Sounds like one hell of an adventure. When Kylie suggested earlier in the year that we do a cycling tour in Vietnam, I couldn’t jump at it quick enough. When that became cycling from Vietnam to Cambodia over four days, I think I may have done a celebratory dance around the lounge room. Kylie is not an avid cyclist, so I was expecting a cooling off period at some point, but come June 2023 the tour was booked and we were committed. We chose a company that tailor made the route; and they were fantastic. Don’t do it through an Australian tour group. Do it direct and Vietnam bike Tours hit the spot, with funds left in our own pocket to spend on the river cruise back along the Mekong.
Well day one has come. Saigon to Vinh Long. Fifty kilometers of cottage industry. The Vietnamese are extremely industrious. Coconuts, lychee, melons, dragon fruit, grapes, coffins and Coke. (Yes coffins). Anything that would make a quid. Not one house didn’t seem to sell something, as the villages bled into one another in the semi-rural setting of the Mekong delta. I’d like to think I could describe where we went, but there is no way I could do a blow by blow of the narrow pathways, alleyways, dirt tracks and river crossings that serve as local thoroughfares. Without our guide, we would have got lost at the first turn ( and seriously). Having a personal guide and driver support is the way to go. It’ll be difficult to slum it again! Our guide, Sarane, got lost himself at one point and had to ask a local for directions. Google seemed to be Sarane’s friend as well, which was unsettling if you thought about it too long! Bridges had come and gone since the two years that Sarane had completed this route; and believe you me – bridges were a dime a dozen. We took a photo when we crossed our third bridge, as you do in the initial excitement and novelty of it all, not realizing that “Bridge” would became a standard cry to change into a lower gear in order to cross them. The bikes we had didn’t have the best of gearing, so both of us got caught out at times.
The day started early with a a three hour bus excursion from Saigon to Ben Tre to commence the ride. The mandatory initial group photo with guide, driver and friends was taken after the bikes were assembled and we thought that a photo with a friendly chicken at the mechanics would be a novelty. Over the course of the four days, dodging chickens would become as much as commonplace as traversing the bridges.
The humidity was sapping and the short tropical downpours across the day provided immense relief, even across a flat ride such as this. Kylie chose this as an introduction to tours because it was ridiculously flat. We only ascended 99 meters over the whole day and fifty of that was on the bridge from hell (or so we thought – check out tomorrow’s ride). Wind, height and toll booth traffic created some nervy moments 15 kms from the finish line. At least it was solid. Many a bridge had loose boards and holes that made you feel at one with the river as you crossed them, hoping that your gears held out!!
Vinh Long was our finish line. Sitting outside our lodge hut, chugging beers by the river in lotus flower heaven was just the perfect end of the first day. Now, where is that insect repellent?
