Bike Tour of Vietnam

[Active Travel Asia]

On the first day of our bike tour of Vietnam, we took them for a spin to brave the chaotic traffic of Hanoi.  It was pretty intense riding alongside dozens of motor bikes and cars and other bicycles. Plus the inhaling of constant exhaust fumes kinda makes you feel like you’ve smoked a pack of cigarettes by the end.  We were ready to get out into the countryside and explore.

A crowded street in Hanoi’s Old Quarter (Photo by Lisa Lubin)

Our first day of real cycling we cycled 37 km to Cuc Phuong, Vietnam’s first National Park.  Inside the park we visited the Endangered Primate Rescue Center. The center, run by German biologists and local Vietnamese, rescues and cares for primates that are often hunted and traded for eventual medicinal ingredients.  There are several different species cared for here including the long-armed Gibbon, the long-tailed Langur monkey, and Lorises—smaller nocturnal primates.

Monkey at the Primate Rescue Center in Vietnam (photo by Lisa Lubin)

After a tiring first day of riding, we then did a ‘mini-trek’—up about one thousand steps in the forest…quite possibly harder than the cycling trip we had just done. 

Our third day was a rain and mudfest into the town called Hoa Lu and possibly my favorite ride of the trip. It drizzled all day and the roads were dirty so when you are going fast through puddles there was no helping the Jackson Pollock effect of mud splatter all over your body.

Muddy legs after a day of riding (Photo by Lisa Lubin)

Despite the free mud wraps (you’d pay about $100 for a spa treatment like that inChicago), we rode about 70K through some of the most charming and tiny, stone-walled villages and mysterious misty mountain towns  For lunch some of us tried a ‘hot pot’ goat soup for lunch…somewhat tasty, but a little gamey for me.  After replenishing our energy we rode further into the city of Ninh Binh where good tour planning allowed us to check in to day rooms at a local hotel to shower and relax with a beer in the rooftop bar before hopping on the overnight train to the town of Hue.

Goat Stew for lunch (Photo by Lisa Lubin)

Hue was a charming cultural town of pagodas, temples, and a citadel. We did an easier cycle tour around the city checking out the sights. The following day we tackled our first major hills. The first one was a four-km, uphill mountain climb. It was super hot and humid out and the salty sweat was dripping into my eyes as I huffed up the mountain pass. I stopped mid-way for a breather and some water. I was happy and proud to reach the top as this was probably the biggest hill I’d ever climbed. Not only was my rear sore, but my thumb was a bit chaffed from the constant downshifting of my 24-speed bike.  But it was only the beginning. 

After a fun beach lunch and refreshing dip in the ocean we were faced with the infamous Hai Van Pass, an 11 km, 10 percent grade uphill climb of curvy road and switchbacks. I use the term ‘we’ loosely, since myself and two other gals skipped the bike ride up and caught a ride with Loi on the bus.  It just didn’t look fun to me and a bit too intense for my leg muscles.

  

Making up the Hai Van Pass (Photo by Lisa Lubin)

The other tough mountain bike-trained girls peddled up the winding mountain pass road. It took them about an hour to an hour and a half. For many it wasn’t the climb, but more the heat that made if difficult.   When I did my hill that took about 20 minutes for me and I felt proud of myself and called it a day. Coming from the Chicago ‘flatlands’ I have no training with hills and pretty much despise them. But I will say that after five days of riding all day, I was certainly getting better. Back at home I’ve done long rides (about 70K or 40 miles), but never intensely or as consecutively as this.

It was fun stopping along the side of the road to take photographs and cheer on the others as they climbed the mountain pass. It was like we were part of a triathlon or something.

The wonderful pay off of the pass was heading down the 11 km on the other side. We hit speeds of close to 30 mph, which is pretty fast on a bike and cruised down the mountain with a wonderful cooling breeze in our faces. This time I was one of the first to the bottom….love the speed.

Now, on our way to Hoi An, we cruised past the infamous China Beach where U.S. soldiers went for a little ‘R & R’ during the Vietnam War (or American War as they call it here—makes sense, I guess).

Charming pagoda of Hue (Photo by Lisa Lubin)

Inevitably I always ended in the back of the herd, many times because I would stop and take photos while many of the girls raced on by, but mostly because I just wasn’t as fast as them. Many of these girls were on a mission to be number one. Whereas I was on a mission to just get good exercise and see the country from this unique perspective.

Another thing that inevitably slowed me down were these amazingly adorable kids that we would pass on the way. As we cruised by, eager kids greeted us with excited ‘hellos’ every few yards the entire way. I’ve never seen such innocent smiles as the kids would run out of their homes and drop anything and everything just to be able see us and to shout their one English word, “hello.”  I’ve never heard so many “hellos” shouted at me in my entire life. Plus from all the cyclists that go this route over the years they have learned to do hand slaps.  I would slow down and give them a “high five” as I whizzed by. And then I would hear their chuckles as I continued down the road to the next group of excited kids.

Vietnamese boys in the countryside on the way to Hoi An (Photo by Lisa Lubin)

These are incredibly poor kids, that couldn’t look happier.  It always made me smile to see them, even if bugs were getting in my teeth. And I did my best to wave and say hello to each one …

Source: http://www.britannica.com