A Luoi to Prao to Hoi An - 200kms

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I had been warned not to have breakfast at the hotel because it was not included in the price and was also not so good. While waiting for G&V to come down from their room - I retrieved my insulin from the hotel fridge. Hearing what sounded like a soft cackle coming from near a sink - I saw a caged chook under the drain pipe from the sink and over a trap. Looks like the house chook is also the "garbage disposal" and eats any of the food scraps that come down the drain pipe. I guess that's OK until you are fat enough to look like a good meal and become part of "com ga". We went a few meters to the next corner where we had Ca phe Saigon (frothed-up" black VN coffee with ice, and Op La - an omelette in a fresh baguette. They were smaller than regular VN baguettes and we ended having a second one!

The was a little bit of discussion when we checked out because we thought that we should not be paying full price for the room when so many of the "included" utilities did not work. The young girl from the previous night was still on duty and she was insisting we paid the full price. A well-dressed elderly lady arrived during our discussion and we asked if she was the manager or owner. After sputtering that she "did not speak English" - she high-tailed it out of there as fast as she came in. We suspected she was one of the owners and decided she did not not to get caught up in a barrage of complaints and GTF outa there!!! Grudgingly we paid the full amount as we did not want the little night watch-woman to get into trouble for not collecting the full amount. The hotel was the Do Thanh - which we then renamed the Do Not!!!

The road of of A Luoi is a couple of kms long, lined with dwellings and various small businesses and coffee stalls. Scenery enroute to Prao was much like the previous day - alto less small communities because of the mountainous terrain. We followed the course of a river, passing several lakes, dams and hydro power plants. There we several waterfalls cascading down from the mountains - one of which ended in a rock pool that was used by some local teens as their swimming hole. Vegetation was quite thick through this area - and easy to see why parts of the route were used by North Vietnamese Army and VC soldiers to carry ammunition and supplies to the southern provinces. Due to the steepness of some parts - it must have been an arduous task. They stayed out of the valleys in order not to be seen and be an easy target for the US warplanes. Pineapples appeared to be the fruit of choice for this area. Not sure if it is because of the soil, climate, sunshine or..????

Prao is another of those small townships that has grown up along the road. The population is not large - but the main street seemed like it would never end. We made a stop here to get a bahn mi - then went to a coffee shop run by a small elderly and very friendly lady. A good rest here for ca phe Saigon and to use her toilet and internet. Teh it was back in the saddle for the final leg home - about 60kms. From this point we started downhill and the scenery was still spectacular. We did encounter some roadworks as well as truck and tour buses. It was during this stretch that I encountered my second flat tyre (again the rear and the 2-day old tube). We had been swapping role of "leaders" throughout the rides, and at the time of my flat - G&V were in front and had gone out of sight. They thought i might have been help up behind some traffic through the roadworks. I had no choice but to ride slowly trying not to run the tyre off the rim. I had no idea how far it would be to the next community and it they had a tire/motorbike repair shop. After about 10 minutes G&V appeared, saw the situation, then went a head to see if they could find a tyre shop. Luckily I only had to go about 1 km and found G&V at the only tyre shop in the very small village. Again - the mechanic left the bike he was working on and tended to my needs. It's a simple way to the exhaust and swing arm off a Yamaha Nuovo in order to be able to take the rear wheel off.- and within a few minutes - Mike the Mechanic was able to show me that the valve stem had separated from the tube. The new tube that was fitted days earlier must have been a cheap Chinese tube. After another 15 minutes - new tuber inserted and the pieces put back together. This time the charge was only US$5 for the new tube and labour.

The remainder of the trip "down the mountain" was uneventful. Heavy vegetation started to give way to farming plots and larger communities until before long we were within 20kms of the coast and our destination.Our approach to Hoi An was around 4.00pm - and it seemed like every school was letting their kids out at the time we were passing. As previously mentioned - VN parents hang around the school gates like vultures waiting to pounce on their kids. It was more nerve-wracking getting through these seas of parents than it was dodging regular traffic. The only major mishap in the 4 days was Garry trying to negotiate a path through some roadworks when his rear tyre gave way in some loose dirt/gravel - and he layed his Honda down. Lucky the dirt was soft and no damage to roll bar or panniers (which protected Vickie's legs). Some local women came to our aid - and provided some linament for Garry to rub on his leg and knees. No damage to bike or body - just some shock for Garry as it happened so fast. The fact that neither of them had time to brace themselves for the fall probably was the reason for no major body damage. This little episode put us back about 30 minutes.

At a point about 6kms west of Hoi An it just becomes an endless ribbon of houses, businesses, markets, industry and street food stands. Persevering - we arrive into the old town around 5.00pm. We were only about 2kms from our houses in Cam Thanh when we got separated in the evening rush-hour traffic. However, a few minutes later I was at the house, unpacked and lying on the sofa to rest my numb bum. A FB message from G&V said hey would be partaking of a burger and fries at the local burger bar - Circle.

So - 620kms in 4 days. This is my first road trip on a bike and in Vietnam. It was a great experience - and I know friends of mine from Europe who would love the mountain scenery that I saw - as well as meeting some of the ethnic people in the highlands. A special thank you to Garry and Vickie for inviting me on their visa run and showing me some special places. The "American" war is long gone - and even though I was part of it - I fell in love with the country and "locals" then - and I I admire how the locals of today do not hold any animosity toward the foreigners. They are a hardy race. They have gone through a lot over the centuries. There smile and friendliness is infectuous. I look forward to another such road trip with my European and Australian friends.

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