Post # 56 Dong Ha

Day 68 1012 days to go. Distance: today 72km total 3824km. It’s 5.07pm Monday 6/2/2012 Dong Ha. I woke up today and could not believe the weather. It’s beautiful, clear, warm, no wind. Awesome!!!! The fella who runs the guest house I stayed at in Hue was so accommodating and helpful. He wasn’t working yesterday but I was happy to see him at reception this morning to thank him for helping Rube and for his trouble. I was talking to Ma and Pa about this yesterday and how Leslie had told me that Ruby would tell me when she’s needing attention so to listen to her when she does. I think snapping a brake cable is a pretty loud hint what do you think? I’m sure she knows I need a sure fire blunt message sometimes 🙂 The other thing I think is interesting is Ross from Spin City Cycles Mooloolaba who helped me set up Rube said that her cables will need changing every 4000kms. How spot on was he. Thanks Ross you’re a jet!!!! Back to the post. The beautiful day gave Hue a shine so I stopped for a few more pickies on the way out. It was a very sociable 72 km ride to Dong Ha and I did it in one hit with a guzzle of water half way. A friend of mine who’s right into cycling and running gave me a handful of power gels that were amongst my care pack from home and I tried one for the first time after I finished up today yum. It tastes like condensed milk double yum. It was 2.00pm when we got in this arv so I tossed up whether to keep going or stay. While I was sitting there contimplating this lady came up so friendly and so wanting to talk. No English didn’t stop us talking about travel and cycling and how much she wants to travel and see Australia. I initially thought she was taning to sell me something. How wrong far from it and a cool time spent with a cool lady. After this time I realised I can get on such a roll thanks to that wicked virgo drive but I’m slowly getting there’s a time and place. So I stepped off the mouse wheel and stopped for the day and I’m so glad I did. Dong Ha is situated on a river and on first appearance seems nothing too much. It’s quite dilapidated. The place I’m staying has friendly staff but is a tired cold French style building much like the rest of town. It’ sgot a balcony on top which I checked out over a coffee and could see over the town. It isn’t that big and seemed to be centred on an covered area near the river which I decided to check out after a clean up. All right the little boy sitting next to me playing video games smells of pee. Focus Maree 🙂 Where was I…. OK.. It’s the right price at $5 so I’m happy. I cleaned up and headed into town mainly to find an internet café but thought I’d first have a look around. I crossed over the river and spotted house boats on the water. What was cool was that one had the tiniest of budhist shrines on top very cool. In the centre of town on the river is the biggest undercover expanse of market I’ve come across yet. Isn’t that awesome. It has everything from wares to jellyfish and the people are low key, down to earth workers very interested in this tourist. I don’t think they see too many stoppers 🙂 I spent 3 hours just wondering and talking with anyone interested in having a chat. Most of the stall folk I just scared off but some were curious enough to share some giggles with me. I got some really great photos and loved checking out the market Mecca. The fish market was so assorted and interesting. It’s the first time I’ve spotted jellyfish and squid but there was such a variety it was cool watching the locals eagerly browsing their seafood ingredients. . Phew smelly knee high eeeeek. After the market I rode around the rest of town and found a small supermarket so stopped for a fetish hit. I found a pack of caramelized chewy nut bars for 13000 dong so bought 2 for snacks over the next days ($1.20). I had to have a taste test on the steps out front and sat there people watching for a while which is my favorite end of day past time. I was keen to find an internet café. I think I’ve worked out what issue I would like to support by raising some money for. I’m at the end of the Southeast Asian part of the itinery. One issue that has been across the countries is the lack of education priority for girls given limited income families. Boys will get first priority if schooling is an option so to create schooling opportunities for girls that would otherwise not have seems like a pretty good cause to support. We spoke about this issue with the folk in Hoi An so I’ll look into it and do some googling around information and options. From what I’ve heard there’s a program here in Vietnam that you can support and it costs about $200Aus per year to sponsore a girl through school. I’ll keep you posted re this issue but I like the cause and how it’s presented itself over time. That was my initial idea to let sponsor opportunities evolve as I travel and I think this ones a good place to start. What’s your thoughts? Any info you may find on the issue please don’t hesitate to send. The photos have finished uploading so I’ll finish off there and attach them to this blog and have an initial google on the topic. Talk soon. It’s been a good day and nice to appreciate the fine fine weather. x