Post # 45 Xuan Loc

Day 52 1028 days to go. Distance: today 81km total 2741km. It’s 7.30pm Saturday 21/1/2012 Xuan Loc. I’m so happy happy happy after feeling so crappy crappy crappy 2 hours ago and for the most part of the day. I think today was mentally my hardest riding day. I’ve done more physically demanding days but this one was just tough !!!! In the words of Sesame St today was brought to you by the letter H and the number 6. Six nasty H’s made for 81kms now in the past yay – Ho Chi Minh exit, highway, headwind, hills, horns and heat eeeeeeek. But as we know every cloud has a silver lining. When it was ‘I’m so over this’ o’clock and going up yet another long hill I felt this bump from behind and a lad on a moped was using his foot to push me and Rube up the hill. A moped powered push yayayayayaya. Ive seen the locals do this balancing but effective trick before pushing along broken down mopeds or bicycles carrying or towing loads of all size and sorts. I never thought I’d be on the receiving. I could have given him the biggest kiss settling for the biggest thumbs up. It lasted a few hills worth their weight in gold. Thank you Mr whoever you are. He must have sensed I wanted to be beamed back home at that precise time. Yet another rescued by a
Local event to add to the wonderful list. Love it!!!!! I wasn’t prepared for the long hills then to come over the top to the full on head wind stole the enjoyment of ‘what goes up must come down’ reward. On top it was crazy hot. I refilled my water bottle half dozen times and I’m still dehydrated tonight after drinking 2 more litres since finishing crazy stuff. The horns and highway have been the theme for the last days as you know but it was a bit compounded with the other H’s. Ho Chi Minh was nuts exiting from nuts nuts. Two hours of morning traffic and no idea and dodgy help with people seemingly very preoccupied with their last minute Chinese New Year ‘have tos’ Saigon eventually spat me out and I spitooed it back at the time. On the road out I had a stoppy at a market buying some bread and bananas for breaky. After calorie and coffee’ing up I felt much better but it didn’t last long. All character building stuff I can say now it’s in the past 🙂 I had a break at one of the roadside cafes that have hammocks next to each table and chairs where motorists stop literally for a drink, snack and kip. It was very tempting but far to dangerous so I was content with my kids chair. Most street stalls have kid sized tables and chairs that are really comfy. But that comes from someone who is happy to squat or sit on the floor and is short. Comparatively I tower over the local folk. It really stands out when I’m in crowds like at markets and the likes. Who’d ever thought. I haven’t felt tall since grade 7 when I pretty much stopped growing up 🙂 The day did a 180 uturn for the far better at 4.30pm when I cycled into Xuan Loc. This place is my favorite city so far in Vietnam. It’s quaint in size but with all the local stuff going on and celebrations for new year just a toned down version. It’s really nice to enjoy the local factor without the craziness. I’ve just come in from checking out the place for the last couple of hours taking in the atmosphere of the New Years excitement, lights, flower and decorations stalls and the usual produce markets. The town is very young, people crazy friendly and Ive been flashed so many smiles I’m all warm and fuzzied up yay. The town’s one hotel cost $10 which I think is cheap as apparently the cost of hotels will now be between $15-20 so we’ll see. The room is really comfy and I’m happy. When I walked into the room this afternoon I just fell on the bed and laid there for 15minutes letting the day pass it was sooooo nice. Up and cleaned and revitalized. It’s been a fabulous end to the day. Tomorrows a 120kms to ride to Phan Thiet on the coast where the National Highway cycle route starts and heads up the eastern coast. For now it’s dinner and an early night shagged but smiling and life’s once again all good. By the way Rube did awesomely on the hills today she kicked arse gorgeous girl!!!! Talk soon x