Squeak Squeak Squeak

---

Did ya ever look at a message board and wonder what kind of ppl write and respond to some of the more outrageous ads. Well I guess I am one of those types, I used to vistit my brother in T.O. and my sister in Vancouver on a regular basis and something I looked forward to each time was going to the MEC.(We are talking b4 Wpg got it's own, hopefully our message board will get as popular.) Well on the last day of a T.O. visit I noticed some guy looking to go to Vietnam with the main mode of transportation being a bicycle. I was looking to go on an adventure so I e-mailed him when I got home and then wouldn't ya know three weeks later we were shaking hands at the Hanoi airport about to spend the next month cycling to Saigon. I enjoyed it so much that additional visas allowed me to visit Cambodia and then ride thru the Meekong Delta and on to the island of Phu Quoc.
When you hear ppl mention Vietnam, What comes to mind? An ugly war you most likely know little about, must be a dangerous place, Right? Well my memories were much the same convoluted by over politicking but physically in black and white. What I witnessed was nothing remotely similar to anything that I have ever seen Vietnam portrayed as in the media. I must also mention that after visiting the War memorial Museum in Saigon I have a different idea of what went on, so foooled are so many.



SQUEAK!!SQUEAK!!SQUEAK!!
So there I was pedalling thru the "DMZ"! The demiliterized zone, a place I had only seen pictures of on our black and white TV when I was a kid. A place I had an awkward excitement to ride thru,so much had happened here and that was sooooo apparent by the countless cemetaries with countless headstones adorning Vietnam's HWY #1.
Beyond 38 celcius that day but I still felt the need to stretch my legs, 15 km to the days destination of Dong hoi and I decided to finish with a sprint. Keeping up to slower trucks and totally confusing the other bicycle traffic of which I must have been a blurr, (so I thought) I was focused and cruising hard. Well there it started, the "SQUEEK", my finely tuned machine that the Vietnamese were in total awe of was giving me grief. I couldn't believe it, I had just stripped my bike and greased every nook and cranny. That nasty sound wouldn't go away, SQUEAK! SQUEAK! SQUEAK!
Then debating on if I should pull over and making a shoulder check I realized the source of my angst, like a shadow was an 11yr old boy with a grin wider than his shoulders, he must have been following directly behind me at some crazy speed for the past 9 km. So I decided to see what this kid was made of , I had 21 gears vs a chinese 1 speed with wooden blocks fashioned for pedals, no worries. The faster I went the louder the "SQUEAK" seemed to get and the more teeth gleamed from this kids mouth. I took him a good 3 more km when my body decided for me that I needed a rest so I pulled over as did my new riding partner. He absolutely fell of his bike clutching his chest gasping for air, the smile never leaving his face. I couldn't hold back the laughter nor could he so we stood at the side of the highway in total hysterics for at least 2 full minutes. An internationl belly laugh that had my stomach wrenching from the spasms. We shared what was left of my water bottle then mounted our rides and continued down the road. "MINH" he uttered pointing to himself, followed by "What your name?" I responded and realizing his english was exhaustedand my Vietnamese non existent we just grinned our way along for the remaining distance into Dong hoi where he pointed to the guesthouse that I should stay at and we waved so long.

---