&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/?location=Tuyên Hóa"&amp;gt;Find more Bike Ride in Tuyên Hóa&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;
Find more Bike Ride in Tuyên Hóa&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/embedded/53259362"&amp;gt;H2H Day 10: Dong Hoi to Cam Lo&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/?location=Qu?ng Bình Province"&amp;gt;Find more Bike Ride in Qu?ng Bình Province&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;
Find more Bike Ride in Qu?ng Bình Province&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/embedded/53259768"&amp;gt;H2H Day 11: Cam Lo to Hue&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/?location=Qu?ng Tr? Province"&amp;gt;Find more Bike Ride in Qu?ng Tr? Province&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;
Find more Bike Ride in Qu?ng Tr? Province&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/embedded/53260676"&amp;gt;H2H Day 12: Hue to A Luoi&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/?location=Th? Thiên-Hu? Province"&amp;gt;Find more Bike Ride in Th? Thiên-Hu? Province&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;
Find more Bike Ride in Th? Thiên-Hu? Province&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/embedded/53261764"&amp;gt;H2H Day 13: A Luoi to P&amp;amp;#39;Rao&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/?location=A L??i"&amp;gt;Find more Bike Ride in A L??i&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;
Find more Bike Ride in A L??i

Day 13: A Luoi to P'Roa

2012-02-16T05:58:00.000-08:00

So after a gruelling day we had another tough day, over 100km with two massive climbs in quick succession. Map my ride showed long periods between the hills but after some mega downhills where unfortunately a chicken perished and a rider fell we were straight back up another steep climb. The heat of the morning was replaced by misty mountain tops as we pushed further up and up through some of the most astounding scenery, with barely any traffic interrupting the ride. A proper experience of a day with testing up hill struggles but beautiful views keeping us going all the way. Trials and tribulations of the previous tough day have almost evaporated and spirits are high, let's see what tomorrow has in store.

Day 12: Hue to A Luoi

2012-02-15T07:47:00.000-08:00

Day 12: Hue to A Luoi

After a well needed rest day in Hue, it was off to our next destination of A Luoi which was 78km away. A few superlatives come to mind when describing today: hottest, hilliest, hardest, longest (time) & most scenic. We knew today we had two big hills to climb and we knew they were going to be hard, but I think it was a shock to most the actual difficulty of it all. It's not a good sign you know you have a 15km hill and your dead tired after the first 200 meters. Your legs are burning, your sweating like you're in a sauna, you reach for your water bottle and realise you have about three sips left. Some people managed to pedal the whole thing, a lot of us had to walk parts. But we all finished! Goal is to walk less tomorrow.

Quinn

H2H Cycling Jerseys!

Best sign of the day

Don't worry parents, it wasn't that dangerous

View from partway up hill 2

Day 9: Dong Le to Dong Hoi

2012-02-14T16:47:00.000-08:00

The sun is beginning to shine!

Granted, it comes in flashes and barely shows itself through the blanket of cloud in the sky, but clearly it's there somewhere. I wouldn't really go so far as to call it "sunny," but maybe "less cloudy" will do.

Day 9 saw Team H2H move closer to Hue with a 100-kilometre ride from Dong Le into Dong Hoi, our second and last beach stay. It was another ride of rice paddies and rivers, cows walking too slow across the road, and children, fickle creatures who are either dying to say hello or plotting ways to separate you from your bicycle at 40km/hr.

Though no one was in danger of getting sunburned, the weather did warm up a bit, and by the time we reached the unsuspecting The Anh Supermarket in Dong Hoi, our spirits were lifted: Day 9 was complete, we'd ridden 700 kilometres to date, and "Dancing Queen," the Abba classic (favourite band of our driver, Mr. Cuong), was playing. So, naturally, we bought fistfuls of fish-shaped ice cream, moved to the parking lot, and announced ourselves to the people of Dong Hoi. If our dance moves were any indication, we blew their minds.

Day 10: Honoring the Dead

2012-02-12T15:50:00.000-08:00

Today was pretty uneventful (though I did almost have a high-speed incident with a cow), and we're all extremely excited to get to Hue tomorrow, since we will be getting our first rest day there. Today's ride was about 100km, from Dong Hoi to Cam Lo. We've now covered 800km since leaving Hanoi!

The most noteworthy event of the day was our visit Nghia Trang Liet Sy Truong Son, a huge cemetery just off of the Ho Chi Minh Highway on our route. This place is an impressive memorial to the dead of the Vietnam War, or the American War, as it's called here. As an American it certainly felt strange to walk through the thousands of headstones, knowing that my country's military was responsible for most of the deaths. I'm glad we took the opportunity to stop hear though, since it put something of a human face on a group of people usually portrayed as murderous lunatics in movies. I'll let my pictures do the talking from here on out:

Now on to Hue, where our abused muscles will get some well-earned rest!

Mike

Day 8 in Pictures

2012-02-11T07:02:00.000-08:00

Rain and snacks

Dana powering up the hill.

The DHL boys showing us how it's done.

Hanneke embracing the soggy weather.

Phong being very useful.

Tom showing us how a real man fixes a bike.

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/53257980"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;H2H Day 08: Huong Khe to Dong Le&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/?location=H??ng Khê"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Cycling Routes / Bike Rides in H??ng Khê&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Day 6's big mistake

2012-02-10T02:57:00.000-08:00

Where we should've gone:

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/54365480"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;H2H Day 06: Do Luong to Pho Chau&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/?location=Nghe An Province"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Cycling Routes / Bike Rides in Nghe An Province&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Where we actually went:

&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/68376196"&amp;gt;H2H Day 06: Do Luong to Pho Chau (long route)&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/?location=?ô L??ng"&amp;gt;Find more Cycling Routes / Bike Rides in ?ô L??ng&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Map of Day 5: Tinh Gia to Do Luong

2012-02-10T02:53:00.001-08:00

H2H Day 05: Tinh Gia to Do Luong
Find more Cycling Routes / Bike Rides in T?nh Gia District

Day 5: Tinh Gia to Do Luong

2012-02-09T07:36:00.001-08:00

According to the bun cha lady outside our hotel, there were a handful of foreigners that passed through Do Luong town in 2010 - a Frenchman, a Brit, and an American, she says - and the way she relays this information suggests that occasions like this seldom occur.Gibson, the dad of the ride (soon to be joined by Dad #2, Sandra's father), and I are sat in her shop, proudly wearing our day- (or 2-day-) old cycling shorts, all knees and elbows in the tiny red chairs. She waits until after we've eaten to inform us of the previous visitors, and then lingers for a while to get a good look at all our oddities: red hair, blue eyes, freckles, impossibly long legs, and smelly, oddly neon sport clothing. The further we get from Hanoi, the more common this reaction has become.

Do Luong

Take the bookshop down the road. When we arrived in town after 92 kilometers of cycling (during which time a friendly competition along Highway 1 resulted in one H2Her receiving a live victory chicken), Gibson and I tiptoed past the market on Do Luong's main drag, braving the mud-slicked streets in search of food. Of course, in a country like Vietnam, it's no surprise that our hunger problem was quickly solved, but what we also found was a bookshop, small and unimposing, dust laid thick on rows of comic books and school supplies. Someone had hatched a brilliant idea, days ago, to use chalk on the road to leave directions for fellow riders (a la Hansel & Gretel) but we had yet to find it. So, treading carefully, we made our way up to the bookstore, where the shopkeeper watched us approaching. At the sight of us, his face nearly split in two. "Hello!" he beamed, getting out of his chair. Five minutes later, we were not only gifted a box of coloured chalk but also invited to tea.

Over the next hour, Gibson and I were encouraged by the shopkeeper's mother to eat all the ginger sweets we could stomach. We were also introduced to his son and daughter, his wife, his sister, and the various school friends that came traipsing through the shop's "back room," also the kitchen. On the wall hung wedding portraits and family photos, the faces of the people in front of us staring down two-fold at their strange guests. I fielded questions about my family, teaching English in Ho Chi Minh City, and why I had yet to marry, and when the teapot and ginger sweets had been exhausted several times over, Mr. Ha appeared.

His suit, gray and stiff, barely moved as he sat down. "Hello," he greeted us. And then, in perfect English, continued, "Where are you from?" The introductions repeated once with Mr. Ha, the local English teacher, and then again when, five minutes later, he insisted that we join him at his house with the 16 students he was currently instructing. Nearly all girls, they took great pleasure in picking apart my social life and taking my phone number, as well as a half-hour's worth of photographs with foreigners. Poor Quan, the only boy, sat in the corner, shying away from the girls who insisted that he measure his height against my father's 6'2 frame.

Mr. Ha's English class

In the end, what began as a quick eat and an innocent wander in town became a 2-hour visit with the locals, whose kindness and generosity still impresses me. Unfortunately, the ginger sweets were gone within 24 hours, as we are hungry cyclists and they were delicious. However the chalk has proven useful, and the 17 or so text messages I've received since Day 5, all wishing me good luck from Mr. Ha's English class in Do Luong, are as much encouragement as anything to keep cycling through the cold, wet, sometimes-longer-than-anticipated stretches of our trip. Despite the fact that, as a team, we do love cycling into bigger towns, which are better equipped to enable our Facebook habits and our multiple dinners a night, sometimes it's nice to be off the beaten path, deprived of Internet and convenience, and quite literally the strangest people in town.

Guard dog at our hotel

Days 6 & 7 - Pho Chau and Huong Khe

2012-02-09T06:17:00.000-08:00

Day 6 was supposed to be an 85km trek from Do Luong to Pho Chau that ended up being considerably longer. We thought we had 20km on Highway 7 and then 65 on the HCM Highway, but as soon as we got onto the highway the first distance marker for Pho Chau said 85km to go. We suddenly had a 105km day on our hands.

The weather was pretty much the same as it has been every single day since leaving Hanoi: overcast and occasionally misty. The road was awesome though; beautifully paved and largely traffic-free. I'm pretty sure I saw more livestock than motor vehicles on this stretch. The scenery was also fantastic, with endless rice paddies, hills, and verdant forests.

After a while I ended up completely alone, even the DHL van was behind me, since I didn't stop for lunch. I got into a rhythm on one of my gears and started cranking out the kilometers. I savored the quiet and the fresh air. There were spans when nothing passed me for 5 or 10 minutes at a time, which was a godsend after spending time on chaotic Highway 1 the previous day.

We were less than 10km from the Laos border at some points

I kept counting down the distance to Pho Chau, making steady progress, until I hit the totally unnecessary hill just a few kilometers outside of town. That was just cruel to tack on after already putting in 105km. I finally reached the town right as all of the students were going back to school, so I ended up riding down the main road with about 5,000 kids all on bicycles staring at me. By the time I found our hotel for the night, my bike computer read 111km traveled that day. Good lord. Distance aside, I actually sort of enjoyed the day (unlike everyone else), since the road was so beautiful and quiet. The rolling hills had made for a nice challenge, and I felt good.

true fact: I saw more piles of buffalo excrement than cars on the highway

Day 7 was far shorter: just 54km, a negligible amount compared to the previous day. We were all very happy about the short distance, and although the skies were still grey it was a nice ride. Joe, Tom S. and I reached Huong Khe in just over 2 hours, and the others soon followed, giving everyone a long time to relax. This is a nice town, with a scenic lake and nicely paved roads, something that can't be said for all of our stops. The ride was mostly uneventful, although Quinn got two flats after having two punctures yesterday, tying me in the lead for overall flats with four. We're now a week into H2H 2012 and have covered about 550km, and nearly everyone has some sort of bump or bruise to prove it, and many of the bikes are in rather poor shape. Morale is high though, and we're all looking forward to our rest day in Hue a few days from now. Onwards!

- Mike

Map of day 4: Quan Lao to Tinh Gia

2012-02-08T22:25:00.001-08:00

H2H Day 04: Quan Lao to Tinh Gia

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Map of day 3: Vi Ban to Quan Lao

2012-02-08T22:24:00.001-08:00

H2H Day 03: Vi Ban to Quan Lao

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Day 3 & 4

2012-02-08T06:51:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delayed blogging, we haven't had the internet everywhere.

Day 3: Vi Ban to Quan Lao (79.15km)
I think it's safe to say everyone was happy to leave Vi Ban. The hotel had stuffed animals, various animals in jars and the rooms had strange stains on the walls where something may have been violently killed at one point. Combined with the lack of good food, we were ready to hit the road. The first 12kms out of town were muddy and bumpy but after we passed that we got our first chance to ride on the Ho Chi Minh Highway, which is quite smooth and good for cycling.

After lunch, we set off again on our way to Quan Lao, passing through many smiling & waving children and farmers. I think the total distance for the day ended up being 85km, different from what we were expecting which is a trend that we've started to notice with mapmyride.com

Morning stretching

A farmer looking after his buffalo

Day 4: Quan Lao to Tinh Gia (68km)

The weather so far hasn't been ideal. It's mostly been grey, cloudy, misty, drizzling and very much lacking any warmth. Today was the first day that brought us our first glimpses of sunshine. It also brought us our first glimpses of Highway 1, the main highway between Hanoi and HCMC. The highway itself is flat and pretty smooth. The lack of scenery and constant horns blaring from trucks, vans and buses can become a boring/irritating.

Much of the motivation for getting to Tinh Gia came from the hopes of a good seafood meal as our guesthouse was right next to the beach. We were not disappointed and we got some much needed nourishment from our seafood feast. We've eaten some pretty flavorless food from the previous day(s) so this was nice to eat something that you actually wanted to eat. After that it was cards, a frisbee game invented by Chris Allen, some football with some local kids and off to bed.

Some delicious prawns

The two time losing team

Hard at work

Who doesn't love a good cart ride?

There will be blog posts about days 5&6 coming shortly!

Quinn Miller

Rider Profiles

2012-02-07T04:58:00.000-08:00

We don't have a profile for Chris Allen because he joined the ride 2 days before the start, but you can read a profile of all of this year's riders here. Simply hover over the picture of the rider to read their profile.

Map of day 2: Hoa Binh to Vi Ban

2012-02-07T04:40:00.000-08:00

H2H Day 02: Hoa Binh to Vi Ban

Find more Cycling Routes / Bike Rides in Hoa Binh Province

Day 2: the worst road in the world.

2012-02-07T04:38:00.000-08:00

Day two of the H2H ride began with a noticeable improvement in weather, which led to many of us actually taking our jackets off and sporting some of the new purchases we'd made in Hoa Binh. As "the most difficult day before Hue" (a direct quote from H2H veteran Chris Rolls), we set out with some trepidation. Within a few minutes riding, we arrived at The Big Hill, and very quickly discovered how successful our training had been. A relative minnow compared to the hills we will tackle later on, but at 5km in length, it was still our biggest challenge so far. But we all dug deep and powered on up the hill, and the trepidation was soon replaced with one of triumph.

We made this hill our bitch.

Phong and Zara discover a great energy food: sticks of sugar cane.

From that point on, it seemed like a fairly straightforward ride. It was relatively flat with smooth roads and scenery like this.

It was all going pretty smoothly, until about 10km from the end, when we were faced with the worst road known to man, and we all suddenly got insanely jealous of Corey and Hanneke with their mountain bikes and suspension. The rest of us were slowed to a crawl as we dodged jagged rocks and puddles of mud, all the time watching out for the huge trucks and loose buffalo. And we nearly managed to get all the way through it without any punctures until Sandra's tyre blew up. We finally made it to Vi Ban, which presumably translates as mud town, and settled down in a hotel that would've made Norman Bates proud.

So that was it. The hardest day before Hue, apparently.

Ride or Die!

2012-02-05T07:02:00.000-08:00

Best of luck, thunderous thighs and happy riding to the 2012 cycling crew. Congrats on finishing day 1! Hopefully you didn't inhale too much smog getting out of Hanoi. All of us H2H veterans are thinking of you guys, wishing we were on the ride with ya'll (well, some of us maybe) and looking forward to following your adventures and progress on the blog. Pedal hard, have fun and don't poop your spandex! Here's some more advice:

1) When you were pondering whether to order a cheeseburger or pizza at Al Fresco's, hopefully you doubled up, ordered a cheeseburger pizza and didn't share. You'll need all the calories.

2) Don't encourage the creepy, sartorial eccentric perv on Day Four too much. He just might put on some soft-core porn for you.

3) At some point on the ride, anything that doesn't have fur, bones or intestines in it will become edible to you.

4) There's never a bad time to have a roadside dance party.

5) Hills build character, as do moldy hotel rooms.

6) Tan lines = H2H greatness.

7) You will victoriously return to HCMC with leg muscles you did not previously have.

Make it happen H2H 2012!!!

Chabigail

Day One of the almighty H2H Charity Ride 2012!!

2012-02-03T07:37:00.000-08:00

Today, we left Hanoi full of anticipation and nerves. Actually that might have been just me. I was bouncing around like an idiot and it seemed to take forever to actually get going. The general feeling from the group was - "I'm cold". Most of us live in tropical Ho Chi Minh City and we couldn't conceive temperatures of 13 degrees and a constant light drizzle when packing for this trip. I have no trousers with me, two light jumpers and a bikini and I'm not the only one. At least we're going south!!

As I said, everybody was feeling the cold a little.

Before setting off it was clear that bike assembly wasn't anyone's strong point. One wheel fell off as the bike was being lifted off the kerb and there was a lot of pausing and tightening of screws and straightening of seats. There was further mishap as the well meaning van drivers chose to wait for us in a less than appropriate spot and caused an incident...

All was smoothed over thanks to the excellent diplomacy skills of Phong Pham.

We were soon on the road again cycling some uneventful highway out of the city. From then on it was fairly smooth sailing, I felt like I was getting into a rhythm of changing music, counting kilometers and trying not to think about how mud was creeping into every orifice (I found mud in my ears at the end of the day). About 3 hours and 40 kilometers later we were suddenly in some really beautiful countryside.

Zara is actually smiling. Epic.

Hunger took over and Zara and myself met the speedy cyclists for some road side hot pot soon after. Lunch was long enough for our muscles to get really tight which made the fairly innocuous hill that followed difficult. Everyone enjoyed the downhills though and despite two punctures and two pedals dropping off (!!) all riders made it through the first day unscathed. I were as muddy as I could be and exhausted and happy to have finished DAY 1. Bring on DAY 2!!! Yeay!!

Jonny in Hoa Binh. All finished!!

PS. My poor dreadlocks were completely caked in mud by the time I got to the hotel and I had to wash them TWICE!! My poor hair hasn't seen this much shampoo in 5 years.

Map of day 1: Hanoi to Hoa Binh

2012-02-03T07:23:00.000-08:00

H2H Day 01: Hanoi to Hoa Binh

Find more Cycling Routes / Bike Rides in ??ng ?

More to follow....

Departure

2012-01-31T08:50:00.000-08:00

The start of H2H 2012 is almost upon us. A few of the 19 riders are already in Hanoi, and the rest of us are flying up tomorrow (Wednesday). On Thursday we will visit the Cat Dang community; which is where some of the donated funds are being funneled to. Then, early Friday morning, it will be time to hit the road.

I'm sure most of us have spent the past two or three days rushing to get everything packed up and ready to go, particularly the cycling gear. By now all of us have our bikes boxed up like this:

These will be stuffed into the cargo bay of a plane and hauled up to Hanoi. Speaking of planes, we have already encountered our first problem: a number of us had an 11:50am flight booked through Jetstar Pacific, and today the airliner contacted us saying the flight would be delayed until 4:30. A few people managed to switch to another earlier flight, while the rest of us are taking the later flight. This sucks a little bit, since we all wanted to re-assemble our bikes right when we got into town, but that could be tricky in the dark. Guess that will be happening on Thursday for some of us...

Other than that issue, I personally could not be more excited for this ride. 2,000km through a simply amazing country, while visiting 24 towns and cities between Hanoi and Saigon. Make sure you bookmark this page, because we hope to update on a daily basis until we finish on the 29th. Hope you enjoy it as much we expect to!

-Mike

P.S. If you haven't already donated, it's not too late!

For those of you in North America visit: http://www.firstgiving.com/childrensinitiative/bikeride

If you live anywhere else visit: https://www.justgiving.com/teams/h2h2012

100% of your donation will go directly towards the charities we are working with.

Nice early (erm late) ride.

2012-01-18T10:43:00.000-08:00

Set out early to avoid the traffic

The bridge from District 4 to District 7

Just a couple of pictures from my first training ride in 3 weeks (been on holiday). It wasn't pretty. I would say I got up early, but in reality, stayed up very late would be a better description. This was with the expectation of less traffic, something which was duly shattered within about 2 minutes. Riding with no sleep is never the best idea, but even less so when you're out of practice, and a low point involved me being overtaken by a fat man on a mountain bike. On a positive note, it was a first run out for my new padded shorts.

Joe

H2H FAQ

2012-01-18T02:30:00.000-08:00

With H2H's start date rapidly approaching, I figured I'd take a moment to answer a few questions I'm sure every one of us that is participating has heard multiple times. Hopefully this post will serve as a useful primer for family and friends that are wondering what on earth it is that we're doing. Check out the previous post for a very helpful look at our route.

1) Where are you riding from? We are starting in Hanoi, Vietnam's capital, and finishing in Ho Chi Minh City, the country's largest city. That is nearly 1,200km (2,000 miles).

2) How long will it take? We roll out of Hanoi on February 3, and arrive in HCMC on February 29.

3) Are you camping along the way, or what? Where will you sleep? No, we're not camping. We will stop in 24 towns and cities (all of their names are in the previous post) - we have rest days in Hue and Buon Ma Thuot, but in all of the others we will just spend one night. At hotels, to be specific. The majority of these places are very small - in fact only a handful are even in the Lonely Planet: Vietnam book, so suffice to say we will be well off the usual tourist path.

4) Are you insane? Yes.

5) How will you know where to go? One of the wonderful things about rural Vietnam (which we will be seeing a lot of) is that there aren't many roads. Therefore, it's hard to get lost. You often have only one road to choose from, so even a blind person shouldn't have too much trouble. If a road forks or there is an intersection, there will (probably) be a sign saying which town is which way.

6) Do you have to pay for your food and lodging? Yes we do, but that shouldn't be too expensive. That's one of the reasons we can say all of your donations will be going straight to the charities! (Don't forget to donate, links to the fundraising pages are on the right.)

7) Have you been training a lot for the ride? I'm only speaking for myself here but, ummm, no...

8) How many people are riding? As of right now there are 18 brave souls set to tackle the length of Vietnam.

9) What will you do with your stuff? Do you have to carry it on your bike? Nope! There will be two vans following us, so we can chuck all of our clothes and whatnot into the back of them. They will also have some bike-related equipment in them as well.

10) What if you really have to take a poo and you're nowhere near a town? Ok, I haven't actually gotten this question from anyone, but let's be honest...it's gonna happen. Fortunately, public defecation, particularly in the countryside, is totally kosher here. The rice farmers may even appreciate the fertilizer.

11) What if you get a flat tire? In theory we will all buy our own puncture repair kits, but I haven't gotten around to that yet. We had a helpful bike maintenance class a week ago, so we all sort of know how to change a flat once we actually get kits. How easy it will be to change a flat with honking trucks and buses roaring by may be another story...

12) How sexy will you look when you finish? Once we all take a shower, I assume all of us will be simply irresistible. As if we're not already.

Hope that helps, if you have any other questions, ask us!

- Mike

The Route

2012-01-15T16:10:00.000-08:00

Attention worried mothers everywhere! You can now know exactly where your son or daughter is at any stage of the ride thanks to this handy 25 part map of our route. Just click on the links below for full virtual maps of each stage. For cycling geeks, there is also information about distance and gradient, and if we have time, we might even try to fill in some of the other details as we go along (although I can't promise anything).

1. Hanoi to Hoa Binh (72.12 km)

2. Hoa Binh to Vi Ban (59.28 km)

3. Vi Ban to Quan Lao (79.15 km)

4. Quan Lao to Tinh Gia (68.17 km)

5. Tinh Gia to Do Luong (92.23 km)

6. Do Luong to Pho Chau (86.11 km)

7. Pho Chau to Hoang Khe (53.83 km)

8. Hoang Khe to Dong Le (52.96 km)

9. Dong Le to Dong Hoi (91.85 km)

10. Dong Hoi to Cam Lo (99.1km)

11. Cam Lo to Hue (77.91 km)

12. Hue to A Luoi (72.7 km)

13. A Luoi to P'Rao (105.19 km)

14. P'Rao to Thanh My (50.97 km)

15. Thanh My to Kham Duc (57.37 km)

16. Kham Duc to Plei Can (103.75)

17. Plei Can to Kon Tum (60.72 km)

18. Kon Tum to Pleiku (48.73 km)

19. Pleiku to Ea Drang (100.19 km)

20. Ea Drang to Buon Ma Thuot (76.49 km)

21. Buon Ma Thuot to Lien Son (48.96 km)

22. Lien Son to Lam Ha (100.38 km)

23. Lam Ha to Bao Loc (108.32 km)

24. Bao Loc to Dinh Quan (68.99 km)

25. Dinh Quan to HCMC (109.26 km)

Full Route (1938.5 km)

Joe.

H2H Fiesta Night

2012-01-12T20:26:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

I think most foreigners living in Vietnam would agree, Ho Chi Minh City is definitely NOT a great place to buy good Mexican food. It is not abundant, cheap and good like it is at home. It has always been my favorite type of food and something that I hold near and dear to my heart, so I thought I would cook up some Mexican food and invite H2H riders and some other friends over to my house for dinner. I'd like to thank everyone that attended our H2H fiesta night at my house. It was a lot of fun and a good team bonding experience. I don't have too much to say so let's get down to the pictures.

Shredded pork tacos in a roasted red pepper sauce and black beans.

Chris, Zara & Quinn discussing something very important

Although not a rider herself, Fran is enjoying a taco

H2H riders Tin, Johnny, Tom Oxley & Sandra

Again, thanks for coming!

Quinn Miller

A blog of firsts.

2012-01-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

Having allowed Joe and Mike to carry the heavy burden of blogging for the whole team for quite some time, I’ve decided that it’s time for me to throw my blogging cap in to the ring. I’d like to start by wishing everyone a happy and successful 2012. Welcome to the first blog of 2012 from the H2H team and my first blog ever. Pad your saddles – this could get bumpy.

I’ll be honest – right now, me being able to cycle 2000 kilometres from Hanoi through the mountains of Vietnam to finish up in Ho Chi Minh after 25 days (plus two rest days) seems as unlikely as my internet connection working well, or my favourite noodle lady wearing mismatched pyjamas. However, despite my warped sense of reality, my one-way flight is booked, I’m training twice a week, very abrupt tan lines have developed on my legs and thanks to the tropical climate, I have an incurable addiction to fresh coconuts. And I’m raising money for the best cause I’ve found in the world; promoting education and the creation of opportunities for disadvantaged young people. As one H2H team mate said – This is actually happening!!

Through training week in and out, I’ve become remarkably multi-functional on the back of my bike and I have perfected the art of cycling and drinking from my water bottle / taking photos with my camera / changing the track on my MP3 Player. However I’ve got nothing on this guy – texting, pushing a bicycle, having a chat and driving a motorbike!! They both made time to wave as they zoomed by, the driver scoffing at my lack of obliging motorised “helper”, only for me to catch up 2 minutes later and snap this shot of them from behind!! Sounds like a story….. something about a tortoise and a hare….. hmmm…. anyway.

(Disclaimer – as unofficial Health and Safety assistant of the H2H Team 2012, I would like to officially state that it’s probably a bad idea to do anything on the back of a bike that is not either, peddling, sitting and looking where you’re going. That’s quite enough to be getting on with, in Vietnam or anywhere in the world.)

If you would like to see more of Ho Chi Minh City’s traffic wonderment check out Rob Whitworth’s time lapse creation – if you haven’t already, it was all over Facebook not long ago. Oh look!! First H2H blog post faux pas – quick now watch the AMAZING H2H PROMOTIONAL VIDEO as created by Jeff Matsumoto (an all-round superstar) of H2H team 2010!! Go Now!!! And PLEASE DONATE!!

I'll leave you with a (training) day in the life of Team H2H 2012 to finish. I genuinely love cycling through Vietnam even before I did it on a racing bike, and even though all I’ve seen is this tiny portion of country sticking out of District 7!! There’s always some encouraging smiles from passers by and shouts of “Hello!” and “Very good!” and if you’re lucky some gently mocking hand gestures which imply – “come on, too slow!!” What makes it even better is that there is a higher purpose to our peddling, a mission for our motivation, benefit behind the butt ache.

Quinn - on a bike, looking happy.

Zara - on a bike, looking well tanned.

Break time - coconuts!!!

Ice!!

Time to go.

Almost home....

A lake, and some trees, in Vietnam

Thanks for reading. See you later. This has been fun. Hope you enjoyed it too. Sandra :)

Project Visit: Thang Long Vocational School

2011-12-18T21:12:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, we went on our first group visit to one of the projects here in HCMC. Thang Long Vocational School is an SCC project in District 4 and mainly serves children living in the same district. As the name suggests, it offers a variety of vocational courses for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

We arrived at about 10:30 after a brief diversion caused by Chris' excellent sense of direction. We were greeted by Ms Oanh, the headteacher, and were given a quick introduction in the library. There were two classes being taught during our visit: an English class and a beauty therapy class. We quickly split into two groups, with one group being grilled in English by an eager bunch of students, and the other enjoying half-an-hour of being prodded, pulled and painted by the beauty therapy team. The students were keen to show off their skills, and impressive they were too. Particularly good were the nail technicians (had to look that one up on Wikipedia). I could never get the hang of model painting when I was younger, so I'll always be full of admiration of anyone who can paint a detailed Xmas tree, complete with star, baubles and glittery presents in a space less than 1cm across. It's not surprising that this course is the most successful in the school, with over 90% of students gaining paid employment after the year-long training.

The one thing that stood out from our visit, I think, was the attitude of the students. The teachers among us generally teach students for whom school is sometimes a bit of a chore. Getting teenagers motivated can be a bit of a challenge at times, yet for the teachers at Thang Long, there's none of this. The students seemed really grateful for the opportunity that the school offers them, and are willing to give it their best. I'm sure there are other challenges that are unique to this group of students, but the attitude of the students isn't one of them.

Anyway, enough of me waffling on. I know what you really come here for is the pictures.

Joe.

Thang Long Vocational School

Chris meets the head teacher, Ms Oanh.

Joe is interviewed by students in English class.

Tin and Anna enjoy a head massage.

Sarah gets a hair cut.

Sandra gets her nails done.

Anna gets......something done to her hair.

The students practising on their classmate.

The Ride from Hell

2011-11-29T07:57:00.000-08:00

I haven't been on a training ride for H2H in almost month, since I accepted a job offer that requires me to be in an office from 9 am to noon every weekday. I've missed these rides, so today I mustered up the initiative to go for an afternoon cycle on my own. The weather looked fine, traffic was fairly quiet, and I felt energetic.

Everything was going well until I got to the end of one of the first bridges on our usual route on the Nguyen Van Linh Parkway. I rode through a patch of gravel, and heard a disconcerting "pop". I was sure that my front tire had been punctured, but the tire looked OK after a couple hundred meters, so I decided to continue on.

I had a humorous interaction with a local who pulled up next to me on a motorbike, and then I noticed that it was becoming increasingly hard to pedal. It had been a while since I last rode, but I shouldn't have been THIS out of shape...

After another few kilometers I noticed that the front tire was, indeed flat, and I haven't bought any patching equipment or a pump. Fantastic. Way out in District 7 is possibly the worst place in the city to be stranded and in need of a taxi. I turned around at the next intersection and began laboring my way back towards the city, intending to hail a cab once I got back onto the road leading up to District 3.

I made it into District 4 completely exhausted, and stopped at a corner to grab a taxi. However, the first six or seven that drove past were occupied. A dark band of storm clouds was draped across the city, but I decided to screw the taxis, I'd just ride the rest of the way myself!

On Nguyen Van Cu, five minutes from my house, the skies opened in a torrential downpour. I've lived here long enough to know that the weather can change quickly, but I was surprised by how rapidly the huge storm had built up. I made it back to my house utterly drenched, thanks to some of the hardest rain I've seen here, and wiped out from pedaling my one-wheeled bike. Here's hoping my next ride will be less eventful...

Mike

Fundraising is a go!

2011-11-05T01:52:00.000-07:00

H2H's spiffy new website is up and running (http://www.h2hcharityride.org/), meaning that we can now get started on fundraising for the 2012 ride! WOOHOO!!!! Each H2H participant has pledged to raise at least 750 USD for the charities we support, but I'm sure we all hope to raise far more than that. Here's a detailed rundown of where donations will go:

Saigon Children’s Charity www.saigonchidren.com

SCC was founded to help disadvantaged Vietnamese children to get an education and a fairer start in life. Its key activities include educational scholarships, building schools, vocational training and working with other like-minded organizations. Its area of operation is in the south of Vietnam, around HCMC, the Mekong Delta and extending to the Cambodian border.

The 2012 H2H funds will support the following:

- Thang Long Vocational School, HCMC, is run by SCC in partnership with the local Government and currently has around 300 children between the ages of 12 and 19 who either cannot or do not attend mainstream public school and are directly affected by poverty. H2H funds will be supporting this vital ongoing work, creating opportunities, choices and brighter futures.

- School scholarship urgent support fund. SCC currently enables around 3000 children to have access to school by providing the resources they need for themselves and their families. The urgent support fund provides extra support to the poorest of these children in the event of a crisis or special need. The funds will support school materials, bicycles to get to school, family provisions, uniforms, reading glasses, wheelchairs, extra tuition, whatever is needed to ensure they can maintain their schooling and learn to their full potential.

The Children’s Initiative www.childrensinitiative.org

The Children’s Initiative is dedicated to improving the lives of children in Vietnam through strategic, long-term investments in community-based projects and programs. TCI works in partnership with local communities to help them realize their aspirations for their children. Its area of operation is in the north of Vietnam, based around Catdang village near Hanoi.

Funds donated to TCI will be funneled towards the following:

- Catdang community kindergarden project. The construction of a new kindergarden facility to enable all under 5’s in Catdang community to learn in a safe, well equipped, child-friendly environment.

- Catdang community family micro credit project. TCI empowers families with small business loans of $250 combined with training and support, e.g. a piggery or bamboo cutting machines. These target parents of the poorest students at the school. The positive impact on household incomes has particular benefits on health and education for the women and children within the families.

- Catdang community library project. Completion of the library project that H2H has been funding for 2 years, serving 800 students in the community. This will go towards more books, audio-visual equipment, DVD’s, shelving and storage as well as a librarian stipend. In Catdang, $50 can buy 25 books, 1 month’s pay for a librarian or a 1-year scholarship for a student.

ILACN www.discovereltvietnam.com/page.php?p=197

The ILA Community Network (ILACN) aims to make a real difference to the lives of disadvantaged children in the communities in which ILA operates, in and around HCMC.

The 2012 H2H funds will mainly support the following:

- Go Vap Orphanage Khiem Thi project

Go Vap orphanage cares for over 200 orphaned children, mainly with disabilities. The Khiem Thi facility provides specialist care and training for visually impaired children at the orphanage. Funds will support equipment such as tables, chairs, beds and mats, the specialist staff required, massage training for the children as an income generating skill as well as therapy and enable necessary hospital visits for the children.

The remaining funds will be used for essential needs at the other ILACN-supported centres:

- Green Bamboo Shelter (ex-street boys aged 8 – 16)

- Ung Buou Cancer Hospital (Children’s ward, 150+ patients)

- Little Rose Warm Shelter (vulnerable girls, aged 11 – 18)

- Bung Sang Shelter for the visually impaired

ILACN supports the centres through regular trips out, teaching English, funding essential equipment, improvements and repairs, projects that improve the environments and prospects of disadvantaged children, enabling access to education and vocational training, raise awareness both in Vietnam and overseas.

Pretty impressive, no? Now, what can you do to help us meet our goals, while helping some of Vietnam's poorest children? If you're in the U.S. or Canada, you can make a donation through my Firstgiving page, where all transactions are 100% secure: http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/michaeltatarski/bikeride.

If you're anywhere else in the world, visit my Justgiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/Michael-Tatarski. Residents of the UK can even get a tax break for donating through Justgiving.

This is H2H's third year, and we're trying to make it the biggest yet in terms of fundraising. Please be an awesome person and go ahead and donate. Every little bit counts!

Happy riding,

Mike

Random act of kindness

2011-10-27T18:42:00.000-07:00

Some run into burning buildings. Some go to war to protect their country. Others are heroes in a much more modest way. Let me set the scene...

We've just arrived at our usual morning meeting point, and have sat down with a drink. The black car on the left has just crashed into the truck in front. Pretty textbook case of someone following too closely and ending up up the arse of the vehicle in front. For reasons only known to himself, he seems to blame the truck driver for this, and even more bizarrely, the truck driver agrees. Money is exchanged, and the car driver goes off to fix the slight dent in his bonnet. Its worth pointing out that during this entire 5 to 10 minute exchange, it doesn't cross either of them to move their vehicles out of the middle of one of the busiest roundabouts in the city. All the while, a mysterious woman on a Vespa is looking on.

At this point, it becomes apparent that the truck has broken down, and Vespa woman suddenly springs into action, walking into the middle of the road to help the driver push the truck. After a while, it's obvious that the two of them aren't going to shift this thing by themselves, so we go across to give them a hand (after spending a little while laughing at them trying, of course). Thanks to a magnificent team effort, the truck is at the side of the road in no time. Like I said, we're all heroes in our own way......but I don't say anything.

Joe

Back in the Saddle

2011-10-20T04:33:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since something was posted here, so it's time to bring things back to life. For those of you who don't know what H2H is, a quick intro: H2H stands for Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, which is the lengthy route a number of cyclists will ride in February. That's 2000 km (or 1,200 miles for our American friends), all by pedal power. The object is to raise money for a number of local charities, and obviously give participants the opportunity to see parts of Vietnam few (if any) tourists will ever see.

Preparations for the 2012 H2H ride are well underway, with 14 riders registered so far, and fundraising set to begin soon. A few weeks ago, several of us started our training regime, which consists of twice-weekly rides on the Nguyen Van Linh Parkway, out in District 7. Fortunately, this route is mostly pancake-flat, which allows those of us that haven't ridden a bike in a while (guilty) to gently ease back into things. This flatness may come back to haunt us when we're dealing with the steep Central Highlands come next year, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

These training rides have been a good way to start building camaraderie, and they also give us a chance to get out of Saigon's endless urban sprawl for a little bit. (Although we still can't escape honking trucks and exhaust fumes.) A few kilometers down the parkway, all of the apartment buildings disappear, and all that's left are fish farms, rice paddies, palm groves, and simple shacks on the side of the road. A far cry from the usual insane traffic congestion and dense concentration of buildings in the inner city.

Much more enjoyable than Hai Ba Trung at rush hour

These rides aren't too long, so we still have a ways to go before we'll be ready to tackle daily 70-100 km rides in February, but it's a good start for now. Keep an eye on this page for more in the near future.

Mike Tatarski

H2H 2010 - Reflections

2010-12-18T03:04:00.000-08:00

27 days, 2100km (or thereabouts), 20 amazing riders, 2 trusty support drivers, a tropical storm, countless punctures, the arduous Central Highlands, the majestic Ho Chi Minh Highway and finally the Reunification Palace to be greeted by Saigon friends armed with beer and pizza – fantastic!

If you’re reading this as an H2H 2010 supporter – A HUGE THANK YOU, you helped us raise over $40,000 gross for children’s charities in Vietnam, the whole point of doing the ride. This will make a big difference in places like Catdang village, supported by The Children’s Initiative.

If you’re reading this as a potential 2011 rider, PLEASE DO IT! You’ll make friends and memories to last a lifetime, you’ll see a whole different side of beautiful Vietnam and once the pain has subsided you’ll have calf muscles and tan lines to be proud of! It’s a unique experience. A time for some brief reflections, measured against my initial expectations:

1. The Cause. Over $40,000 gross raised – wow! Massive thanks to all our families and friends and to The Children’s Initiative (TCI), Vasco’s and Boston’s for their support. The bulk of the money is supporting education, health and income generating projects in Catdang Village, a large, poor, rural community in Northern Vietnam working with TCI. The H2H team spent time in the secondary school there and meeting community leaders before we set off. The children signed ‘Friendship Ribbons’ which we tied to our bikes, reminding us why we were doing this, especially on the big hills! The remaining funds will be assigned to other local children’s charities, pending a final team decision, now we know the amounts available. Again – thanks, it makes it all worthwhile.

2. The Real Vietnam. I’ve spent a year teaching in Ho Chi Minh City with ILA, which has been a great experience. But in many ways HCMC is like a lot of urban centres around the world – traffic, noise, people, commerce etc. It’s certainly a world apart from how the majority of this rural population, where 80% are involved in rice production, live out their lives. I now feel like I’ve seen ‘The real Vietnam’ and certainly parts that tourists just don’t get to visit. We spent a lot of time on the majestic Ho Chi Minh Highway, part of the former Ho Chi Minh Trail (a key supply route for the Northern army during the Vietnam War). This was intentionally routed off the beaten track and now provides a stunning journey through the heart of the country. Physically, Vietnam is spectacular. I learnt more about rural life too, seeing rice, bananas, coffee, rubber plants, sugarcane etc being grown and everyday we were greeted by smiles and waves, bemused curiosity and kind hospitality by the locals. We spent some lovely evenings in quiet villages, playing football and badminton and sharing meals, drinks and stories with new friends, all good for my fledgling Vietnamese! I feel like a know Vietnam a lot better now and appreciate it even more.

3. The Physical Challenge. On an average day, we stretched as a team at 8am, set off at 8.30 and would arrive at our next location between 1 and 2pm. We’d then find a hotel, (sometimes two), wash, rest, eat and explore the community before meeting as a team in the evening. We’d cover about 80km a day overall but this ranged from 50km – 120km a day, depending on good places to stop. The terrain also makes a big difference. On the flat, you could cover 25km in an hour, up hill (and we hit some monster 20km hills!) this dropped to 10km. Some days we were in by 12pm, some days by 5pm! For the record, I found the hardest days day 2 (first big hill!), days 13, 14, 17 (central highlands) and day 24 (2 huge hills). You do need to train well, be physically fit and mentally determined, and there will be days when everything aches and you don’t want to get out of bed, but it is a manageable challenge and the team, the cause, the scenery and all the waving kids just carry you along. And you feel superfit by the end of it, a great feeling! Plus there are 2 rest days thrown in as well – day 12 (Hue) and 22 (Buon Ma Thuot), very welcome!

4. The Team. You can’t plan for it but they way our team fitted together and complimented each other was fantastic. Everyone played their part. For example, Chet and Abigail (AKA ChAbigail) took on the leadership and organizing role, Jess L did a lot of fundraising and logistics work before we left, Jeff and Phong made a documentary during the ride, Liz sorted the hotel finances, Sasha led a team stretch each day, Colin was our bike wizard, Phong did a lot of translation work, Luke and Jeff kept the jokes flowing, Pierre had a unique dress sense, I could go on…! Every night we had a ‘sexy time’ award with a rotating trophy for a different team member for standing out in some way. Every night we had a ‘cultural slot’ where someone would lead a game / story / activity etc for the group. And every night we had a meeting to review and plan. No niggles, just great team spirit throughout and friends for life – beautiful!

My advice to anyone doing this – take your time, it’s not a race. Stop for photos, waterfalls, school kids, coconut juice, war memorials, enjoy the rich culture and the stunning scenery, that’s what you remember. Thanks H2H, unforgettable!

- Chris ‘everything aches’ Rolls www.h2hcharityride.org

We did it!!!

2010-12-02T06:44:00.001-08:00

Victory poses at the finish line!

Reaching the finish line felt every bit as accomplishing this year especially because we faced more adversity in the form of bad weather and the natural difficulties of having a larger group. We were met by a couple dozen friends and supporters at the Reunification Palace as we road the last few blocks from the zoo down Le Duan and into the palace gates.

The last day was 115 kilometers of inhaling smog and surviving amidst the traffic. But just as we managed for the 26 other days of the ride, every one road safely and made it within the city in one piece. Last year we had a handful of incidents where riders collided with other vehicles or people and ended up hitting the pavement. This year: zero! We were very fortunate and the lack of incidents is a massive testament to the skill and vigilance of this year's riders. Very impressive.

The last couple days we've had a party or two, recounting stories from the ride, celebrating and sadly, saying goodbye. Four riders have already left the country and by next week less than half of our group of 20 will remain. We'll always have the ride to reminisce about and H2H to hold us together. Hopefully, we'll rendezvous somewhere around the world once again. I'm so proud of this group and what we've achieved. All the perseverance, positive attitudes and can-do spirit paid off. We may be 20 individuals but we could only succeed as 1 team. Thanks to everyone who supported H2H 2010!!!

-Chet

All of these pictures were taken by Claire Camplisson. Thanks Claire :))

Sweet, sweet tan lines.

Chet and Jess L

Phong

Luke

Adam and Ross

Pierre, the best dressed.

Makin' it Happen

2010-12-01T16:47:00.000-08:00

Day 25….. the hardest day of the trip. Going into this day we knew it was long, we knew it was going to be hilly, but we had no idea what really was lurking ahead. My partner and I set off and we were pleasantly surprised by the tough, but manageable terrain. Every climb was rewarded with a descent. We reached one climb (653 meters ) but slowly and steadily we were able to make it up. By 11am, we were 40k in and stopped for a drink with some other riders. We all felt good about the pace and what lay ahead. We carried on along the road that was so bumpy my hands ached from gripping my handle bars so tightly. Just after 1pm we were 50k out and we stopped for lunch. As I was about to dig into my tofu and rice my phone rang. I asked Chet how things were going, and he cheerfully replied “I am climbing a mountain.” My stomach dropped as I did not see that coming. We learned it was a 10k climb, and it was just ahead. We budgeted our time, stuffed our faces and set off. The road was bad and the climb was long, but we trudged along keeping in mind we had to stay on pace if we were to make it before dark. Finally the climb ended!!! We had done it and had plenty of time to make it to town before dark. Once I got cell service I called Chet to let him know we would be in soon. Next, some shocking news…We had made it up the first mountain, but there was another just ahead. It was 4pm, and there was no way we would make it before dark. As we began the second climb, we realized we needed to get creative. A silver van stuffed with luggage and Vietnamese men zipped by and shouted “Hello!” out the window. We waived our hands and signaled the van to stop. “Nam(5) Kilometers” I said as we pointed up the mountain….. We agreed to give them 50,0000 dong (less than $3) for the ride as they tossed our bikes in the back and us in the front. The men whipped out there phones as a photo frenzy began. Luckily, the men didn’t seem to speak any English so we were not bombarded with the typical questions. After less than ten minutes in the van we reached the summit and saw an incredible descent. We stopped the vehicle and hopped out. I felt bad about not making it up the mountain on my bike, but I was doing what had to get done! It was certainly an adventure and very Vietnamese of us. We swiftly hoped back in the saddle and sped down the mountain in the cool air as the sun was setting, We coasted and pedaled for ages in a race with the sun, but the town was not appearing and time was running out. Then finally a keystone, 2k away! The road had turned to gravel at this point and the sun had set but we were almost there and nothing could stop us until……….POP flat tire! Tired, dark, rocky road, and flat tire we walked the remaining 2k and were finally greeted with smiles and hugs by our teammates. Determination, creativity, teamwork and adventure is what H2H is all about!

-Abigail

This is how we do.

2010-11-28T00:47:00.000-08:00

“Expect the best, plan for the worst, and prepare to be surprised."

Such an appropriate thought for the last few days of riding. All we can do at this point is prepare to be surprised because nothing is going exactly as we've planned.

Two days ago we expected 100K of long rolling hills, difficult yes, but nothing we hadn't been doing already. What we got was the longest, most challenging day of the ride. Two major stretches of incline and some of the most crap-tastic roads I've ever seen. The word "road" is seriously generous. "Path of pain" is far more appropriate. A less than pleasant surprise.
Today we were expecting a slightly shorter but hot 90K and hoping for some nice downhillls to balance out all of these inclines. What we got was the most refreshing, exhilarating and loooong descent of the ride early in the morning and only 70K total for the day. We could pick up some nice speed on the flats which I have definitely been missing with all of these slow mountainous roads. The weather was perfect, cool for most of the day and we made it to Dinh Quan just as the rain rolled in. An amazing surprise of a day.
Everyday we think we know what we're getting into but Vietnam usually has other ideas. Some days the surprises were tough and threw us for a loop, and some days we embraced the surprises and laughed at our morning moaning about what we thought would come. This trip has definitely reminded me that expectations are not always reality and that you should never forget to factor surprise into your plans. I'm so impressed with everyone's ability to take each day as it comes and celebrate our success in the good and in the bad.
Here's to a job well (almost) done and the joy of rolling with the punches (or in our case giant mountains)!

-Liz

forbiddance of disregarding

2010-11-27T23:26:00.000-08:00

Hello everybody,

So the trip is coming to a close, but i wanted to leave you people with something special.

You should have headphones for this blog so get those now if you don't have them near by.

Anybody who knows what theme this blog is going for (hint: it came from the 80's) write your answer in the comments section. If you're right you win the h2h home game :-)

Now, click on the link below before you read on to get the full affect

click here

Enjoy
*************************************************************************************

Dear Mr/Mrs (insert name) : We accept that fact that we had to bike for one whole month. People will see us as they want to see us: in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is

-a leader
-a cheerleader
-a giggler
-a caretaker
-a romantic
-a supporter
-a motivator
-a mechanic
-a photographer
-a comedian
-a model for spandex
-a brain
-a basket case
-an organizer
-a writer
-an athlete
-a diplomat
-a linguist
-a teacher

Sincerely yours, The H2H Club.

187k from Saigon

2010-11-27T02:49:00.001-08:00

Peeeeeeeeeeeeaaaace!

Porch goats.

The road shrinks pretty quickly when trucks drive in "your" lane.

Hitch hikers?

Very Vietnam.

One of the many road obstacles we encounter.

Yes We Can

2010-11-26T23:53:00.000-08:00

Twenty-five days down and just two rides to go! After months of anticipation and preparation, November has flown by. The past ten days have been mentally, emotionally, and physically draining. I have never taken on a physical challenge like this, and i was very curious as to how i would react. I shocked myself with my super negative attitude when we reached the mountains. (typically i am very optimistic and cheery) I began each day resolved to the idea that i was not going to be able to finish. Every time i saw a hill i thought i wouldn't make it up. I constantly prayed for flat terrain, and I cursed each time a hill popped into sight. I formulated schemes in my mind that would in some way get me out of my saddle. A few days ago i realized that i have made it up every hill, completed every day, and i never stopped pedaling until the very end. Recognizing this, my addittude immediately took on a much more positive appearance. I stopped cringing at the sight of a climb, and i stopped whining about the constant up and down and up and down. This new attitude has made cycling so much more enjoyable (although i still hate hills). I am proud I was able to ditch my defeatist attitude and exchange it fora tougher more hopeful spirit which suits me much better. This is one of many things i can take away from H2H and carry onto future experiences.

-abigail

Still a ways to go

2010-11-26T04:42:00.000-08:00

I agree with Sasha...WHEW. What a day! After a relaxing day reaching Lak and hanging out in our longhouse (with a rat as company), we set out for a 100-plus kilometer ride to Lam Ha. While the mountains may not have been as steep as other days, they were just as long. I'd done my best to prepare the group for today's difficult ride, but my memory isn't quite what I hoped. All of the rides seem to blend together a bit and only after I begin a ride do certain turns and sights trigger what's to come next. That was certainly the case with today.
The day began with moderate difficulty; descents balancing out the ascents. After a devestating climb on a washboard road riders thought they'd made it through the worst of it...only to discover one more massive uphill awaiting them. Fortunately the final 20 kilometers were one of the best downhills we've had thus far. Tomorrow we should have some more nice downhill (IF my memory serves me right!). We all made it by dark with a little help from the vans.
We're so close, but still so far. Three days and about 300 kilometers to go.
-Chet

Oh my...

2010-11-26T02:32:00.000-08:00

WHEW. What a day! Finally made it to Lam Ha. Can't believe I chose to write a blog post on this day of all days because.. well.. it was the longest and hardest day for me BY FAR. Yesterday we stayed at the lovely Lak Resort by the lake where we celebrated Thanksgiving with fun by the pool and lots of food at the restaurant on the lake. The evening ended with a group sleepover in a longhouse, adorable. Then the journey began this morning. We knew it was a long day- however we predicted a 102km ride when it was in fact 116km. And we knew it would be "hilly".. we did not know there would be 3 GIANT HILLS (aka mountains) that would kick our butt. I must say I was impressed with the groups toughness- highway 27 was our route the whole time and for certain 5km stretches at a time I don't think the road had been paved for years and years so you were basically shaking up and down as you tried to either pedal up a hill or slow your bike going down. Miracously the group I was with (Jeff, Pierre, Adam, Chris, Dave, Ross and Jess L) didn't have a single puncture today. And thank god for that because it would have made a long day even longer. There was one unbelievably joyous moment as we had been ascending up a 7km mountain for about an hour when we finally turned the corner and for ONCE it wasn't more uphill, but in fact flat.. and in the distance a mirage of a little hut with hammocks and drinks appeared. We collapsed and ran at this poor woman begging for coke and glasses of ice. I proceeded to make the mistake of getting on the hammock because Jeffrey pretty much had to threaten pushing me off for me to move.
This trip is made by the people who you ride with and in honor of thanksgiving that is what I am most thankful for. It felt amazing to have a big group of us all catching each other every kilometer or so because they allowed me to enjoy it more. They'd stop for pictures and it would force to remember that I want to capture these amazing mountain views of the jungle or lakes. Or they'd stop halfway up a hill JUST when I thought I was going to die and hearing their venting made me feel better because I didn't feel alone or discouraged, I felt better knowing we're all in the same boat- completely exhausted but so happy to be doing this crazy journey.
That's all my hands can type for now.. there was an amazing 10km of downhill after the last mountain right before the town however the road conditions and the steepness meant 10km of squeezing my breaks. I have what we affectionately refer to on this trip as "the claw". It's not easy to move my fingers right now...
Home in 3 days :)

-Sasha

Too tired to think

2010-11-22T01:32:00.000-08:00

I embarked on this journey with a mental image of wistful cycle rides through attractive (flat?) Vietnamese countryside. Indeed, perhaps an opportunity reflect on lifes riddles in this mystical country and of course time to reminisce with my brother on previous joint escapades; he now being based in Vietnam and me in the UK.

HOW WRONG CAN YOU BE! I will save repeating the issues of the last few days that my ‘comrades’ have shared. However, phrases such as character building and challenging come to mind. The distance, climatic conditions have definitely ensured that I have been, in that immortal Rolls phrase, ‘Too tired to think‘!

However, fortunately, I have been the proud owner of new ‘go faster’ legs. As a pre trip fundraiser, somewhat against my better judgement, I was persuaded (you know who you are!) to have my legs waxed as per the elite (yea right!) cyclist. Anyway, rain, wind or shine they have simply cut through whatever the weather conditions could throw at us; though of course all the ‘men’ have grown beards for Movember.

Saying all of that it has just been a simply awesome ride so far as we pedal, or push, our way though the very heart of this amazing country, greeted with friendly smiles and waves all the way.

Many many thanks again for everyone who supported us, whether it was by training rides (wet or dry, day or night), fund raising flap jack production, donations of resources (from cycle bells to energy gels) and most importantly, apart from perhaps the sponsorship, the encouragement to ‘go forth and pedal’.

Take care, and many thanks for taking the time to follow our journey whoever, wherever, whatever you are.

David (from Devon)

One more week

2010-11-20T21:51:00.000-08:00

Today ends stage 3 of our ride. Next week marks the beginning of the end for us H2H'er's: some of us will be flying home to start something new; some of us will return to hometowns to re-discover their past with new (hopefully opened) eyes; and some of us will return to Ho Chi Minh to continue their living and working lives - again, hopefully with a new found appreciation for this country.

I am of the tertiary group.

Through this coming week I'll think about the changing scenery of Vietnam. And not just the landscape of this country, but each cities unique character and culture.

Leaving Hanoi and it's surrounding towns with their hold on perserving the traditional culture, yet mixing it with western comforts. It's infrastructure and commitment to a progressive Vietnam.

Making our way through the Highlands, where Hanoi's mondern influence gives to road stop towns and small shack villages. Towns designed to assist commuters going to work or construction crews traveling to work on developing a town closer to a bigger city.

Continuing through the mountain regions where people seem untouched from the outside world. I'm not saying that they are the lesser for it, or that they are uninterested in news from around the world, but their concerns lie with land and weather. I've never met friendlier people then there.

And now, working our way South, we're beginning to see the crest of Ho Chi Minh's impact. There are still small towns, but less and less as the cities we stop in to rest are much more commercial and are less influenced by our presence - 'hello, hello' is morphing into the more informal 'hi';or we get a nod of the head. We simply mix into the backdrop of these wealthier cities.

We've covered a lot of ground, road-wise and culture-wise, in three weeks and I think each of us has taken something from our achievements and our tribulations. And as i said before I will be returning to my job and life; however, after all that we've seen and done in these cities; after all the people we've talked to and met on our journey; and after all the time I've had to put into perspective where I am now and the things that are important to me, I feel more confident to say that I will be returning 'home' as well.

-Kasey

The Hills are Alive

2010-11-20T16:05:00.000-08:00

The hills are every bit as fanatical, quad-agonizing, and formidable as I remember. The only difference is I was mentally prepared for them this year. On Friday morning rain looked imminent. It had been raining since our arrival the day before, Thursday, and gushed down all night long. But Vietnam would be on our side this time. For the last several days it felt as if the country didn’t want our charity ride to take place. Between the weather, bandits, thieves and teenagers on motorbikes run amok (I thought I was going to get in a brick fight one day. Long story.), it seemed the winds were in our face (as they usually are). Point being, it didn’t rain, but we still had a 110 kilometer day to suffer through. Around the corner of every 10 percent grade climb was…..SURPRISE (!!!!!)….another steep climb. Last year I shared my feelings with the mountains, cursing every climb. This year I found myself pleasantly serene, not exactly reveling in the suffering, but tolerating it.

After two shorter — but still rather hilly — days, we have another 110 kilometer (about 68 miles) ride tomorrow. My recollection from last year: bad roads, lots of up and down, a strong headwind, and the most irritating bee bite ever. But suddenly, we have just seven days of riding left; we’ll be back in Saigon a week from tomorrow.

After seeing the same people every day for four weeks we’ll go our separate ways around the globe. Many will leave Saigon and Vietnam directly after the trip, some will stick around for a couple weeks and others will go back into their teaching routine. It’s hard knowing I might not see a lot of these amazing people ever again, but we’ll always have the epic bike ride and H2H to keep us together. It’s been fun getting to know everyone and getting to spend time with good friends.

All 20 of us get together for one hour each night when we have a meeting. At our meetings we discuss the day’s events, things to keep in mind while riding and other fun stuff like that. We go over tomorrow’s ride and what to expect. We have a “sexy time” presentation given by the day’s previous “sexy time” recipient for their extraordinary efforts. Basically it’s a way of recognizing someone’s upstanding contributions to our H2H team. Lastly, we have a “cultural event.”

I introduced the cultural event concept to the group after a friend introduced it to me during a bachelor party in Rocky Mountain National Park I attended this past summer. As defined by myself, “The cultural event is all about creativity and an open mind. Read a poem, discuss philosophy, share a newspaper story, podcast, perform a soliloquy, sing a song, play a harmonica, read from a book, teach us first aid, teach us how to dance, whatever — anything you feel like sharing with the group.”

For example, on the first night (waaaaaay back in Hoa Binh), I played a WNYC Radio Lab podcast on human “limits.” The podcast featured a story about the insane cyclists who undertake the Race Across America challenge. My intent was not to terrify the group but rather to show them what they are capable of and find their “hidden human potential.” I think I scared them.

Abigail had us write letters to our future selves — as in future Chet on the last day of the ride — to open later and see what we were thinking as we began our cycling odyssey. Liz shared some Eastern religion with us and had us meditate. Pierre had us “name that song intro.” Chris had us play some charades. Trey taught us “mafia.” Everyone’s cultural contribution has been creative and unique. It’s been something to look forward to each night.

Phong had us write down the five senses that were most memorable from that day (Day 3 from Vu Ban to Quan Lao in that case.). It’s a great way to journal. So here are the most memorable five senses I’ve had from the last couple days.

Sights: Struggling up an ascent with no end and looking ahead and seeing the road up ahead in the distance…WAY UP.
Also, the fog emanating from the mountains like puffs of smoke. Being so high up we were pretty much touching the clouds.

Sound: All of kids laughing after you say “hello.” Kanye West helping me climb mountains: “Makes us longer, better, faster, stronger! Do it faster makes us stronger…”

Smell: Musty, moldy hotel rooms and fresh mountain air. It’s hard to find fresh air anywhere in Vietnam.

Taste: The half of a protein bar Nick gave me while riding 110 km the other day. I was so hungry I was shaking and I can’t remember anything ever tasting so good, or ever devouring anything so quickly.

Touch: The vibrations on the handlebars during massive descents. Quads burning during climbs when you’re convinced over and over again that you must have a flat tire but the hill is just really that steep. Also, getting high-fives from kids while riding.

-Chet

It's a bird! It's a plane!

2010-11-20T07:59:00.000-08:00

On our very long ride yesterday during the gamut run of emotions from completely awestruck by the lush rolling hillsides to wishing I was actually anywhere but on that rain soaked 10% ascent, I started to think about, of all things, super powers. I became acutely aware as every muscle in my body was screaming and I was wishing with all my might that the next hotel would have hot water that I have a not-so-secret super power.

At any moment yesterday, I could have chosen to stop. I feel pain, I can change it.

I could have gently laid my bike down, called the van, hopped in and gone home. I could have skipped the cold shower waiting for me, the rice and eggs (again), the chill I rode with for half the day, the burning sun for the other half and the physical pain of repetitive motion and constant movement. I could have chosen a different environment at any point on this journey. I could change my location to someplace more pleasing and seek the comfort I've become so accustom to.

But, how, you may ask, is this a super power, Liz? We can all do this. But in truth we all cannot. In these most rural villages that we have been riding through, living in those shack-like homes lined up along the only road in their town are people who day in and day out take cold showers, break their backs in the rice or sugar cane fields, work in the pouring rain and the blistering sun. They sit along the road and meticulously chop wood and lay it out to dry, they work their calloused hands and burdened backs yesterday, today and tomorrow. They have been doing this their whole lives and most will continue to do so for the rest of their days as will their children and their grandchildren too.

They do not have the choice to stop when it's too much.

Yesterday looks like today looks like tomorrow. They can't choose to upgrade to the comfy hotel when their bed feels to hard, turn the hot water on, take the car instead of walking, or treat themselves to a massive sushi dinner when their "trip ends". To choose comfort and pleasure over constant labor or struggle and to change your situation is a super power; a gift that not everyone has.

This revelation that I have something so special at my fingertips was followed quickly by this question: How will I choose to use this newly discovered power? I would love to live in every country in the world, moving when I'm tired of one place on to the next; see the sights, drink in the cultures and be happy as a clam for the good I've done for myself. Or, I can do what we're doing this month. I could choose to use my gift of choice and means to do something hard for me, but oh so good for someone else. In our case, a whole school full of someone elses. I could choose to buck up when the going gets tough instead of always choosing the comfortable option. And today I do.

I've never been more grateful for the power to change my circumstances, and I've never been more ready to grin and bear it in solidarity with those who do it everyday and call it life. For them I pedal through the toughest pain and in my priviledged way 'relate' to their daily grind. And in the spirit of their joy, I find the joy in the simple things like the natural beauty or a delicious fried banana after a hard day and the satisfaction of another journey well done.

To all of our supporters, thanks again for using your power of means and a generous spirit to benefit others and increase their chances of having the power that comes with a choice in life. The children of HCM, Cat Dang and the H2Hers hope you know that you are our super heroes. (tights and cape optional, but encouraged)

Liz

When you forget you're ALREADY IN your lowest gear...

2010-11-20T03:44:00.000-08:00

Another day, another hill!! Today (despite the bumpy terrain) flew by like one giant roller coaster!! One soon learns that the faster you can speed down the hill - the less chance there is that you will have to pedal up it. That said, add a few maniac lorries. Now add some buses(of death). A dash of motorbikes. Some waterbuffalo pulled carts. Some school kids on bicycles. A lady in a rice hat. And 20 dedicated H2H cyclists.
NOW, put all of the above on the bumpiest, permanently "under construction" road you can imagine and stir gently. And now vigiourously. And now the other way. Now frisk. Repeat until you're confused.
The result is, well great success (obviously) + very sore butts!!!

This is how we roll y'all. Keep them "motivation donations" comin'! Happy times in H2H country!!! :)

- Jess L

Rainy Days and Mondays will Never Bring us Down

2010-11-19T09:50:00.000-08:00

The team has much to say about these past days. I'm sure the drama has been posted about the many obstacles that came our way. It seemed like all of Vietnam was trying to stop us from doing this ride. Though are spirits may have been down trodden, our game faces never faltered. We had to face some hard decisions and skip some riding. We're brave, but we're not stupid. Safety comes first, and windy pot-holed mountainous roads in the rain was just not a good idea. So let me tell all of you interested family members and friends about one hell of a day. I'm going back to November 15. Sorry to all you readers about the non-linear order to the blog. My burst of creativity only came to me days after the real event. So open those eyes wide, and digest this interesting and informative anecdote.

After we were escorted to the town of A Luoi from Hue, we held a town hall meeting considering our next move. After hours of deliberation, the tribe had spoken - we were to wait, and let destiny decide our fate. If the rain is light, then we ride. If not, then we find another vehicle to be our chauffeurs.

We went to bed that night not knowing what the morning would bring. I awoke at 5 am to the sounds of a mighty wind, and heavy rain. I got a little friendlier with my pillow thinking there was no chance the team was going to ride. The crew met at an astonishingly early time of 6:30 to make the final decision. We were facing the longest ride yet, with mountains, kilometers, and rain between us and the next town. By the time the riders gathered, the rain had slowed to a heavy pour. We decided that those who wanted to ride could, and those whole felt uncomfortable or unsafe, could take the van. Anxious faces looked at one another, and a vote was taken. For reasons that are beyond explanation other than sheer stupidity, I opted to weather the weather and go for it. The final count was 10 would ride, and 10 would not.

After minutes of nervous anticipation, we adorned our ponchos and raincoats and set off into the wet beyond. We were without our ipods and cameras, knowing our battery operated accessories couldn't handle the rain, but still unsure if we could. Yet instead of facing the road with fear and trepidation, we were excited. On top of doing this crazy ride, it seemed almost destiny to encounter this torrential storm along the way. The country was testing us by throwing every obstacle imaginable in our path. And we stood firm upon our bike seats and kept on riding. Along the first 20 kilometers, it felt somewhat satisfying to know that nobody in their right minds would be riding in this weather. This collective insanity kept me going. I no longer felt the pain in my muscles - I was intoxicated with excitement and pride. We may not hit every kilometer we set out to do, but we were giving it our best. It felt good. And most importantly, we looked good doing it.

Then, we hit a roadblock. After descending a slippery slope, we encountered a truck driver who pointed in the direction we were headed, and said no. Due to our equal lack of comprehension in each others' languages, I didn't quite get the gist of his frantic gestures. After riders who can say more that puppy in Vietnamese did some investigating, we were informed that land slides had blocked the highway ahead, and would not be cleared for 2 days. Our trek stopped here. Even if we were stupid enough to continue forward, we would then strand the riders and vans who stayed behind, and we would be left with only our wet clothes and dirty bikes.. We did not want to break up the H2H fellowship, so we turned our bikes around and headed back the way we came.

Other than a wrong turn or two, this had been the first time the team had to make a u-turn. And it wasn't just a hop and a skip. It was 35 k of hilly road. And if you haven't been paying attention to my riveting story, remember that the rain is hitting hard without any signs of letting up.

I would assume a normal person would face this dilemma with anger and frustration. Although I was disappointed to not make it to our planned destination, I approached the issue with a level of calm acceptance. Unless I was Captain Planet, there was nothing we could do. We had to change our original plans. H2H is like a chameleon -we can adapt to any situation. So I pumped my music louder - I was listening to Fannypack, and if you don't know it, but it now - and made my way back. I came to the sudden realization why the way out was fun and exhilarating: it was mostly downhill. That meant the return trip would be, for lack of a better word, shitty. That last descent we road through now became a terrible ascent, and there was literally nowhere to turn. So we took a deep breath - some even screamed, and others swore - and we started to climb. Even with the hills and rain, the trip was still miraculously enjoyable. The 10 that made it formed a new solidarity by simply surviving the ordeal, and renamed our contingent to H2oH.

After 4 hours in the rain and 70 kilometers that led us back to where we started, spirits were still high. The shower and hot food waiting for us might have helped a bit too. We returned with a newly devised plan to go back to Hue for the night and change the route to avoid more rain and landslides. The team felt guilty about getting more time on the van and less time on the bike, but I think we were all pretty happy to spend another night in a town that served pizza and snickers. I myself had two dinners. It was amazing. The rain made the cheese taste even better.

Jeffrey out.

Overcoming the challenges – A robbery, a tropical storm and never ending mountain climbs!

2010-11-19T06:55:00.000-08:00

So after eleven consecutive days of cycling from Hanoi, we finally arrived in Hue for our first official rest day. And after some relaxation, plenty of western food as well as a little partying we were ready for the next section of the ride, which involved nine days of cycling in and around the Truong Son Mountains of central Vietnam. This part of the ride was to be the most beautiful but also the most physically and mentally demanding with plenty of hills!

If riding up and down the mountains wasn’t hard enough, a mild tropical storm was to make things even more challenging. ‘Tropical depression 18’ paid the H2H riders a visit, battering us with rain as we rode into Hue on Day 11. This continued unabated during rest day 12. We woke on day 13 to find the rain still beating down and faced with the potentially dangerous situation of riding in these conditions, especially going downhill, it was decided that we would travel by van to our next destination and hope the bad weather would not follow us.

It did! But if this wasn’t drama enough as we awoke on day 14, we learned that during the night one of our hotel rooms had been broken into and the thief had taken wallets, phones and an ipod. So while the team dealt with the shock of this, we were again faced with the same dilemma of whether to ride in potential dangerous conditions. However this time 10 riders, including myself chose to brave the rain and attempt to ride the 113km scheduled route. We set off in heavy rain, nervous but hopeful, encouraging each other. However 35km down the road we were told there was a landslide ahead blocking our path, which would take at least two days to clear. So we had no choice but to cycle back to our hotel. But the resounding feeling in the group was of no regrets – at least we had tried! Unfortunately the ride was not without its casualties – my ipod and phone died in the rain.

Due to the landslide and weather forecasts of yet more bad weather we decided to return by van to a partially-flooded Hue, before the next morning on day 15 moving on to a small town near Hoi An, where around 11am we got on our bikes for the first time collectively in four days and cycled 53 km to Thanh My which was the original destination for this day of the ride. Yesterday we rode a hilly and partially rainy 57 km to Kham Duc, and today we rode a monstrous, a mountainous, an evil but rain-free 112 km to Ngoc Hoi (Plei Kan).

As a team we have had to overcome some difficult challenges in the past week and made some tough decisions, but those problems are well and truly behind us now. We are back in the mountains and back on schedule. This is definitely no longer a holiday, if it ever was: The constant daily movement and cold damper climate has meant we are often riding with damp, smelly clothes; the mountains are certainly pushing us mentally and physically. But every morning we rise again, get on our bikes and ride. We ride with the support of all those who donated and the hopes of all those children we met in Cat Dang. Hopefully the bad weather is behind us, and while we start to set our sites on Saigon and the end of the ride, the events of last week will no doubt go down in H2H history.

Nick

I can climb mountains!!

2010-11-19T03:53:00.000-08:00

Soooo.....today was awesome......if you like excruciating pain and mental agony! I exagerate......it wasnt so bad....was it?

Yes folks today was one of those fabled 'Evil B*tch days'. Today we rode our bikes 112km up and through a bunch of mountains, this took roughly 9 and a half hours.

We saw many amazing sites that most people will never have the opportunity to witness such as mystical misty mountain jungle, cascading and dramatic waterfalls right up high so you cant reach them, beautiful and serene paddy fields with water buffalo wading through, mountain terraces and crisp mountain air.......it surely was one of the most beautiful days so far!!

This, however, does not detract from the fact that my arse and my legs are now in severe irrepairable pain and that as soon as my head hits the pillow I will fall straight to sleep and i could probably sleep for a whole week!! As it happens, I wont be able to sleep for a week....in fact I will have to get up at 6am tmrw and do another 70km through..........mountains!!

I dont want your sympathy folks.......i just want your donations!!! Remember, if you havent allready done so, please please contribute to this worthy cause......no, not the slow and violent destruction of my bottom, but the kids of Cat Dang village!!

Thanks for reading!!

-Pierre

Are We Human or Are We Dancer?

2010-11-19T03:47:00.000-08:00

Our cycling circuit today was just that, one huge circuit. Today was a huge mix of varying weather, terrain, vistas, and road conditions. Our tour began with the threatening tropical storm just ceasing in town as we departed with an overcast sky; mist lingering in the outlying mountains. A slow warm-up led to a nice downhill ramble for a handful or two of coasting kilometers. After this, it seemed as if the rain might break again just as we entered the canopied jungle of central Vietnam, only a few kilometers away from the Laos border. Our initial ascension began and would not stop for a while in these mountains. About 20 kilometers in, I found myself wrestling with mountains as I was swallowed by a grey film of fog. At about this time I struggled with the decision to surrender to the mountain and walk up or ignore my deceitful mind and shift to what seemed to be my final gear. Just then, I was hit with a one, two, one, two punch of The Killers song “Human”. Synchronized with the pounding beat, I carefully examined what we being said in the lyrics as I felt connected to the song. A few listens later, I reflected on these lyrics and really felt they spoke to me.

The song begins with the question, “Are we human or are we dancer”. A common question many must ask themselves if what we are is human and there is something unique to our existence, or what I believe is being alluded to in Hunter S. Thompson’s quote criticizing mankind saying we are raising a generation of dancers.

The first verse reads…

“I did my best to notice
When the call came down the line
Up to the platform of surrender
I was brought but I was kind
And sometimes I get nervous
When I see an open door
Close your eyes
Clear your heart
Cut the cord”

Again, I felt entwined in these words. This ride garnished me with an opportunity to give back, hoping I was involved in an act truly valued and effective. Through the past ten years, I have battled with the thought of using myself as an instrument to help make a difference or live a life for monetary motives. After university, I decided to submit myself to the prospect of helping. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple in just “trying to help”. It doesn’t come across one that cleanly. The first four lines truly addressed me. Earlier this year I was searching for meaning (are we human) and purpose (in life). And it’s opportunities like this ride which come along . It’s important to keep an open mind with eyes and heart open and sometimes, yes sometimes you may have to surrender to what may seem as just an infant feeling. But, for me, this “call” speaks overwhelmingly. Keep that open mind, clear the heart and go with it. If anything, it’s gonna be an incredible journey.

Circling back to the opening words, “Are we human or are we dancer”, don’t be afraid to take those opportunities when they are presented to you. We ARE human. We have an innate hunger to care about others, have a purpose through our survival and make our own decisions unlike a dancer who leads a choreographed life of automated moves.

Well, somehow that song surged through my earphones for me to hear and dwell on. I was able to defeat the mountains after about 20 kilometers of at least 10% elevation. Passing some hidden waterfalls, we stopped for a rest and a much needed water stockup. Atop the mountain, we could see our glorious decent to cool air and resting legs. Our landscape rapidly transformed from jungle mountains to what seemed a summer stroll through the Austrian countryside. Staring down at my odometer, fearful of what it may say, we had already reached 80 km. Woohooo! But wait, what’s that. Cloud cover running off into the distance and HELLO sun. The sun was not welcomed at this point. Meandering over hills and more hills, it began to take it’s toll. I was again at a point, testing myself to see how much was truly left in my tank. A few pitstops later, we saw the sign that we had entered our destination. Just on the side of the road in the city we replenished ourselves with a dozen fried bananas. Welcome to Plei Kan everyone, 110 kilometers (68 miles)later. Bring on the Bengay and mimosas!!!!

- Trey

Tropical Depression #18 has other plans for our charity ride (but it doesn't know the juggernaut it's messing with)

2010-11-18T06:26:00.000-08:00

Nov. 15

We woke up just before 6 this morning. No sign of rain at first. But by the time we walked to breakfast it had started coming down — stronger by the minute. It was the kind of weather that if by chance you saw a masochistic cyclist on the road, you’d remark, “My God, that guy’s an absolute psychopath.”
After speaking to the riders, we had near unanimity that riding wasn’t an option. People were quite relieved. We formulated a plan to hire a third vehicle for the day which would carry our bikes and packs.
Thanks a lot “Tropical Depression 18.”
After breakfast we turned on CNN which led into the weather. The first story was the tropical storm hitting Hue and Danang. The second story was the blizzard that hit the Twin Cities. It showed clips from Maple Grove and Woodbury, Minnesota!
The weather in Vietnam has been bizarre this entire year as rainy season started late. Now it appears it’s extending late. There’s nothing we can do, so we’ll make the best of it.
Riding in the vans the 75k to A Luoi was a good call. The road quality was dodgy and the twists and turns harrowing. The steep downhill slopes would have been dangerous on a bike. Safety is always our number one. We even saw a truck go into the ditch and flip on its side while attempting a foolish pass. That truck’s gonna be there a while.
After a big group pow-wow tonight we decided we’ll leave A Luoi for P’rao tomorrow. It’s about 110 kilometers, most of which is up-and-down. If the weather is as miserable as projected, we’ll do the same as today and hire a third vehicle. But if the weather enables us to ride, those who are comfortable will set off and the others will ride in the vans. We’re not pressuring anyone to ride and there’s no shame in taking the van if you don’t feel confident enough.
Maybe if it rains a lot tonight it won’t rain tomorrow? Wishful thinking, yes, but that’s the best we can hope for now. We’re not working with much.

The best “rain” songs I’ve found on my iTunes:
“Fire and Rain” James Taylor
“The Rain” Missy Elliott
“A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall” Bob Dylan
“No Rain” Blind Melon
“Rain King” Counting Crows
“Raining in Baltimore” Counting Crows
“Rain” The Beatles
“Have you ever seen the rain?” CCR
“Who’ll stop the rain?” CCR
“Purple Rain” Prince

*****

Nov. 16

On Monday night, we met at the Aliha Hotel in A Luoi to weigh our options. It had been raining for over two days with no sign of slowing down. We’d hired a third vehicle to take us the 70-75 km from Hue to A Luoi. On Tuesday we had a daunting 110 km day ahead of us.
The power went in and out as we debated the best of our crappy options before the electricity finally cut, leaving us in candlelight. We decided we had to try to get out of A Luoi the following day, leaving us with two options: either to cycle out or ride out in a third vehicle, like we just had.
On Tuesday morning we got up at 5:30 a.m. It was still raining rather hard. The group congregated an hour later and we learned that Kasey and Jas had been robbed during the night. Talk about being kicked in the groin when you’re already down…The cowardly bastards took their iPods and wallets, which were laying on their beds. Morale takes a hit.
At 7 we’re still mulling our options and take a group vote about who intends to cycle and who doesn’t. We’re split perfectly down the middle ten to ten. We make plans to rent a third vehicle while the others begin stretching.
At 7:30 it’s pouring down the hardest it has all morning and the intrepid group of ten set off. Fearless? Stupid? Insane? All of the above? The rest of us move to a nearby cafe while we wait for the third vehicle.

At 9 a.m. we get word that the fearless ten have cycled 30 km and begun an ascent. However, people on the road had been warning them of a landslide. The Ford Everest driver, Mr. Chien, raced ahead to check the road condition. Before long, he calls warning of a blocked road. The mud/rockslide would take two or three days to clear, he reported. The fearless ten turn around and return to A Luoi. The rest of us make preparations to return to Hue, assuming we can back the way we did the prior day.
By 1 p.m. we had a third vehicle to transport our bikes and gear and went on our way. The road was a bit dicey and we passed through one washed out area, but otherwise nothing major. Getting back into Hue we had to take a different route because of flooded streets. Eventually we made it (After some fighting with the third vehicle driver and conflicting information about whether Hue was flooded or not. We did discover the hotel we’d stayed at on Saturday and Sunday was indeed flooded.), somewhat defeated but somewhat optimistic.

During the return Abigail and I had come up with a plan to get us back on track. With Phong’s huge help translating, we came to an agreement with the drivers. We’d take a third vehicle (again) just past Danang and then cycle about 50 km to Thanh My, where we were scheduled to be by Wednesday night.
There were plenty of unknowns, but if the weather finally stayed dry (as it had for a couple hours at that point) the roads would probably be cleared up enough and we could get back on the road. We met over pizza and beers for one final night in Hue. We’d try again tomorrow.

*****

Nov. 17 and 18

With our plan in place, we loaded up a third vehicle and left Hue by 9:00. By noon we’d stretched and set off as a complete unit – all 20 of us – for Thanh My. The ride was only 49 kilometers, but had a nice steep ascent at the end, a preview of what we have to look forward to over the next few days. Most importantly, the ride brought us back on schedule. It felt great to be back on the bike and taking in the beautiful scenery (for the first time all trip I was on a new road!). And, for the first time in several days, we even saw the sun! The nightmarish experience of A Luoi already started to feel like ages ago.
We had a gorgeous ride again today, just 60 kilometers, but with some hellish hills at the ride’s end. The jungle-like humidity had me sweating by the morning’s stretches. The weather again has us on our toes, as it has been raining all afternoon, utterly pouring at times. Tomorrow is also one of the infamous ‘evil bitch days’ – that would be 100-plus kilometers through the mountains. Please Vietnam, no more raining on our cycling parade.
-Chet

Soggy bottoms

2010-11-17T02:59:00.000-08:00

Kasey, not looking too sure about what he's getting himself into.

Pierre and Colin stretchin' it out...and lookin' good.

Colin, ready to ride.

Part of the fearless ten of riders ready to set off Tuesday morning.

Rain Drops and Roses

2010-11-17T02:31:00.000-08:00

WOW!!! We have had a crazy couple of days thanks to Tropical Depression #18. We had woken up especially early Monday morning hoping for the best, but fearing the worst. I was watching CNN looking for a weather update, and finally the world weather center came on. The first thing they showed was Vietnam being pelted by heavy rains centered in our exact location. Sitting at breakfast we watched the rain pouring down and the trees being bent by huge wind gusts. It was clear that we were not riding. As the others awoke and came to breakfast the decision to not ride was unanimous. We decided to head inland by van with the hopes of escaping away from the tropical storm, because it was extremely unlikely that the weather in Hue would be any better if we waited it out a day. The team was quick to mobilize. We hired a third vehicle to transport our bikes and packs. Disappointed, but confident in our decision we loaded up in our vans and set off down the same route we would have taken on our bicycles. After a forty-minute pit stop at KFC, which stunk up the van for the remainder of the journey, we began climbing the windy mountain road. The rain did not let up the entire way there, but we kept morale high with fun and games throughout the ride. After we settled in we decided to have a team meeting to discuss our weather dependent options for Tuesday. I was really impressed with how well 20 people were able to discuss and debate our stressful situation. Basically, we couldn't really decide anything for sure until the next day, so we concluded we would wake up early ready to ride. We all went to bed anxious not knowing what the weather would bring us. It rained throughout the night into the morning. At 7am it was decided.....Half of us were going to tackle to 120k mountainous day on bicycles, while the others (including myself) -- who did not feel comfortable on the wet roads in the rain -- would follow in vehicles. The riders set off and I wished them luck, but i was happy and dry in my decision. About two hours later we got some bad news from the riders. There was a huge landslide on the Ho Chi Minh Highway that was impassable and would take two days to clear, they were turning around and we were going into planning mode. What sucks about a developing country like Vietnam is that it is very hard to get information. We had no way of finding out road conditions in the affected areas which made it impossible for us to make a fully informed decision. We decided to head back to Hue and change our route to avoid ther storm and the road damaged caused by it. After studying the map and talking to the drivers we came up with a plan to keep us dry, safe, and on course. At last night's meeting in the flooded city of Hue we were all relieved to be eating pizza as well as knowing that the worst was likely over. For the third and hopefully final time this morning we packed our bikes into a truck, and took vans to Da Nang. Around noon we unloaded the bikes and did our first stretching routine in days. Finally after three days (which felt like an eternity) we were back on the road. It took a few kilometers to work through the stiffness and return to feeling harmonious with my bike. It was one of the most scenic rides of the trip so far. As I breathed in the fresh air and enjoyed the silence of the mountains I was realived that we had made it through the drama as a team. It feels good to be back on track, and back in the saddle.
-Abigail

Lazy Day in Hue

2010-11-13T23:04:00.000-08:00

We have finally reached Hue for our first rest day. After 11 days of cycling, it felt great to not be on a bicycle today. The persistent rain has also allowed me to have a guilt-free day indoors catching up on emails, reading, as well as ordering pizza to our hotel room, YUMMY!! It is nice to be back in civilization. We set ourselves up in a hotel that is way nicer than the accommodations we have encountered in the small towns. A hot shower and a soft bed are greatly appreciated!!! Everyone seemed to struggle with yesterday's ride to Hue. It began to rain just 20 minutes into the 85k journey, so the majority of the day was spent in drenched clothing and shoes. Also, the kilo-markers we use to determine how much riding we have left to do were very deceptive. At times they seemed to be going up in distance (actually they really would jump in distance) instead of down which was a serious mental blow. Luckily, we all made it and I spent the day wandering the streets and enjoying western food. We have been really lucky with weather the entire trip. No rain and no outrageously hot days. I don't think we will be so lucky this week. The forecast predicts rain for the area south of Hue. I am already dreading the mountains, and climbing them cold and drenched is an even more daunting prospect. Rain definitely won't stop us from reaching our daily destinations but it may be another challenge for us to face! The ride has been great so far and everyone is feeling positive and energized.

-Abigail

Half-Hue Home

2010-11-13T22:52:00.000-08:00

We haven't lost the Hue [hwey]. There's no Hue we're turning back now. And we've still got a long Hue to Ho Chi Minh.

No more puns. At last we've reached Hue. We're eating lots of food. We're taking hot showers. We're sleeping. We're sleeping on clean sheets. We're staying in clean rooms. We're staying in rooms that smell nice. We're staying in rooms without hordes of mosquitoes. We're getting our stinky clothes clean. We're relaxing. We're enjoying all the simple things and luxuries we haven't had thus far and won't have for the rest of the ride.

And it's been pouring. The rain has finally caught up with us, or vice versa. Either way, we got pretty drenched during yesterday's ride. The sky had threatened rain for several days and I think we'd pretty much all expected to get wet. With our first rest day today, it couldn't have happened at a better time. The forecast for basically the entire country predicts nothing but rain for the foreseeable future. We're going to get wet again.

I had a couple interesting encounters yesterday. The first came just as it started raining harder and I pulled over at the nearest convenience store/cafe for a short rest and to protect my electronics from the weather. I had a broken English/Vietnamese conversation with six twenty-year-old guys at the next table. They were tickled that that I'd turned up out of the rain and insisted I take a shot of rice wine because it would keep me warm in the rain. Oh, what the hell. I was admittedly a bit chilly. I downed the shot and looked at the time...10:30 a.m. Still about 30 kilometers left.

The latter encounter occurred just as I laid eyes on the Imperial City's Citadel walls. A man pulled up to me on a motorbike and started chatting away. This is no way unusual. I'm used to at least one curious person a day following me for a couple kilometers seeing what I'm about. Usually it's the same old questions about your nationality, age, etc. But today -- in good English -- this guy immediately tells me he lives in California and that he hates the Vietnamese government. Understandably, since he was imprisoned by the government from 1976-78 because he was a soldier for the south. In 1981 he left from Hue's Perfume River on a boat, where he spent 30 days barely surviving ("I thought there was a 99 percent chance I was going to die," he told me.), eventually making it to Hong Kong where he sought and received asylum. Ultimately, he reached the United States like so many other Vietnamese and settled in Orange County, where he's lived for nearly 30 years. He owns three Latino grocery stores in L.A. and speaks Spanish fluently. Now he's back visiting in Vietnam for a couple months. "F$%k the government here," he said. "They say this and do that." I was so shocked by the whole thing I hardly knew what to say. "What an incredible story," I managed as we bid goodbyes and I biked under a massive fortress and into the Citadel.

-Chet

Another day closer to Hue

2010-11-12T03:32:00.000-08:00

Abigail tearing up the asphalt.

I'm so big in Vietnam they've decided to put my name all over the country!
Uncle Ho statue in Huong Khe.

Day 11 and about 85 kilometers lies between us and Hue. We’ve now conquered about 760 kilometers, or 470 miles. That’s just over a third of our total distance. Everyone is doing really well but the group is salivating like a dog over a steak (or in our case the salivating is not limited to steak but extends to cheeseburgers, pizza and all other Western food) for a rest day in Hue.Besides creaky bikes, nightmares of vigilante bandits and aching legs, flooding is another concern. Since we left Saigon, it’s been raining basically non-stop. All our friends back in HCMC sound pretty damn miserable. Rumors of a typhoon hitting south of Hue in two to three days time are circulating. The weather forecast for Hue is ominous the next several days…I’m confident our drivers are looking out for us and they told us they watch the news every night for weather updates about where we’ll be traveling. They did warn us today about staying away from areas where both sides of the road are steep to avoid flash flooding.In the positive news department our bikes are holding up (for the most part) as well as our bodies. We’re currently in Cam Lo, which isn’t really much of a town at all, just a few buildings where two highways meet. For the second consecutive year, we’re staying at the Blue Hotel, where a group of people have been singing karaoke non-stop since our arrival. Amazingly, Cam Lo has Internet about a kilometer away (I just have to deal with this guy sitting right next to me looking at everything I do online.). Kinda creepy, but I know, I know, he’s just curious at what the big, funny-looking clown man is doing.The last two days have both been about 100 km. Today we spent mostly on the Ho Chi Minh Highway after leaving the coast. Last night we stayed in Dong Hoi, a booming coastal town trying to turn itself into another Nha Trang. We lucked out on accommodation at the Moonlight Hotel, our best yet. It was especially a nice treat after the moldy rooms of Dong Le (Supposedly they’d had major flooding there just a week earlier.).As always, the school kids have been cute as hell, the rolling verdant hills endless, and the “hellos” incessant. Here we come Hue!

-Chet

Sunrise over Pho Chau.

bingo champion

2010-11-12T02:39:00.001-08:00

Day 1o .... wawaweewa

So today was probably the hardest day so far, was it the never ending hills... was it the the sore butt, that not even the miraculous butt butter can help.... the aching muscles or the two flat tyres ... mmm maybe a combination of them all.

We passed a really beautiful cemetery dedicated to the fallen Vietnamese soldiers of the north. It is really well presented and to show your respects you can light an incense stick and put it next to someones grave. There are 12,000 tombs there alone and its really moving and sad to see all the young men that died.

The group continues to amaze and if anyone needs help or stops with a flat tyre there are always people eager to help. Even if it is an excuse to rest.

Today we were playing h2h bingo. This involves doing 25 caraazy tasks, such as swimming in a river, having a photo in a rice hat, getting a picture of you showing off sexy spandex tan lines.. I am writing to inform the reading population and my fellow h2hers that i have won and am rather excited about claiming my prize tonight. However it has come at a cost, due to my lombardian thirst for winning my excitement to be swimming in a river made me forget that drinking a huge mouthful of the water wouldnt be a good idea.... Thus far the only side effects are that my feet have become webbed, so every cloud really does have a silver lining... Tomorrow is a short 82km ride to Hue and then a well earnt rest day.

2010-11-11T05:12:00.000-08:00

wow day nine. only two days till the magical city of hue and we are already seeing signs of civalization. today we left the mountains that we had been in for the past few days and headed back to the coast. upon arriving in town we found the first thing resembling a supermarket in days and quickly ate our fill of ice-cream bars. the day overall was uneventful. a slow descent out of the mountains had us riding the coastal highway after 50k and about another 50k down the coast landed us in dong hoi. there's not much to see in dong hoi but we did go to an expensive almost western restaurant tonight. we have been eating rice and noodles only for over a week and even a bad french fry tasted like gold. two more days till hue and then we have our first rest day. every one is getting really amped.
-colin northcraft

Nguoi Tay!!! Nguoi Tay!!! Nguoi Tay!!!

2010-11-09T01:24:00.000-08:00

Trucks and buses zipping by with defining honks, over-loaded 'xe may's', ox-driven carts, and, this month of November, our Lycra-clad buttocks are what some local towns people will see on the road. As they sit and drink their tra da or sip the cafe sua da before they start off their day of work, they may or may not see a pack of bikers, blazing down the hwy; upon this, they'll more than likely shout the words written in the title: Nguoi Tay!!! Which means 'westerner/foreigner' in Vietnamese.

I've heard this phrase probably anywhere between 5 to 10,000 times already; however, it pails in comparison to the uncountable hello's I've heard from the children we pass everyday. The funny thing is, they always giggle when we reply - it must be our pronunciation.

Nguoi Tay isn't, to my understanding, a negative phrase or a phrase meant to disrespect. It's simply what we are: strangers in a strange land.

As I hear this phrase and see grandmothers or parents yell for their children to come see the parade of westerners on their big bikes, I'm reminded of Vietnam's -and I'm referring to rural Vietnam here - curious fascination with things foreign. And their eagerness to say hello if only to get a simple reply, or ask us if they can ride one of our fancy bikes, or to stand next to you to compare heights. (It should be known that I'm an unnerving height to most Vietnamese except for the children who either want to gang up on me to bring me down, or figure out a way to make me a vehicle of transportation.)

From Hoa Binh to Huong Khe, local people are curious and want to know what we're about.

Thanks for reading

-Kasey

Battling bandits on the Ho Chi Minh Hwy.

2010-11-08T06:11:00.001-08:00

Our bikes are a little nicer than these. But not much.

Angela was happy though her bum might have not been after riding on this road.

Ross is all "game face" after our morning stretch routine.

Water buffaloes are incredible at posing for photos.

Pierre looks...amazing (?) in spandex.

On the beach at Tinh Gia.

Just outside Do Luong.

"Beetroot lady"

Quintessential Vietnam.

It’s now been a week. A mere seven nights ago we were in Hanoi. Now we find ourselves in Huong Khe, along the Ho Chi Minh Highway, formerly, of course, the Ho Chi Minh Trail. We’re somewhere in the skinny part of the country and after spending a night on the beach in a semi-abandoned ghost resort, we headed straight west on Day 5.

Yesterday we began the day (number 6) heading further west from Do Luong, till we ran into the Ho Chi Minh Hwy. junction. If only it had been that simple. I was the last one out of the town and instinctively turned left at a four-way leading out of Do Luong. Both vans sped up to me, pulled me over and told me I was going to the wrong way. I wasn’t so convinced but relented and followed them. The distressing déjà vu feeling persisted and I double-checked with them, but they insisted we were heading the correct way. Just moments later, I hit a bump and my chain came off. I was riding Abigail’s one-speed bike (rigged up by Colin) since it was quite a hilly day (And we figured the day would go quicker for both of us if I rode the bike.). Anyway, I finally caught up with the others who were stopped and after a pow-wow with the van drivers we determined we were in fact heading the wrong way.

Ultimately, we got sorted out though basically wasting an hour or two (after we’d started earlier to account for the longer day). Traffic along the highway was light and the scenery sublime. Undulating, terraced lush hills and smiley, waving people. Water buffalo grazing and relaxing in muddy rivers. Shimmering rivers. Roads covered with hay. Fields and fields with conical hats popping up here and there. Families of goats scampering about. And quiet. Let me repeat: quiet! Ahh, the serenity.

However, that serenty was somewhat unsettled by some news Phong shared. Our Ford Everest driver, Mr. Chien, told Phong that we should ride in groups of four to five. Why? Well…since we were fairly close to the Laotian border we should be vigilant of bandits. Yes, bandits! I’m not sure whether these bandits are kidnappers or thieves or whatever, but I’d prefer not to find out (Though I’ll admit I’m a bit curious and have started carrying my pocketknife.). What the hell does a Laotian bandit look like!?

Today, most of us slept in with dreams of bandidos and departed an hour later since we had a relaxed day – just 52km. Huong Khe is a cute town indistinct from any other town except it has a lake in the center. Sasha led us in creating friendship bracelets as our “cultural event” of the night so now we’re quite tied (zing!) to each other even more. It’s back on the Ho Chi Minh Highway tomorrow to Dong Le.

-Chet

Cowman rides again

2010-11-08T03:41:00.000-08:00

Good news sports fans, thanks to the powers of Ibuprofen and Jeff's magic rub, I was back on the bike today and had an animal free and generally pain free day. After some early sightseeing down the wrong road, we ticked off another 80+ km's between Do Luong and Pho Chau (look it up!) on the stunning Ho Chi Minh Highway where life has such a relaxed pace, with lots of smallholding farms along the route. We even passed through a section where a village was drying out, then collecting in, all their hay, on the highway! Chet had the 1 gear bike today and still finished before me, Jas had saddle issues, Colin did a big extra loop, lots of sore derriers but generally team morale is high and we're feeling fruity. Thanks for all your support family and friends, you're an important part of the team. Laters,
- Chris

Holy Cow and Dippity Dog!

2010-11-07T08:30:00.000-08:00

H2H Day 5:

Good people, even by my own high absent-minded standards I may have excelled myself today: I actually managed to cycle into a cow! There I was after lunch, happily cycling along between Dien Chau and Do Luong, somewhere in North Vietnam, when I received a text. Thinking it might be an important directions update (it wasn't), I quickly went 'hands free' on my bike to read it and then looked back just in time to shout 'cow' (I don't know why!), smack into the midrift of a big brown road crossing cow and bounce off onto the tarmac to the delight of all the locals in the village! And the cow didn't even stop to help! As I laid on the road slightly dazed I then had my limbs pulled in various directions by the locals before the wonderful Angela helped me up and put some da (ice) onto my knee from a local cafe. After checking the bike and the cow we proceeded very steadily for the last 30km to our destination. The knee has now ballooned a bit so it may be a day in the van tomorrow but we'll soon be back on the bike and hey what a story to dine out on! I mean how often do you get to cycle into a real cow? Fantastic! Another cyclist Phong managed to hit a dog on his bike today as well, so we'll clearly have to look out for the animals. Dr Dolittle would not be impressed! And who was the mystery text from you may be wondering? Infact, from one of my English students back in Saigon. It read 'Mr Chris, how are you? I miss you, do you miss me?' I haven't replied yet. I thought I'd sleep on it first!

Still loving the ride though - beautiful scenery, amazing people, brilliant team, robust cows.

Thanks for reading,

- Chris

The many faces of Vietnam

2010-11-07T05:48:00.000-08:00

A couple little boys and some Vietnamese kids.

Middle schoolers at Catdang.

The director of the Catdang school and Ms. Lien, from TCI.

Catdang middle schoolers

The number of people we encounter every day is truly mind-blowing. It’s hard to even predict a number – certainly somewhere in the thousands. Every run-in is a bit different and no two ever quite identical.

“Hello” is perpetual. Most common is kids geeking out, running toward the road, shouting and waving, “Hello! HELLO! HELLLLLLOOOO!” Sometimes you hear a “hello” and between your iPod and speed it’s tough to place. Frequently a motorbike pulls up next to you, says “hello” and occasionally tries to make small chat. Then there are the motorbikes who encourage you to speed up and show them what you’re made of.

Besides the “hellos” there are plenty of other greetings. Common is what I like to call the “mutual understanding” which is typically followed by a nod. This takes place when you lock eyes with someone either riding a vehicle toward you or someone on the side of the road. You make eye contact – and although the glance lasts but a brief second in time – you can tell a lot about someone. I wish I had the time and language to unearth the stories of these “mutual understandings.”

Lastly are the nods. These are normally from older men too serious to wave or shout “hello” but still curious at our presence. A “mutual understanding” must first take place and friendly nods are exchanged.

All of this undoubtedly sounds like over-analysis of greetings, but between the thousands of daily greetings and plenty of time to burn pedaling, these are the conclusions I’ve reached.

A couple stories stand out from the first five days of riding. Yesterday I was riding alone after lunch. We’d turned off Highway 1 onto Highway 7 cruising inland toward the Ho Chi Minh Highway and our evening destination of Do Luong. As I cycled through a small village, I saw a few dilapidated homes. After passing them I turned around and decided to take a photo, telling myself, “You’ll never be back here.” (Of course this is what I told myself last year but this time it’s really true!) I took a couple pics and heard what I thought was a radio blaring. I walked closer to the sound’s origin and saw a couple dozen motorbikes parked. Hmmm, some kind of event. I turned the corner and realized I’d just walked into a wedding. Everyone waved at me and beckoned me to join in, ostensibly to drink copious amounts of beer. As tempting as it was, I had no plans to interrupt the happy couple and steal their show.

As I returned to my bike to hit the road, a mob of children from about 5 to 18 circled me, peppering me with the usual questions. After some Q & A and some more pictures, I was finally back on the road. And to think I was that close to not stopping at all!!!

Another unforgettable incident took place yesterday morning, but this time the entire group were my witnesses and we weren’t even on our bikes. As we went through our morning stretching routine led by Sasha, we were joined by the Tinh Gia hotel proprietor a.k.a. “Hef,” a.k.a. Mr. Business-on-top, Party-on-the-bottom (see previous blog post for explanation of name). Initially he was a casual observer but before long couldn’t help himself. He jived and wriggled to our music and then sleazily convulsed his hips in a perverse, but absolutely hilarious manner. He was basically an eight-year-old trapped in a grown man’s body and loved the attention.

The people are incredible. All the frustrations of Ho Chi Minh City and all the misers and schemers in Hanoi already seem like a distant memory. The ride makes you feel good about Vietnam.

-Chet

The first triple digit day...

2010-11-07T01:38:00.001-07:00

Day 5... 102km... FINISHED :)
This morning after a long night's rest Jeff and I decided to wake our butts up early so we could take one more walk down the beach before sitting on a bike for the next 6 hours. As we wandered out we saw a couple of other H2Hers had the same idea and that the peaceful beach I had in mind was actually full of activity! Wandering down a bit towards a large crowd we saw all the boats coming in and baskets and baskets of all kinds of seafood being taken off and sorted on the sand for people to come by. My favourite part was when I turned around to see an eel jump out of the basket of the old man who had just bought him's bike and the old man calmly pick up a rock, beat his head in a couple of times, then toss him back in and bike away on the beach!
An exciting morning of stretching because our dear friend in the leather vest decided to come out and join in on the stretches- although his versions were more dance than stretch and WAY more sexual. So we set off, only for poor Angela to discover a flat before she even began! But most of the crew trudged on. THe first 63km were on Highway 1 again, not the most scenic or relaxing of highways. But we powered through and most of the gang was pedaling hard despite our sore rear ends. Unfortunately today was not the luckiest of days and quite a few people had flats, some even with multiple flats (shout out to Jas, 4 in one day... OUCH) But we finally got to the town of Dien Chau where we could make a triumphant right and get off of Highway 1 and onto the smaller, prettier Highway 7. At the corner most of us stopped to grub up because it was about lunch time and ate some delicious pho bo (beef soup) and some juicy oranges before heading off. The last 35km were much more scenic and interesting and from there it felt like a cruise. I even stopped to take some pictures and had a couple of kids take my bike for a spin until I had to calmly walk over and lightly grab the bike from them so I could continue.
We're now in the lovely town of Do Luong and a guesthouse down a quaint little alley. No hot water for the shower, something I'm beginning to realize is as precious as gold on this trip, but wifi in the hotel so certainly one of the nicer ones we've been in. Delicoius ca fe sua da (iced coffee with milk) on the main road was a nice post bike relaxation. Tonight will most certainly be an early night but tomorrow looks bright because we will find our way back to the Ho Chi Minh Highway!! Let's hope it's as gorgeous, and peacefully quiet, as it was 2 days ago.
That's all for now... I've created quite a commotion at this internet cafe because the were able to read the Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City at the top of the webpage so they obviously think I can speak Vietnamese... not the case....
Until tomorrow..... Hen Gap Lai!

-Sasha

Hanoi to Tinh Gia (Days 1-4)

2010-11-06T01:51:00.001-07:00

Days 1-4 are part of H2H 2010 history. We've cycled about 280 kilometers, 174 miles thus far. We're currently in Tinh Gia, a town that looks like any other in Vietnam except it's on the coast. We're holed up at the same hotel we stayed last year, just across the street from the ocean. The same, slightly deranged but jovial proprietor is there as well. Last year he sported a business on top, party on the bottom look with a sport coat and camoflage shorts. This year he's rockin' a leather hat and vest. He even turned on some soft-core porn for us. What a nice fellow.Things have been going well but not without hiccups. Angela had a flat yesterday morning just before we reached the Ho Chi Minh Highway. We decided to use it as a sort of experiment to see if our driver Mr. Ton would fix the flat. He didn't. (Our exchanges with the drivers are somewhat limited because of the obvious language barrier.) Rather he took the wheel to the closest down to replace the tube and get it pumped up. Experiment fail. Maybe I was foolish to assume the drivers would fix all our flats like the incredible Mr. Bac did last year. Anyway, we're all carrying spare tubes now.On Thursday (day 2), Ross had some derailer issues. The clamp that holds the derailer on broke beyond repair. Without any specialty shops, there's no hope of a fix until Hue. Fortunately, we had a spare bike (Chris's brother David, who is meeting us in Hue). Unfortunately, the same thing happened to Abigail today. The bad news: She had to spend the day in the van and we won't receive a shipment of the replacement parts until three more days of riding. The good news: we will actually be receiving the parts before Hue and Colin (our bike expert), will rig up her bike so she can ride in a single gear. More bad news: there may be a couple hilly days coming up. I really can't remember. But we'll be on the ever-scenic, often sloping Ho Chi Minh Highway again.The group has been incredible team players thus far, everyone is in good spirits and getting along. Any qualms I had about doing the ride a second time have vanished. Tomorrow we have a 100km day followed by a 113km day. That's why we're spending the rest of today relaxing on the beach!
-Chet

DeRAilED

2010-11-06T01:07:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning and I said to Chet something like: every day you set out anything can happen. We set off on a flat easy day mostly on Highway 1 towards the beach. I was chugging along, legs sore, but feeling good. I switched into a lower gear as I hit a slight uphill and then CRACK!!! My peddles kept spinning andI knew something was wrong. I pulled to the side of the road to examine the damage. The piece that controls the gears attatched to the back tire, which i now know is the derailer, had cracked off. Of all the problems we planned for and prepared for this is not one of them. The part needs to be replaced and it needs to come from HCMC. Day 4, and I spent most of it in the van GGRRRRRR!!!! Making the best of the situation Colin is going to rig my bike into a single speed which I will be able to ride for the next three days until the parts that Rob (original H2H rider and 2010 organizer) sent up arrive. Tomorrow is flat so it shouldnt be a problem, but i am not sure about the following two. If we hit some major hills it may mean some extra van time for me which i will do everything i can to avoid. I am bummed about the situation but Ill make the best of it as it is just part of the experience. My butt certainly appreciated the rest!!!!

-Abigail

When Butterflies Attack

2010-11-05T02:57:00.000-07:00

Day 3 down....and it was a good day. The morning started more smoothly than previous days. We had a great group stretch in the medivel soccer stadium that was discovered yesterday. We rolled out onto a stretch of rocky road that lasted longer than anyone would have liked. The road tossed riders up, down, and side to side but luckily only caused one flat tire. Next, we cruised down the ho chi minh highway which was the highlight if the day. It was a well paved FLAT road that took us through lush green mountains. Riding on this road was a joy. All of us looked at eachother wishing the entire ride would be just like this 28k stretch. The day was scenic, fast paced, and our longest yet. I reminded myself to enjoy the relative ease of the day as it only gets harder and hillier from here. Next time i decide to ride across a country, i will be sure to select a flat one. This evening town is larger than last nights providing us with internet, an atm, and more than two food options. Going to rest, eat, and rest some more..... We have a long month ahead!!!

-Abigail

Revisiting the Second Day

2010-11-05T02:12:00.000-07:00

After a comfortable sleep in Hoa Binh, the entire team arose to cold Northern weather that our Saigon bodies had not prepared for. Sasha led us in a good stretch - although there were complaints that some motivational music was needed - and our bodies were soon warmed. After a minor scuffle with the Hotel workers with an accusation of stolen tea, we were on our way!

All of us expected a similar ride to the day before, so we headed off south with our heads high and our music blasting. But after about 10 minutes, the entire team was looking directly at a mountain that looked scarier than Mordor. Our heads lowered in disappointment, but our feet kept moving. Some were in denial that we actually had to go uphill, so thought we were headed the wrong way. That mutiny was eventually quelled and the team continued upward. After a slow 5 km climb up the mountain, we were rewarded with some downhill cruising, our hair blowing in the wind, making us all look beautiful to any passerby. In addition, we saw our doppelgangers going the opposite direction - a team of Vietnamese bikers dressed in similar garb. We smiled and gave a secret wink that only adventurous bikers would understand.

We only had to bike 60 km today - which is a light day- so most riders took their time and took many breaks to eat a piece of fruit or take a couple of pictures. With only 15 km to go, we hit some rough terrain. Potholes, rocks, dirt, and danger lurking at every bend. We made our slow way into our second stop which was Lac Son. Our first stop at Hoa Binh seemed like NYC compared to Lac Son. No electricity, no hot water, and no internet. Us expatriates are not used to these lack of luxuries. We had to spilt up into the only two visible hotels, and our rooms looked reminiscent of an old hospital, with the occasional poop stain. But we were tired and dirty, so it suited us perfectly.

After the cold shower woke us up, we all went looking for food to throw into our mouths. We found a old man with a dainty wooden house who was cooking up some duck soup. He told us he was the only restaurant, and we believed him. We gobbled up his soup and thanked him kindly. He then demanded we take a picture with him because our H2H team gave him his biggest turnout in history. We thought that was just as adorble as he was, so we proudly joined him in front of his establishment for a photo.

With our bellies full, many returned to their rooms to collapse. I on the other hand, went with Phong, Liz and Sasha to continue to shoot the documentary. For those who don't know, the team is making a short doc to keep as a travelogue, and to use it to promote H2H. So we did our first interview of Sasha, and it went swimmingly. We chose a huge soccer field in the middle of town to shoot. When we arrived, the place was empty except for a few stray water buffalo. But by the time the camera was set up, there was a crowd of 20 gathering around us. Sasha made friends with an amazing old woman, who was supposedly in charge of the buffalo. After hellos and smiles were exhachanged, we politely asked everyone to stay quite so we can shoot. We got some good footage, except when the old lady walked directly in front of the camera to say goodbye to Sasha. After that, some of the riders decided to join the filming spectators to a rousing game of football. I attempted to play for a minute, but then realized I suck at soccer/football, and that the Vietnamese players were pretending I didn't exist. So I stuck to the sidelines and cheered.

Once people had worked up a sweat from sports and documentaries, we headed back to duck soup man to give him his second best crown of his life. This time, he served roasted duck and omelettes. All was cooked to perfection. We then headed back to our hotels, where Abigail led an awesome meeting. And then our feet carried us upstairs, and our heads hit the pillows, dreaming, anticipating and dreading the next day.

-Jeff

And we're 80 km closer

2010-11-05T01:32:00.001-07:00

Ride number three and I think everyone is in great spirits. On the road we're looking out for each other, people are texting to warn others when a road sign is confusing or has more than one name or isn't even there when it probably should - yes, these things can even happen in the label friendly country of Vietnam ;-)

However, most of the time a friendly local will point you in the right direction...most of the time. If you're ever in the city of Cam Thuy (forgive my tieng viet), don't trust the sweet, innocent looking little old lady selling Mangos - TREACHERY LIES BELOW. She'll turn your trip into one of those choose your own ending stories, and I think ours would have ended in the belly of a dragon; or we might have had to eat a moon cake the size of a dragon - either way, it wouldn't have been good. Instead, ask the guy in the Blue shirt named Minh. He'll guide you to safer pastures.

Also we had the privilege of riding on the Ho Chi Minh hwy today and it was glorious. To quote one rider, 'I was going faster, my bum didn't hurt...I just felt a whole lot sexier'; and another 'I think I want to move here.' It was definitely worth the price of admission.

All and all, everybody is feeling great and taking in all the sights this country has to offer, and the people of every village (so far) have made us feel at home as we rest up the next days adventure.

Take care, ya'll

I'm out

Kasey

Catdang village visit (Why we ride!)

2010-11-03T04:55:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday we had the privilege of visiting Catdang, a village about 90km (not 60k as I previously thought) south of Hanoi. The Children’s Initiative (TCI) has supported Catdang since 1993 and much of our fundraising this year will go back to the village. We piled into a bus arranged for us by TCI and led by Ms. Lien. It took us about two-and-a-half hours to reach the village. Actually we didn’t visit the village at all, but rather, the middle school “commune,” a handful of classrooms, school buildings and library. We entered a room with a welcome sign on a board and were greeted with speeches thanking us for our presence and commitment to the school from the school director and local leader of the Communist People’s Committee. After the ceremonial business and hand-shaking all 19 of us entered a classroom of 30-some 11-year-olds. They spoke literally no English. Phong and Nick attempted to communicate in Vietnamese but it was met with silence. The whole thing was a bit awkward, so we forced some conversation and smiled a lot.
After leaving the classroom, we were mobbed by the middle-schoolers, who gawked at us as we joked with them and tried out a little conversation. It was quite a spectacle. Obviously a horde of foreigners in Catdang is not an everyday occurrence — or something that has ever happened there before.
Following the mob scene and some lunch we returned to the school to a group of girls jumping rope. Of course it wasn’t long before some of our group literally jumped in. It was a huge hit with the kids.
Before heading back to Hanoi, we split into smaller groups and entered four different English classrooms. Though the class had some pretty complex verb structures written on the board, we soon found their conversational English was almost entirely lacking. Basics such as “How old are you?” and “What do you like?” were frequently met with silences and mumbling. The students might get plenty of practice in their workbooks, but little practice actually speaking.
We settled on drilling some body parts before a “Head, Shoulders” sing-a-long. At first, they looked at the four of us big guys in some degree of astonishment. We persevered, kept with it and they joined in. Seeing the kids was a great reminder of why we’re doing what we’re doing. If we needed any extra inspiration, we found it in Catdang.
We’ve just finished our first day of riding. We made it about 60 kilometers to Hoa Binh. Wish I could write more but it’s time for some quick dinner before our nightly meeting!
-Chet

One day down, many more to go...

2010-11-03T03:38:00.001-07:00

After lots of fun packing nineteen bicycles, all our bags and of course us into the vans and taxis, we arrived at the outskirts of Hanoi and made our final preparations for the 70km ride to the medium-sized town of Hoa Binh. Once we had escaped the dust and trucks of Hanoi, we passed through some scenic countryside and a few dusty towns. It was fantastic to be finally on our way from Hanoi to Saigon at last, and not do another training ride on the Nguyen Van Linh Parkway (where we've done all of our training rides), so with a big smile on my face I kicked on, and felt strong and healthy for the 3hr or so ride to Hoa Binh, helped on by some good tunes on the iPod, as well as the waves and smiles of lots of friendly children.

Yesterday we visited Catdang Village and saw first-hand the work that The Children’s Initiative is doing. We visited the school and had great fun with the kids including helping Jeff orchestrate head, shoulders, knees and toes! It was good to see the faces of the people we will directly help and everyone now has a piece of cloth on which is the names of some of the children. These will be tied to our bikes the entire ride to remind us of why we’re doing this. All my pre-ride nerves have gone now and I think everyone is feeling good and ready for what tomorrow will bring.

Nick

my week before the ride

2010-10-31T17:00:00.000-07:00

I'm not exactly the kind of girl that enjoys spending time at the gym, so I decided to spend my last week before the ride doing some training in a fun way.

My first stop was Halong Bay. It was amazing! I didn't realize how long I'd been in HCMC until I stepped out at night and there was complete silence. No motorbikes, karaoke singers, food vendors-just me, the sea, and the rock islands.

I definitely got a good warm-up workout during my 3 days at the Bay. The first day was just spent relaxing, sitting back and taking in the scenery. But, the second day was full-on. We did some kayaking in the morning (sore arms), then climbed a mountain in Cat Ba national park (sore legs and back), had some lunch, and did some more climbing around Monkey Island (entire body sore). It was painful but good, muscles that hadn't been used in awhile were starting to be used again, perfect way to get ready for next month!

My second stop was Sapa. I took the train out from Hanoi and arrived around 8 am. It was FREEZING. The only clothes I had were basketball shorts, a T-shirt, and some cutoff work pants. I haven't worn a jacket for the entire year and a half I've been in Saigon, so I thought I could just get by for a few days, but boy was I wrong. I rented a huge jacket and some rain boots and it was time to head out.

I spent the next three days trekking up and down the hills, mountains, and rice fields of Sapa. It was nice to see a different part of Vietnam. There are lots of minority hill tribes in the area, and each has their own language, clothes, and customs. We did a homestay in a village each night so we got to walk around and see the differences between the villages. It's so easy to forget that there are other people living here besides the Vietnamese.

It was hard work trekking though. It had just rained so for the first two days, the paths were really muddy. We hiked about 35km in two days, and my legs were so sore! But, it was all worth it. I was surrounded by green and breathing fresh air. We saw lots of butterflies, water buffaloes, huge grasshoppers, and even a poisonous snake! The last day was really nice because the sun came out and the views were spectacular. We did a short 10km trek then it was time to go back.

Back-to-back walking on the same sore legs hurt some, but by the last day I was used to it. I've been pretty scared about this bike ride because I'm definitely the slowest rider. I was the slowest walker during the trek, but I wasn't too far behind, and I still made it through and had a good time! After doing Sapa, I'm SO READY for this bike ride!!!

But, the best thing we saw was on the third day:

Apparently 4-leaf clovers grow in some rice paddies. The paddies along this one mountain we hiked along were filled with them! I felt like this was such a good omen for the next month.
Good Luck is on our side :)
-Angela

Trains......or NOT

2010-10-28T00:56:00.000-07:00

Our fearless H2H:2 group.

It was an exciting time Wednesday morning as we all congregated at the train station to say farewell to our bicycles and send them up to Hanoi. Nick set everything up in advance, and it seemed like it would be a seamless operation. After being here over a year I am very aware of the fact that nothing here ever goes as planned. Our group was being bounced around from place to place until Nick and Phong finally stepped in with their Vietnamese skills. We discovered that NO trains are heading to Hanoi at the moment.

Happy group

Earlier this week a massive storm caused huge flooding in the central part of the country. The storm killed 30 people trapped on a bus, wiped away hundreds of thousands of homes, and has blocked key roads and rail way links. Any train heading up out of Saigon is full of supplies and aid for the flood victims, and there is no room for bicycles. Before we panicked, we called Jet Star and confirmed that by paying a little bit extra we can box up our bikes and fly them as luggage... Crisis averted! This is just the first of many obstacles that we will come across, but wont stop us from getting back to HCMC!!!!
-Abigail

Sad group

Hills practice

2010-10-22T07:05:00.001-07:00

Cemetery guardians.

Four of us ventured to the highlands of Dalat earlier this week for some practice in the mountains. I'd been scare mongering about the difficulty of the hills so everybody was a bit apprehensive but excited about riding outside Saigon for some much needed new scenery and fresh air.
After a miserable, cramped bus ride in the middle of the night we arrived in Dalat at 5:30 am, promptly found a hotel and passed out again. By 11 am we were on the road making our way outside of the city.
Until this point the only ascents the riders had experienced in Vietnam were the little bumps in the road a.k.a. the bridges we pedal over. After the first little climb, Abigail was already venting at me and calling me nasty names. Murderous hills will do that to people. A lengthy descent followed, where we coasted for 15 minutes past children on bikes in school uniforms with turquoise sweaters. Fields and fields of cabbage. Every shade of green against an overcast sky. Relative quiet.
Then we climbed. Straight, straight up. Like climbing a staircase. We made it as far as the entrance to Lang Biang mountain, where we made unsuccessfully tried to make friends with a very pregnant mini pony and turned around back down the stairs and up the longer, but not so intense staircase.

View of Trai Mat from pagoda.

After passing back through Dalat, we headed south of town 8 km to Trai Mat, a small town I'd visited a couple times best known for its two pagodas. We had a rest stop, quick tour of the pagodas and nearby cemetery and headed back into Dalat.
We filled up on food and called it an early night. A very early night for myself. The midnight to early morning bus ride with my legs spilled out into the aisle had down me in.

Pagoda in Trai Mat, outside of Dalat.

After crashing for a full twelve hours, we got a late start on Wednesday. Had some trouble as the bus station when we were told they only had room for two of our bikes on each bus, much earlier than we hoped to return. My fury was exacerbated by the employee who seemed to find our predicament comical and laughed in our faces. Rational Abigail had to remind me that Vietnamese tend to laugh when they're embarrassed. Unfortunately at that point I was too worked up to care much.
After much deliberation and weighing our few options, we decided on a shortened ride. Two of us would return at 2 and the others at 3. We still managed to make it outside of the city for the area's big test: Prenn Pass.

Jeff and pregnant friend.

According to Jeff's Vietnam guidebook, Prenn Pass is the reason Dalat remained one of the most untouched cities during the "American" War. The pass rises eight kilometers from Prenn, a grueling climb. It wasn't nearly as bad as I remembered. But this year I was dealing with much better conditions. No 40 mile per hour wind and no rain. Last year, my hills tune-up in Dalat coincided with a typhoon hitting the Central coast, the remnants which hit Dalat.
On the return home we passed a couple small towns I remembered from the ride: Bao Loc and Dinh Quan. We spent Thanksgiving in Bao Loc and our final night in Dinh Quan. Just seeing it got me excited!
-Chet

21st Century Buddha

20 days to Hanoi!!!

2010-10-13T18:44:00.000-07:00

Biker chick

The clock is ticking, and there are only twenty days left to get into tip top gazelle like peak physical condition. October has been a great month of training, everyone has really stepped things up. My Goal was to ride four days back-to-back this week, but I am not feeling well today, so a day off and blogging will replace riding this morning. I did my first double loop three weeks ago -- and I struggled!!!!! I think I slept all day recovering from the experience. After a few more tries I have conquered the double loop! I am still scared for the ride, but not as terrified as I was after my first attempt. Tomorrow I will attempt my first triple loop of the parkway which is about 90k.... hopefully i'll live! A few of us are heading up to Dalat Monday night. It will be good practice for the hill section of the ride. More importantly it will let me know a little more about what I am up against. I am expecting to return from the trip with a broken spirit, but that will only be temporary as the excitement is building. We have a great group of riders this year. Riding and spending time with one another for an entire month will be unforgettable. I cant wait to get this show on the road!
-Abigail

Biker dude

Sweaty days, rainy days

2010-10-10T23:11:00.000-07:00

Dirt lines. We're hardcore.

Biked about 57-58 miles Friday morning. It was the first time I'd done three laps on Nguyen Van Linh parkway. We'd ditched the dreaded Highway 1 route (Hwy. 1 is Vietnam's main highway and runs all the way from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh. We could take that route and complete the ride in 2-3 weeks but we wouldn't see anything of note and we'd be doing more harm than benefit to our lungs.) Anyway, we started riding at 8:30 but by 11 the heat was stifling. My eyes burned from the smog, dirt and sweat. Made it up every bridge without changing from the highest gear until the last one. I had nothing left. My neck and back ached. Had some sweet tan lines from the city’s filth. Took an ibuprofen, a shower and promptly collapsed in involuntary exhaustion for an hour. I was fine a bit later, but the nap was necessary.
We've been washed out of training rides for a couple days as the rain keeps coming down. It's been about 24 hours straight now. Just as long as it gets it all out of the way before next month...
Chet

Happy bikers!

Jeff's sweet skids.

Five week countdown!

2010-09-25T19:47:00.000-07:00

Makin' it happen.

Five weeks from today, the second annual H2H juggernaut -- this year comprised of 20 riders -- will leave the Hanoi stables.
We're currently working it in the gym on the streets of Ho Chi Minh. Last week, seven of us did a double loop down the Nguyen Van Linh parkway and today six of us joined in. The double loop is about 65 kilometers, or 40 miles.
As always, the route is anything but dull as the unexpected keeps things fresh. Last week, we incurred two flat tires (or the same unfortunate rider did to be more exact), some miscommunication, some major cramping, and three riders getting caught in an early afternoon monsoon.

Vietnam is beautiful...just not so much our training route.

This morning, I felt someone touch my arm and rather irritated, turned to look. A man on a motorbike was holding out my red water bottle for me. My irritation immediately dissolved into massive thankfulness at his gesture. Amidst the chaos, there are random acts of kindness to be found!
Fifteen minutes later, I watched Abigail go left around a pedestrian dawdling in the street. I opted to go right. The woman froze and I nearly plowed her over, swerving at the last moment...whew. There's always something.
I seem to be getting even more waves and thumbs up than I'm accustomed to. It could be my sweet ass air guitar and dance moves I like to flex while riding no-handed. The locals seem to dig it. Or maybe I'm giving out more smiles, waves and thumbs up myself feeling refreshed and positive about Vietnam once again after having a nice respite. I'd estimate I got 50 waves and thumbs up today. Not bad for a day's ride!
-Chet

Abigail and Jess workin' it down the scenic Nguyen Van Linh Parkway.

Website

2010-08-04T19:46:00.001-07:00

Just a quick update- our new website is up and running. Check it out- www.h2hcharityride.org

H2H Donation Update!!

2010-06-09T20:16:00.001-07:00

We now have more proof of what our thunder thighs of yesteryear have produced. Here are some pictures of a new library for the Catdang Middle School, which has been partially funded by H2H. A LOT of progress has been made since I visited Catdang in January, when no part of this library even existed! Catdang is an artisan village located approximately 100 kms south of Hanoi. For over 16 years, The Children’s Initiative (TCI) – H2H’s umbrella organization - has been sponsoring projects here, including (but not limited to) the provision of electricity, buildings, scholarships, de-worming tablets, water purification tanks, and many other resources essential to the middle school’s (and indeed the village’s) sustainability as well as growth.
This year’s H2Hers are continuing to support TCI’s projects in Catdang (one of which may well be a new kindergarten which would benefit some of Catdang's youngest citizens, pictured above) – we hope you’ll consider donating to our 2010 ride to support the spandexed clan in its quest to see more projects like Catdang’s library come to life!

- Hilary

BEAUTIFUL BABY BLUISH BIKE FOR SALE

2010-03-04T21:41:00.000-08:00

Miss Jacinta "Jazzy well Sporty" Collins' bike made it from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. Sporty is bidding adieu to VN soon and is selling her bike for VND2 million. She's currently travelling around so contact Chet (ncliedl@gmail.com) if you have any questions or want to see the bike.

H2H in the new decade

2010-03-03T21:57:00.000-08:00

Last year’s ride may have ended three months ago, but the formidable and tenacious H2H juggernaut is just getting started. We’ve been busy lately and lots of exciting things are happening!
First, much of the money we raised has reached the grateful and needy charities we supported, including the Mekong Project. H2H was proud to fund $4,500 of the $28,000 it took to build a school in Tra Vinh Province, one of the poorest provinces in all of Vietnam. Construction on the school will begin in June.
Second, THERE WILL BE ANOTHER RIDE THIS NOVEMBER! You read that correctly. We held two meetings last week with encouraging attendance. We hope to have a group of at least 10 riders, which we believe we should be able to fulfill. We recently held our first practice ride of 45 kilometers down the Nguyen Van Linh Parkway outside District 7 in Ho Chi Minh City. And, of course, it wasn’t without adventure as we had a run-in with some eccentric characters and a motorbike up in flames in the middle of the road. Only in Vietnam!
Third, H2H is proud to be partnering with The Children’s Initiative (TCI) for this year’s ride and beyond. The Children’s Initiative (TCI) is an organization helping children in resource-poor communities via projects currently running in three countries: Ethiopia, Honduras, and Vietnam. All of the money we give to TCI will be used in Vietnam.
Last, but certainly not least, if you missed out on last year’s ride and are keen to ride in 2010, let us know! We’d love to have you.
It’s only March but it’s never too early to get fit in preparation for the ride. Happy Riding!

Day....

2009-11-30T04:01:00.001-08:00

It's over. There has been lots of celebrating, as such, not much posting. However, I am happy to report that all 13 riders made it back to HCMC safe and sound. Though, I must say, I am not so sure how well everyone is feeling after last nights welcome home party. It was one for the ages.

Thank you all for stopping by the last month. I hope you've enjoyed the blog and I hope you continue to enjoy it. There will be more pictures coming soon and I am sure more reflections. Also, you can still donate at the link in the upper right hand corner. So far we've raised almost $24,000 dollars.

The Final Countdown

2009-11-27T03:13:00.000-08:00

Sooo we have an interesting array of days behind us. More mountains (we never really got rid of them...) with a particularly good spot two days ago of 10k uphill of pure gravel. Actually, it was worse than gravel. It was bumps, unevenness, potholes, and rocks galore. And it was humid. However, it did bring us closer to the third mountain of that particular day, which means closer to the exhilarating descent from the clouds (quite literally) that the final 20k brought with it.

We got through that and through yesterday also, which brought hills but nothing threatening (bar MORE bumpiness). The countryside is also becoming a bit more varied than it has been (oooh another mountain edge, positively enthralling), with lots of cute little roadside villages, a few rice paddies, some woodland and a lot of green. We rode into Bao Loc yesterday to a sign indicating "TP Ho Chi Minh- 188km" (I couldn't quite believe it) and another bearing the promise of pizza (much to the excitement of many an H2H-er).

Pizza cravings fulfilled, thought today would be an easy ride, of sorts. And it was, once we got through another bout of our favourite terrain- about 15k downhill of road littered with rocks the size of fists and a whole lot of trucks to share with. This sounds easy, but we had to go very slowly and ours hands died a little with every squeeze of the brakes (the only way to avoid hurtling off our now-worn-out bikes). Unfortunately we didn't escape unscathed as Jacinta acquired a flat so big that it caused Bac the driver/genius-bicycle-repairer to utter his infamous "Waaaaaa!!" at the sight of it. He worked his magic though and soon enough she was whizzing onwards onto the relatively flatter terrain.

The expected 90k of today was cut short to about 70 after we arrived into Dinh Quan, our destination for the day, with more time with which to aniticipate tomorrow's arrival into Ho Chi Minh City. A combination of feelings from everyone- sadness from not wanting it to end, mixed with excitement at seeing everyone in Saigon and desire for personal comforts ( sleeping in til at least 1pm on any given day comes top of my list). At times you feel the frustration of less challenging flat roads and just want to get to the end, and at others you want to cherish every moment.

Array of feelings aside though, and that fact is that our ride ends TOMORROW. We've gone through at lot and experienced highs and lows (altitude-wise of course), freezing feet and sweaty backs, and the largest combined muscular pain known to man (with the Tour de France a close second :P). Can't believe how quickly it's gone by and simply the fact that we've cycled 2000km, with only the 110 of tomorrow to go. On that note...

See you in Saigon!

-Ronni

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T04:36:00.000-08:00

The Americans celebrated Thanksgiving by saying "Happy Thanksgiving" and eating lots of pizza in Bao Loc. I washed mine down with a pina colada and I think others chose beer. Or something.

2 days to go and less than 200 km to go. I'm feeling great.

Also of note: I finally washed my water bottles. Sort of. And it didn't really help. But adding orange soda did.

Thankfully, there's only 2 days of potentially nasty tasting water left.

-Justene

Day 24

2009-11-25T05:55:00.000-08:00

My Dad, my sister and I were almost finished constructing my sisters bed. We had just finished sanding all the pieces and my sister was priming the parts that had been finished. After the initial coat of primer was applied, we went to Knox Lumber to buy the final ingredient--the paint.

As my sister perused the hallways of paint samples for just the proper shade of pink, I fascinated myself with all the PVC pipe accessories. For some reason all the connectors, joints, and various kinds of puddy drew my 10 year old attention like nothing else.

Finally, my sister had decided on a color. She found my dad who then found me. We took the color sample to the paint section of the store. The man in the red apron behind the dye stained counter read the number and began to open a gallon can of latex paint. When the can was pried open I was astonished to see that it was white. I promptly notified my dad of the mistake. We had wanted pink, not white, paint.

As the man behind the counter went to work "making" my sisters pink paint, my dad patiently explained that the man would add a few bits of colored paint and then the can would be put in a machine and then we would have pink paint. Memorized, I watched the man add just a few drops of paint from the dye dispensaries, arranged circularly around two lazy Susan's in the middle of the paint sections fortified employee's only island. The man then put the gallon can between two sheets of metal connected to some kind of machine. He tightened some bolts so that the can was securely in place and would not budge for anything short of an earthquake. After double checking his work the man flipped a switch and the machine started moving the gallon of paint a centimeter or two vertically with little horizontal movement but at a very impressive speed.

Ten minutes later the man behind the counter stopped the machine and handed us our paint. The few drops of dye had evenly spread through out the creamy white latex to create a uniform hue of purplish pink paint.

Now, I've never been inside one of those paint making shaking machines. In fact, the story above illustrates my only encounter with one ever. Yet, with that said, I can empathize with the paint from the story. I know what the paint feels when it's being created. After the past few days of riding I understand violent, repetitive, and sustained oscillation. See, the roads the last few days have not been of a the highest quality. It's not as if there are gigantic, truck swallowing potholes, the roads aren't bad in that way, no it's the endless series of half inch deep cracks and small bulges emerging through the pavement that have pummeled us riders. My whole body aches, not from the exertion of riding 50+ miles a day, but from the constant undulation of Vietnamese highway 27. These roads have made mush of my knees and scrambled my insides like a Denny's grand slam.

Now, personally, I've been hunkering for a Perkins Belgium Waffle, but I have to say I am hope the roads become kinder and gentler as we approach Saigon. We've only got 300 kilometers to go and I don't want to eat a liver and cheddar omelet for breakfast, even if it comes with a whip cream soaked waffle.

A fun fact for the day...

2009-11-23T03:32:00.000-08:00

Another day off and still, none of us have cleaned out our water bottles. Tasty.

-Ronni