Day 23 The Final Rest Day at Buon Ma Thuot

Are there any two words in the English language more beautiful than “Rest Day”? I think not. This is our 4th and final rest day of the ride, and it’s safe to say that we are all very happy to have it.

We’ve been on the road for more than three weeks now, and all the small bumps and bruises we’ve had along the way, combined with very sore leg muscles, plus being out in the heat every day, it’s definitely starting to catch up with us. Today is all about hydration and recharging for the last five days of riding that lay between us and our arrival at the finish line in Saigon on Friday. There are hills in our future, big ones, but let us not speak about that today...

The overall mood of the team remains very positive. In what might have been his best idea ever, rider Ray Guerra suggested we find a slightly nicer hotel for these two nights in Buon Ma Thuot. Our accommodations on this trip have been pretty meager, but for just a few extra bucks per night we are in a four star hotel that feels like heaven. The hotel even has - wait for it - a pool! Upon arrival yesterday a bunch of us ordered a truckload of pizza and beer, I brought my portable Bose speaker down to act as DJ, and it was suddenly a fabulous pool party. Pure bliss.

For lunch today I went to KFC, once again realizing that the things we take for granted in daily life become special treats when they are taken away. Holy moly, I’ve never enjoyed KFC as much as I did today.

Getting laundry done, a trip to the grocery store to replenish my snack supply, and a nice long nap rounded out this lazy day. Others are off having coffee and smoothies and exploring the town.

Since this is my last opportunity to blog on the ride, I’d like to single out one rider and one sponsor in particular:

Linh is our only Vietnamese rider this year, and it would be impossible to list the countless ways she has helped the group, both collectively and as individuals. She has unlimited patience, and this ride would not have been the same without her. I hope H2H has more Vietnamese riders in the future.

The sponsor I’d like to recognize is Nutrition Depot. Andrew donated a big pile of powders and supplements to help repair our aching muscles, the whole team is grateful to him for his generosity. I find these supplements to be really helpful (especially the BCAAs) so, thank you Andrew and Nutrition Depot!

That’s all for now. Tomorrow morning it’s back on the bike. See you in Saigon on April 27th!

-Andy