Day 27: We're Coming Home

This final day of H2H 2015 began earlier than the rest, and even the terrible morning people (cough, Damo, cough) were up and ready because we all knew what was at the other end: our friends, our own beds and, most importantly, pizza and BBQ.

I had set a different route into the city from past years in order to completely avoid Highway 1, which is harrowing on a bike, but once I explained it to the DHL drivers they were having none of it. This new way would require a ferry crossing, which they said would take hours since holiday traffic was pouring out of Saigon. So much for that, Highway 1 it was - little did I know that a branch of AH17 has been added to the highway, allowing us to go around the worst stretch. Another benefit was that this significantly shortened the route - instead of nearly 100km as proposed by me, we were now facing a trifling 83. We had told everyone to meet us at Cargo Bar in District 4 at 4pm, so with ample time we enjoyed a long breakfast and could take our time on the road.

We rode differently today: the whole team together, with Kim and Damo out front and me at the back (which, I have to admit, was extremely boring), while the DHL van and Mr. Cuong the white van man acted as buffers at either end. The traffic, especially on the AH17 branch, was surprisingly light and completely manageable, much safer than in years past. After an extended water/Revive/Coke break at a roadside cafe we carried on - our first stop on the way into Saigon would be The Boathouse in Thao Dien, where Bekah, Bex and Thea, the injured riders, would meet us for the final leg into the city.

We rejoined Highway 1 in Thu Duc District and began following the metro construction past Suoi Tien. Coming over a rise you could see the unmistakable silhouette of the Bitexco Tower in the hazy distance and a cheer went up - we could see the end of this amazing journey, and it was an exciting moment.

 We entered District 2 with time to spare and turned off the highway towards The Boathouse, located in the BP Compound. As we went through the security gate at the entrance an extremely drunk Vietnamese man decided to crash his motorbike right in the middle of the group. Unfazed we carried on past the expensive villas and it was high-fives all around as we parked our bikes. Rider Damo is friends with Rod Quinton, the owner of The Boathouse, and he had arranged a 2 million VND tab for the team. We settled into the leafy riverside environs of the restaurant and enjoyed a few very well-deserved brews along with chips and salsa. We also reunited with the three girls who had returned to Saigon earlier in the ride, and it was great to see them in high spirits.

The drivers, Anh Thuong, Anh Thang and Chu Cuong, received Hawaiian shirts as a token of our appreciation for their patience and hard work over the month.

 After one final team picture, and the first full team shot in over three weeks, it was time to head to Cargo and the grand finale. Bekah and Thea, still unable to ride, went in the van, while Bex bravely mounted her Giant and rode along.

Across the river and through Binh Thanh, entering District 1 and riding along the river - it was strange cycling past skyscrapers and condo towers after several weeks of scruffy towns, herds of cattle and epic natural vistas. After one final regroup at a cafe around the corner from Cargo it was time to finish: Bekah and Thea walked along while we held up traffic to finish as a whole. Rounding onto Nguyen Tat Thanh we could see the crowd of friends and supporters gathered at the entrance to Cargo. It was an emotional moment for everyone and, if you'll allow me to indulge for a minute, an especially important one for me. This was my third H2H, and on the previous two I had experienced muscle strains with five days remaining, leaving me unable to finish either time. This year I had sorted the problem out and cruised through the final days with nary an ache or pain. As much as I love the charity, team-building and leadership aspects of H2H, actually finishing the ride was my top priority this time around, and I was doing just that. I'm not usually one for crying, but I couldn't help it as the crowd cheered for us, we chanted H2H and everyone started hugging each other. We had done it. I was so proud to have co-led such a great group of people so a successful finish. (And shout out to co-leader Chris Rolls, who was an absolute pleasure to ride with. To borrow his own favorite phrase, he's a top man.)

And what friends we have - within seconds of dismounting our bikes we were handed pizza, beer and a bottle of Scotch whiskey with a GoPro attached to it (thanks Matt and Alex!). I could see a whole range of emotions on each rider's face: joy and pride at completing such a daunting physical challenge, elation at seeing friends and loved ones, and perhaps a few twinges of sadness as we all realized something special was coming to an end. 

No sadness here though.

It's difficult to sum up something as big and varied as H2H. What I've learned over three rides is that it's a huge undertaking made up of small moments: the smile of a child when you wave back at him; a panorama of utter beauty that flashes by as you rocket downhill at 60kph; the boy in Dong Le who said One Direction sucks; the whole team belting out 'Bohemian Rhapsody' in Buon Me Thuot (Ok, I guess that's a 7-minute moment); stretching with the children at the orphanage in Pleiku; Team North America crushing Team England in kickball; talking to coffee farmers next to the hills they harvest; drinking with cops - the list goes on. As time progresses we'll forget parts of the ride; I'm guessing I'm the only person who can still name every town we stopped in. But I think we'll remember these moments, and we'll certainly remember each other and the causes we rode for.

Of course, the star of the show on H2H is always the incredible country of Vietnam. We've all adopted it as our home, some for longer than others, and what it gives back to you on the ride can never be repaid. The countless people who helped us out of pure generosity, the staggering scenery, the food and the roads. H2H wouldn't exist without this place, and I for one am thankful to have the opportunity to see it in such a way. I enjoy Saigon and all of its creature comforts, but the real Vietnam is out there, somewhere on the road, and I miss it already. Until next time.

Words by Mike Tatarski
Images by Mike Tatarski, Chris Rolls and Tat Lay

P.S. We are still fundraising for our charities until the end of this month! We've nearly broken the $45,000 record set by the 2012 team, and we want to thank everyone for their support. If you'd like to donate please do so here: http://www.justgiving.com/teams/h2h2015

Day 18: Plei Can to Kon Tum 75km

You've just riden 75km in the tropical heat and what's the first thing on your mind when you arrive?

Cold shower?

Sleep?

Or fish and chips, sandwiches, pizza and pasta all complimented by donuts? 

The team was excited to learn from Trip Advisor that there was a pizza restaurant in Kon Tum. The capital town of Kon Tum Province that boarders with Laos and Cambodia.

BiBi Pizza reviewed the "Best Pizza in Town" by Trip Advisor member joanneandsteve4.

The bad news was that this place did not exist after numourous attempts to find it.

The good news was that we were able to find an amazing place that served fresh rice noodles with barbecue pork and spring rolls. Known in Vietnamese as Bun Thit Nuong.

They say that money can't buy happiness, but it can buy you Bun Thit Nuong which is the same thing.

Above: Our Bun Thit Nuong cooked by this lovely lady.
Left: Our hungry riders ready to eat. The next 5 minutes was dead silent.

With another drama free ride out of the way, we moved closer to Ho Chi Minh City. Spirits are high and moral up, Keith Lamburger hosts a second culture night. 

Here's the game. 

1 team member gets blind folded and 3 other team members are drawn from a hat to have their face touched.

The blind folded team member has to guess the face he/she is touching.

After two successful attempts from Carolyn and Claire we had time for one more. 

However, this time Tat is blind folded and funny man Zak, Isaac and Chris Tran believe it would be hilarious to turn around and allow their bums to be touch. 

Funny when it's not you having to touch the bums....

For the full video, please watch this space. 

Having a sense of humour is about being able to take a joke.

Captain Chris Rolls happy he's just finished the day. 

Rider Isacc Luchini lining himself up for a finishing hi5

First finisher Jack Kimber welcoming last rider Kim.

Jack Kimber watching the world go by allowing his Bun Thit Nuong digest.

Finally,  rider Keith Lamburger caught in a candid shot practising his impressions of the legendary Bricktop from Snatch.

 "I don't care if he's Muhammad "I'm hard" Bruce Lee. You can't change fighters."

Words: Tat Lay
Photos: Tat Lay and google images

Day 8 Quy Dat to Dong Hoi

H2H Official Update

We’re sad to report that team legend Thea Dacke fell down a step at breakfast on day 8 and broke and dislocated her wrist. She was treated at a local hospital and when the x-ray confirmed the news that she couldn’t continue on the ride, we put her on the next flight back to Saigon for specialist medical attention. She has now been operated on and is on the road to recovery. Thea is much missed by the team, not least for her flow of memorable quotes and we look forward to seeing her at the finish line. Get well soon Thea! This now means that 3 riders have unfortunately needed to return to Saigon and we ride on with 17 for our injured friends and for the 5 amazing charities we’re supporting.

Blog

Day 8 - Quy Dat to Dong Hoi – 114km

Day 8 began in Quy Dat, a quiet town near Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, home to the world’s largest cave. The valley floor on which Quy Dat lies is so flat and so lusciously green that I thought the rice fields behind would make an idyllic cricket pitch. My suggestion was met with blank stares from both the Vietnamese locals and the American contingent of our group. It was like I was speaking another language.

The hotel wasn’t quite as well equipped as those previous, and so six of us gents had to make the best of 3 double beds in one room. As I woke I was sure I was back in my middle school changing room. The smell of deep heat, dirty feet and damp clothes was palpable. I rolled over and was greeted by the gentle snoring of ride leader Chris Rolls, six inches from my face. Coincidentally, Chris is old enough to be my PE teacher, and actually bears a slight resemblance to Mr Golding himself. I didn’t recognise the snoring though…

We ate banh mi and xoi [sic] for breakfast, and filled up on sugary snacks and biscuits from the barely-stocked supermarket – ‘super’ it certainly wasn’t. We suffered two delays before our grand departure. First, Thea’s suffered a freak banh mi injury, and broke her wrist. It was a desperately unlucky incident, and the team were just as gutted as Thea that she could no longer take part in the ride. We all wish her well, and for a speedy recovery. Second, the local police dropped by to check our passports and take our details. Bizarre it may seem, but I too would consider criminalising the act of 18 loud foreigners clad in lycra, stretching enthusiastically on the high street. Although the majority of the ride members are English teachers, a few of the crew work in other sectors. The cops handed out forms to fill in, and I found out Mike is in fact a professional fluffer. Luckily for him, the police did not insist that we provide hard evidence of our employment. Pun intended.

Finally, with Thea taken to hospital and in the capable hands of Carolyn and Kim, we were able to leave town for our 114km slog to Dong Hoi, a small coastal city. We re-joined the Ho Chi Minh Highway, and soon encountered one of the highlights of the trip so far; Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. It is home to the recently discovered Sơn Đoòng Cave, considered the world’s largest. We had planned to visit one of the smaller, more accessible caves that afternoon, but with the day’s sturm und drang we neither had the time nor the desire to explore much.

The ride itself featured our first serious climb of the tour, a category 3 ascent which sent us up and into the clouds and fog which cling to the mountains’ summits. At the top, visibility was restricted to 30 yards, and it was eerily quiet in the jungle. Too quiet. The scenery was so otherworldly that it wouldn’t have looked out of place in a Jurassic Park movie, albeit without the delirious cyclist pedalling slowly up the mountain. The descent, usually enjoyable, was made tough by the bad road surfacing, and the rain and mist meant it was slow going downhill and heavy on the wrists as I couldn’t release the brakes for more than a few seconds at a time. Once I reached the valley at the bottom the road opened up very wide and looked as though it could double as an airstrip. 20 yards wide, dead flat, 3 kilometres long. I’d like to know if indeed that was its secondary use, perhaps during the war. [Edit: Yes, it was an airstrip used by the North-Vietnamese].

After the national park the going was much easier. The road rolled down to the city of Dong Hoi, situated on the coast about 50km away. After we showered, a celebratory beer was in order on the promenade. Several members couldn’t wait for the shower, and instead dropped their bicycles, stripped off, and charged down to the sea. A rather less dignified, sweatier version of the ending of Les Quatre Cents Coups.

Team Update : Chris Rolls

Words : Jack Kimber

Photographs :Chris Rolls/Mike Tatarski

Day 7: Huong Khe to Quy Dat

H2H Injury Update: After an injury report in our previous post, the 2015 team is gutted to announce that rider Rebecca Richardson has also returned to Saigon for medical treatment. On Day 7 Bex came off her bike at a railroad crossing at the bottom of a hill and landed in a heap. She was taken to the nearest major hospital immediately and flew to Saigon a couple of hours later. She is receiving excellent care there and is expected to heal up well. We're sad to see Bex leave the ride, but she remains with us in spirit and we can't wait to see her at the finish line in Saigon. If you'd like to speed up her recovery process by donating to H2H via her fundraising page, please do so here: https://www.justgiving.com/Rebecca-Richardson15/

Day 7 began overcast but dry, which left everyone in good spirits. Chris G. gave a rousing sendoff to Bekah Round, who was being taken to the Dong Hoi airport, before we headed off for a 70km cycle to Quy Dat, a new stop on the H2H route. The first roughly 50km were through familiar territory though, as we headed to Dong Le, a good lunch stop.

We stayed on the beautiful Ho Chi Minh Highway for a bit before turning off onto a smaller, but very fun, road. We raced over the undulating hills through scruffy villages with little traffic on the road. A tough climb about 26km in got everyone's legs burning, but the view at the top was worth it.

After that it was a rollicking, occasionally bumpy blast to Dong Le, with plenty of high-fives and hellos from children along the way. Jack and I even raced the train at one point when it pulled up along the tracks that parallel the road. The front pack stopped for some amazing chicken curry in Dong Le, and I received the upsetting news of Bex's accident while there. It was decided that she would be rushed ahead to Dong Hoi, the nearest major city, in the rear van, along with co-leader Chris Rolls and Carolyn, one of our first-aid reps. This meant we would only have one support van for the remaining 20km to Quy Dat.

Everyone was a bit shaken, but we saddled up and decided to stick together. The rest of the ride was challenging but gorgeous. We knew there were two more climbs, and they were tough, although the following downhills were adrenaline-fueled rushes.

 With 6km to go before reaching town we thought we were done with climbs, but as we passed the DHL van the drivers indicated that there was one more very steep one. They weren't kidding. Short but with a vicious incline, this left everyone breathing hard, and we were then left even more breathless by the views on the other side. We were near Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, one of the most incredible areas of Vietnam. It sits on a giant limestone plateau which extends deep into Laos, and the scenery is dramatic.

 We rolled into Quy Dat a bit later than anticipated, but everyone was in good spirits, all things considered. This had been a tough day, both physically and psychologically, but the team really pulled together and looked out for one another. As one of the team leaders I couldn't have been prouder of how the group reacted. And just check out the hotel view:

 Later that evening the group which had gone to Dong Hoi with Bex met up with us, and we were ready to take on the next day.

Words & pictures by Mike Tatarski