RIDE DAY: Hue Siteseeing and Hue to Long Co, VT

2/4/09-2/7/09
Days: 83.59 km
Cume: 1904.4 km
Avg: 16.1 kph
Max: 48 kph
Highs: Leaving Hue and actually getting back into the coutryside, two mellow passes, felt like a short day (2/7/09), arriving at an empty Long Co Beach and feeling at home with the waves crashing and the salty sweet scent in the air
Lows: SOOOOOOOOOOO MANY HORNS AHHHHHHHHH, 5 yr old boy aims a big rock at me with a mean face and shouts in Long Co Village (interesting)


Hue was a lovley place to ride and walk, even with all the traffic. I ended up staying a few days to take in all the scenary and just to chill out. I took a boat trip down the Perfume River (aptly named for all the sweet blossoms on trees and shrubs throughout the area) to see the amazing tombs of the former emperors and a couple of temples. Really, I just enjoyed walking in the citadel at night and just checking out the scene, walking on the AMPLE public parks along the river on both sides, watching the light show projected on the bridge each night and just ambling around. I was lucky and met a French man on the boat who is also a cyclist and who gave me some good route information on the roads I intended to ride which he had just come down by bus. Brilliant and sooo helpful!

I was happy to leave Hue after a few days of the traffic and speed of the city and return to the country. Highway 1 is unbelieveable, busy, narrow, loud, fast and crazy. I can see why cyclists like to ride down it, because of the scenary, but I don't get it because of the speed and noise and fear factor of the big trucks and buses driving wherever they please (including on the shoulder of the opposite side of the road). It really is incredible how the Vietnamese drive. I'll save comment for my rant that I promise I'll transcribe soon.

Riding into Long Co, though, made it all worth it. From talking with locals, it had been cloudy for fifteen days and the day I arrived, it was sooooooo sunny. I stayed at a fancy and empty resort with an ocean view and the sounds of ways crashing all night long ($10 and slept with the windows open!). The head of the front desk took a liking to me and showed me a few spots within the resort where I could get good ocean views, hang out and read and not be bothered by hockers on the beach. The beach was sooooooooooooooo lovely and EMPTY! I came two months prior to the start of their real season and there was nearly noone at the resort and on the beach. I went for sunrise and sunset walks and decided to stay two nights (I'd have stayed a week if Sharon was with me!). I made friends with a couple of fishermen from the village after I helped them and a handful of other guys to flip over a few of their hand woven bamboo boats to be re-coated with tar. I really wanted to help them do the tarring, but due to some miscommunication, I missed out. They invited me in for tea and snacks and I returned later hoping to help them do some tarring with a six pack of local beers. They thought I was crazy but happily invited me back in and we just sat around and enjoyed each other's company.

I met another gentleman who owns a little restaurant and shop on the street and he invited me to a "party" during one evening after I had lunch at his restaurant and conversation that lasted like an hour and a half. His little brother was so excited to show me his foreign currency collection he has been working on for two years and he was so proud of his American quarter collection after having collected all but six of the state coins! I promised him I'd send the ones he was missing, especially since he's missing the coin from great state of California. When I went back to his shop during the evening not knowing what to expect, Michael brought out a HUGE basket of oysters, fired up a small fire and bar-be-qued oysters until a half hour past I had hit my limit! SO AMAZING! Fresh oysters from his sister who, I guess, has a fishing boat. When I tried to give him money, he told me absolutely not and then drove me back to my hotel on the back of his motor bike. He and I and his two brothers laughed the night away listening to 80's music! One of his brothers likes Michael Jackson and he hates it! We were both singing along while Michael looked on disapprovingly! So much fun! Long Co, so sweet, so kind! Such a relief from chaotic city life!

Tomorrow, the famed Hai Van Pass. I'm ON!


the ocean surges
thrown against the shore
by a bright full moon
I think I see fishing boats
small black dots on rough waters

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fog fails to eclipse
the glowing sea basked
in full moon glow


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these fishermen
who live and die by the sea
launch into dark surf


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