Alarm calls - After two weeks on the road with early starts daily, does anyone need these any more? Not me. Usually up between 4 and 5am. Ouch.
Banh mi trung – the daily search for our morning fuel has become something of a ritual. Thanh My’s were good.
Catching up – For some reason, I usually end up in the pack toward the back. Today, my accomplices were Tessa, Isaac and Kristy. We shared banh mi’s, banter and warmed up together during the first 15km.
Downpour means dogs - Andy, our resident weather forecaster, let us down today as a sudden heavy shower took us all off guard. But we managed to stop at a roadside spot, chatting with the locals and most importantly playing with the super cute puppies (see pic below).
Every cloud has a silver lining – After the rain, the sun will shine and Vietnam reveals even more stunning scenery.
Flora and fauna & Greenery – Today’s ride may be short but the river side road revealed an incredible canopy of primeval jungle which was truly a beauty to behold.
Hills & Inclines – Today was a fairly gentle ride until the last 10 kms which involved some serious inclines before we descended into Kham Duc.
Juggernauts – Not too many to contend with today, but on the hills and climbs it was often a contest to see who would reach the top first (Hint: the H2Hers often beat the juggernauts)
Kham Duc – a little slice of the wild west in the middle of Central Vietnam. On a Sunday afternoon, Kham Duc’s quiet streets could easily double for a studio set for a set piece stand off between cowboys and sheriffs.
Lunch is something we don’t often get to enjoy on the road together, but with today’s relatively short ride, we were all in Kham Duc by midday and so could enjoy a fantastic lunch by a lovely lake.
Munchies – despite having all had a great lunch, by mid afternoon the munchies were starting to set in and the hunt for snacks was on – what could Kham Duc entice us with?
Not a lot, it seems, although the crisps, fruit and banh mi seemed to be flowing…
Oh, and of course, those Bia Larue’s kept on flowing in the hotel garden – one of the better rest stops on H2H.
People is what it’s all about – the H2H team (riders and drivers), the wonderful people we meet on the road, and the children, who we are riding for…
Queen Monich – read on…
Rain – did I mention the downpour earlier?
Saz & Emma started some very silly drinking games over lunch and so the Larue’s kept coming and as a result…
Total exhaustion was starting to set in – little did I know that I would be spending most of the next 36 hours in bed – physically…
Unable! To! Move!
Van – Mr Cuong and his van have been a staple of H2H for many years and today it was poor John Payne (food poisoning), John Pemberton and Craig (flu) who had to sit out the ride and enjoy Cuong’s company.
Waterfall – Isaac, Kristy and myself could not resist taking a plunge at the Queen Monich Waterfall.
Xhausted – did I mention, how exhausted many of us were after the middle four days.
Yes – finally. Rest day is here…
Zzzzzzzz – I was so looking forward to a late night with the guys (accompanied by some alcohol) but by 7pm I was out like a light. The best laid plans… but as it turned out my absence did not stop the rest of the team from having some alcoholic fun, but beyond that my lips are sealed as “what happens on H2H, stays on H2H”.
PS – Unfortunately, Ana had to leave H2H today. We all wish her well.
Davide
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