Shake shake your sore bike booty, it's a disco inferno and shaky isles in SE Asia

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Sitting on the minibus, nursing our weary backsides after the final riding day, two of us composed our guide a farewell poem….







Indochina



With Exodus



3 countries passed



And not much missed







Team Black were there



To push some forward



Pulled to rest stops



By an imaginary cord







Then Cambodia next



In Siem Reap



Angkor temples



Pool cool and deep







Phnom Phen city



A hectic place



Kingdoms and Khmer



At walking pace







Crossing the border



High temperatures did smother



With ice cubes and water



Still hot, sticky, bothered







The Mekong was sultry



A vast waterway



Coffee consumed



The Vietnamese way







Now our ride is complete



And we’re off our seats



Stomachs satiated



With local delicacy and treats







We want to say thanks



For being a guide who’s the best



May you visit our countries one day



After a well-deserved rest!







Leaving the Mekong early on the 30^th, we took our long boat over the muddy tidal waters to the floating market. The lowest tide was against us and with only with some deft manoeuvring, and 6 of us seated at the front of the boat at captain’s request, we squeezed skilfully past.



Markets of perishable produce sat stationary, moored to the middle edge of the river, the owners carrying on with basic life activity, washing, snoozing, as their lives and ourselves motored past.



Ahoy, conical hats! We met a market stall river side, which I swore I had been to 8 years before. The fans started up for us, the electricity was switched on, the snake wine sniffed, and we observed rice grains being puffed through rapid burning in a large wok. Negotiating trinkets, tea sets, coconut fibre products “in dong or dollar” left several satisfied tourists lighter in pocket.



Busting for our final ride, we then floated to our end point and started out for 35km in 3 legs, heat again rising to high 30s and ever present water stops supporting our bike challenge.



Through river side forest and along gravel paths, the break from recent road cycling with shaded relief for 10km was welcome. Soon after we hit the snake market and Mekong Rest stop, the latter being an establishment with hiked prices, the former a repulsive site of live animals which one day would be dinner. Snakes creeped from their bags, pushed in by a conical hat clad lady. I wondered how one contains them when in the fridge? Separate from the meat juices no doubt.



Back at Ho Chi Minh within 90 minutes or so, two poems later, and it was in the early throes of the National Holiday, followed by the Labour Day celebrations. Our sweaty dirty bodies welcomed a shower, rest by the pool and chance to tidy up for our final night together as a group.



So for old times’ sake, we sprung into song, the elephant tune from Chai forever imprinted in my musical brain. For the performance to the restauranteur, we could have been mistaken for being crazy. But for the growing crowds outside with a dignitary present and road closures, this city was one happy if congested place, and polished off by fireworks on the hotel rooftop, we young things rejigged our dance bar hopping plans and made for the sack.



Ho chi Minh, far modernised from 8 years prior, had cleaned up its act, although almost such that the chaotic authenticity of Vietnam-past had been filtered down to a general city standard. I checked in swiftly, and without hassle made use of the time before flying out to Singapore, with more coffee to keep me awake from serial sleep deprivation of the tour.



But karaoke and cycling group thoughts could not be far from my mind when who and what should greet me? Bryen Adams singing, over the ambient music of the Changi arrivals hall concourse, that ‘Everything I do I do for You’.



The underground rail is a quick way to reach downtown Singapore in this small populous island. Dispensing with a meagre $2.40 after a very long queue in the wrong aisle, I finally got to the Park Royal on Beach Rd, checked in to my abode, checked out the pool and checked my registration status for the Congress. Paid, yes, but where exactly it was, undefined!



Led wildly through the 5 tower multi story mall labyrinth, not a sensible sign to be seen, I chanced upon it at 7:31pm, one minute too late for the 3rd free drink, but sufficient to muscle in on the exhibitors setting up, and with 2 free drinks and canapés for the mingling, the welcome party had begun.



So come start day, this congress took off with the pace of a low quality research trial, slow, and undernourished. “Coffee break” implied beverages to be served. Think again. Massive queues for the small stall selling a few items. It was BYO everything and comparably a catering disappointment.



However the breadth of presenters and their skill was a fantastic chance to professionally develop, although preferences and work type largely won over. From whiplash caused by head banging to thrash metal, bronco riding or demolition derby, we were quizzed on why such subjects never succumbed to cervical dysfunction. Or how models with recurrent ankle injuries could bare to stand without toppling over. The variety was delivered, and well.



Social night was a great opportunity to network with those faces I had not yet recognised. Set in the Gardens By the Bay complex at Bayfront MTR station, some mooching mingling mixing and drinking went on, to the glorious sound of academic and philosophical health chatter. I made a new friend in a Mexican, and saw my first baobab forested in the large glass house, outside Madagascar. Eat your heart out Malagasy guide, alas it was on the small side.



With Congress closed, the post Congress course kept me occupied with many chances to get up close and personal with academic idols.



Ben, Bob, Dan and Josh (the international level researchers) had a great package, and not a pedestal in sight to make communication with them unattainable. I watched, I volunteered. I even got Josh to handle my shoulder (gush) and learned I wasn’t that bad at handling myself.



Hiding my selfie urge behind a groupie photo with them, the largely Asian contingent forged ahead leading to an orchestrated photo taking exercise that may well have made the 4 guys late for their planes. Top day, AND they catered!



The food was divine, in fact the Earth moved, literally. How a truck passing could have accounted for the large shakes we had for about 20 seconds, only hindsight and Googling told us of our stupidity. Papua New Guinea shook an hour before, and apparently Queenstown in NZ, so, shake shake shake the World continues……...



Singapore kept moving meanwhile. Streets of suited men and women. The children pulled faces on the MTR public transport, the father shushed them as he removed a rubber band from their neck which they had deftly fitted. And coming full circle to blog 1 of this trip, smart phones at the ready, people stared into their screens oblivious to those around them.



Another day, another dollar, another blog, another follower, another like, another post, another trip to come, to where I want to go most…….

VIDEO OF THAILAND TO VIETNAM BIKE TOUR CAN BE VIEWED AT

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