Day 58 1022 days to go. Distance: today 111km total 3276km. It’s 7.40pm Saturday 28/1/2012 Qui Nhon. The guide book I have quoted this day as beautiful but tough with regular climbs and the most challenging day. I thought it was yesterday. Bugga it was a bit tough backing up on yesterdays ride with todays but I think yesterdays ride was harder and more beautiful. That aside the later part of today once we crossed over to the Peninsula Qui Nhon is on, the scenery became spectacular. This made the last 25kms of hills challenging but with lots of great elevated coastal scenery and inland mountains to savor. The excellent road hugged the cliff line so the descents were big fun intermittent with the climbs. Rube and I love cruising down the hills given the roads are ok, it’s big fun. The cycling legs are pretty good with the hills now which takes the edge off the mental challenge of backing up each day. I had a great sleep last night passed out for 9hrs. It took the body a while to get going today and it didn’t quite get all cylinders firing but hey I did ok for an oldie 🙂 I’m looking forward to meeting up with friends and to the break in Hoi An. Three days to go yay! The harder days are done now until north of Danang so it’ll be good to take the edge of the inclines. I woke this morning to rain and thought ‘what the?’ It was so weird and I realized how spoilt I have been with the weather despite being pretty hot it’s been fine since starting. It cleared before I headed and turned into another magical day. It makes sense given the coastal ranges that clouds will be about and supposedly it can be quite wet (and chilly) north of Danang. The scenery continues to be beautiful and it’s such a pleasure to be amongst it. Villages are beautiful to travel through. The homes are usually rendered concrete or brick and washed in a pastel color. Ive taken some picks to capture the look. I think I’ve mentioned there are heaps of offshore islands. Today I passed one that was connected to the mainland by a 1km bamboo pole bridge. It looked so odd busy with moped and people traffic all the while looking so fragile but clearly not and keeps the island village connected to the mainland. They even had their own bus stop at the bridge junction with the main road. I must admit I’m still having some personal difficulty connecting with the people. Saying this I am having lovely one on one contact. Tonight this fella road alongside me along the waterfront chatting about New Years and his town and very friendly. The little lady I bought bread from was so sweet showing off her handful of English words and filling the gaps with Vietnamese and smiles. ‘Come back again’ she called out with a wave as I headed off. Passing through villages the people seem more personable with big waves and smiles a common exchange. My favs are the herders usually young men herding cows or buffalo or goats or ducks always offering a big wave and grin age irrelevant teeth optional. There are other common traits within the Vietnamese psyche that I conflict with but I appreciate it’s just me and my preferences. I’m trying really hard to shut up my negative talk at these times recognizing its my abrasive reaction to a situation I find challenging. That’s one of the great things about travel is that it exposes my strengths and fault lines and is a very real way to learn more about myself. It’s really important and right up there to know I’m growing towards the stuff I value and this is a pretty cool way to explore that challenge. I do best when I’m out of my comfort zone. It cracks me up how I default to routines to create a sense of comfort. There’s certainly no room for any personal shi# and when it surfaces it’s so exposed for what it is. Again I like that. It’s not comfortable but I’m getting used to telling myself to shut up that’s just your ego idiot (meant in the most nurturing way possible of course 🙂 Rube just smiles understanding fully as a fellow virgo-ian. That’s probably enough dribble tonight but it’s been good to put some words around this stuff as it is taking up a bit of my thought space during the day. Time for dinner. Talk soon x
shecyclesolo 
Ree, have been looking at the photos. Am fascinated with the duck/geese photos. How were all these birds contained within these areas?? Mops xxoo
They set up netting fences either in the water or land or across both depending on what their pen area is Like. The farms I’ve seen aeem ok and it makes me Smile seeing the herder move them along for the day x