More On the Road

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What a trip!!!!!!!!!! Biking Vietnam is great so far. My bike's only problem so far has been the odometer which keeps quiting and I keep losing miles(I hate to fiddle with this thing when I should be on the rode.). However, today it started falling apart. First my drive chain rolled up in a ball. The problem was the shifter, which I had no experience in fixing even though where I bought the bike I was suppose to receive training in all of this. However, with my limited skills I figured it all out and had the tools to make the adjustments and I was on my way.
Then my bike peddle fell of. I had neither the tools or the ball bearings to fix it. So, in this rather small village, Phu Cat, where I was staying I wrote out: Xe Dap sua o dau? Which means, Bicycle mechanic where? The guy pointed to down the street. I got there early and the mechanic's wife was out in the front yard frying bananas. I showed her the note and she sent a young girl who came over to the mechanics shop as soon as they saw me, which was usual, down the street to retrieve her husband who was having coffee.
He came at a trot with coffee In hand and I showed him the peddle with the worn-out ball bearings. This guy looked like my youngest son John who is a mechanic. Without scratching his head he took the worn-out peddle and had it apart in no time. Then he brought out his cutting torch and started welding on the pedal shaft. It was all I could do to contain myself when I saw this. I wasn't in the mood to see my 1200-dollar bike have welds on it. However, this guy worked with so much confidence, looked so much like John, acted so much like John, I soon realized I was In his hands. He built the pedal shaft up, reworked the threads, and made a new end cap to hold it on. He had no ball bearings but he made it work with out them. You could see his wife's admiration for her husband in her eyes. If I was a woman I would hunt for a man just like this guy. Just like John, a person who can fix anything.
He worked about an hour on this and when finished I asked him how much: 10000 dong was the answer. That is about 66 cents. I was a big sport and tipped him 5000 dong.
Everyday is an adventure.

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Photos

On the Road Again
More great old Churches.

On the Road Again
Government administrative buildings. Impressive structures. Humm...If they could only build libraries so well.

On the Road Again
Real bikers.

On the Road Again
Literally, a whole mountain is being torn down to get rock to build up this huge industral area about 13-15 feet.

On the Road Again
This the industrial office building.

On the Road Again
dining hall of the Church where the local parashners invited me to tea.

One the Road
Ngat stands near one of the beautiful rock gardens found in many of the Church yards.

One the Road
This beautiful Church was built in 1914 the year my Mother was born in a sod house near Sharon Springs KS.

One the Road
Typical vegetable field near road.