Our last day of cycling.  The plan was for 70 kms and the view from the hotel room told of a wet day ahead and we duly copped a soaking for the first half of the day, as we followed a waterway, first south, west and finally north towards Chau Doc.     In spite of the tropical rain, beyond Long Xyugen, the rural surroundings were the most serene of the adventure thus far; and besides, it was a relief to get out of the oppressive atmosphere of  the Hoa Binh Hotel.  If you recall from Day 3 ( https://thecyclingbuzz.com/2023/12/28/vietnam-to-cambodia-day-three-can-tho-to-long-xyugen/  ), we were staying in something like the hotel out of The Shining; and breakfast just topped it off.  After being served variations of  porridge and hard cake for breakfast, we were shunted from our meal with military precision as the incoming storm took hold.   So, after slogging it out for 30 kms,  we eagerly suggested to shave some distance from the days affair as we settled in for a well earned “dry” lunch break.  Our guides were still keen to take us to the site of the Ba Chuc massacre, Vietnam’s own location of Pol Pot’s killing fields – but we were no longer going to cycle from there to the Cambodia border.   Good thing we didn’t, because the roads we were going to travel were pockmarked with roadworks that made it almost impossible for the bus to navigate, let alone bikes. Instead, post Ba Chuc, we recommenced our ride from a nearby village beyond the carnage of the roadworks, that shaved 16 kms from the days efforts.

Even the weather reacted to leaving the morbid and depressing scenes of Ba Chuc behind and cleared up considerably for the final 23 odd kms of our tour.  The hills of Cambodia were visible in the distance and the most unexpected landscape and homecoming surprise was ahead of us.

Fairdinkum, the cycle route that we rode for our final leg of the journey could have very well been along the Murray River, for all of the gum trees that lined the path.  Even the telephone poles looked like they were Australian.  Only the green rice fields beyond the thick bush made you think otherwise.  Kylie even run over a snake.  A big one.  Thump! Thump!  I thought Kylie was lucky not to get tangled up with it.  Our guide thought the snake was the lucky one, given a local hadn’t bumped into it and grabbed a free dinner (no joking!).

After nearly 54 kms and our fastest day in the saddle, this wonderful trip had wistfully come to an end; a short distance out of Chau Doc.  Kylie celebrated with some Durian (urghh!) whilst I guzzled down this miracle of elixirs known as “Revive” that had maintained our chemical balance for four days of Vietnamese humidity.

The Tour Map.  How lucky we are. 204 kms of heaven…  until next time, tạm biệt.