Lastly before I end my blog I want to tell you about the problems we had on our journey.
bicycle problems:-
1) bicycle computer cable caught in wheel, abrasion cut the wire off so after 1st day it was useless
2) Bicycle kick stand...unable to keep bike upright ,too soft and useless for the weight of the bike with pannier bags..
3)mud guard( fenders) too narrow and short...can't keep mud from splashing on to my back..always have dirty muddy t shirt
4)Rear tail lights not bright enough for day light cycling
5) screws on pannier rack became rusty ..after days cycling in the rain
6) needs to bring synthetic lubricant coz the normal ones will wash out in the rain
7) all the spares we brought were not used at all ...we had no punctures no spokes broken no brake cable or gear cables snap
Most Useful accessories
1) sunglasses, protects the eyes from dust and sun
2) anti-pollution mask....lots of fumes from trucks and buses on highway 1
3) water bottles
4) a good padded bicycle seat( with springs)...some may swear by the "Brooks "leather seat
5) a loud horn ( I wish I had bought the "AIRZOUND" horn
6) trackking handlebar( butterfly handlebar)
Monday, October 6, 2008
5 October Saigon
This morning I woke up early went to have my last breakfast at Alle Boo's cafe..say good bye to all the staff there..then back to the hotel at 11 am to check out..and leave my bags in Lou's room as he took half day more coz our flight does not leave till 22:20(10:20 pm)..we went for lunch at an American restaurant called.."Milwaukee's" but the food was terrible and Lou had only a Sprite drink coz he had been having a "Saigon belly" diarrhoea...and I was too feeling a little tired I think must be coming down with a flu....after lunch Lou went back to sleep and I went for my final massage and stayed in the steam room for a little longer to try and get the flu bug out of my system.......
I spend the afternoon sitting by GO2 cafe watching the world zooming by on motorbike ,....ignoring the street vendors with babies on their arms begging me to buy all sorts of things from chewing gum ,cigarettes... to ear cleaner ,and also the shoeshine boys...all wanting to take the last few dollars of what I have left.Met a German couple there who had adopted a young Vietnamese girl from birth and at aged 6 they brought her back to see her own country..but so unfortunate that she can't speak a word of Vietnamese... otherwise she could translate and explain the Vietnamese life style to her parents
At 6 pm I went back to Lou's room had a shower and then we left for the airport at 7 pm..we were charged for excess baggage coz in Saigon they only allowed us 20 kg where as in Sydney they gave us 30 kilos because we were staff,but in Saigon airport they refuse to gives us 30 kilo so I end up paying $108 dollars for 6 extra kilos and Lou had to pay 4 kilos extra plus $30 usd for 3 days over his visa.They check in staff for the jet star in Saigon was very unprofessional ,unfriendly as well.Every one at the airport wanted to make money from you...a bottle of water cost 10 times more than out side...50,000 for a bottle of water that cost only 5,000 on the outside, and even Lou who had paid $30 for overstaying 3 days ,was stop at the passport control and the officer wanted him to pay again...this kind of practise will surely kill the rising tourism in Vietnam if it is not stop.
the flight took 6 hours to get to Darwin then we had to clear customs and re check in for the domestic flight back to Sydney...
I spend the afternoon sitting by GO2 cafe watching the world zooming by on motorbike ,....ignoring the street vendors with babies on their arms begging me to buy all sorts of things from chewing gum ,cigarettes... to ear cleaner ,and also the shoeshine boys...all wanting to take the last few dollars of what I have left.Met a German couple there who had adopted a young Vietnamese girl from birth and at aged 6 they brought her back to see her own country..but so unfortunate that she can't speak a word of Vietnamese... otherwise she could translate and explain the Vietnamese life style to her parents
At 6 pm I went back to Lou's room had a shower and then we left for the airport at 7 pm..we were charged for excess baggage coz in Saigon they only allowed us 20 kg where as in Sydney they gave us 30 kilos because we were staff,but in Saigon airport they refuse to gives us 30 kilo so I end up paying $108 dollars for 6 extra kilos and Lou had to pay 4 kilos extra plus $30 usd for 3 days over his visa.They check in staff for the jet star in Saigon was very unprofessional ,unfriendly as well.Every one at the airport wanted to make money from you...a bottle of water cost 10 times more than out side...50,000 for a bottle of water that cost only 5,000 on the outside, and even Lou who had paid $30 for overstaying 3 days ,was stop at the passport control and the officer wanted him to pay again...this kind of practise will surely kill the rising tourism in Vietnam if it is not stop.
the flight took 6 hours to get to Darwin then we had to clear customs and re check in for the domestic flight back to Sydney...
4 October Saigon(Ho Chi Minh)
well after the Vung Tau I caught the 2 pm fast boat back to Saigon, went back to the same hotel as my bags and bike was still there, all ready packed up by the bicycle shop in "Vo Thi Sau " street they charged us 150,000 Vnd each bike($11.50 aud).they did a good job as we were there helping them as well .
As I was felling a little hungry I went to my favorite "pho"(beef noodle) restaurant near our hotel in "Bui Vien" street and had some beef noodles and then went for a second massage. That evening I went walking around the Ben Than market and ate at the side streets stalls....later I went to a famous pub/disco called " Apocalypse" this place has change from a hole in the wall place to a huge brightly lit and buzzing place,and its now a place where all the backpackers and all the trendy Saigonese comes to party,drink and eat...it has a large open air courtyard 2 floors of tables and chairs 2 DJ's..1 on each floor..music was very loud in the pub but you can sit outside in the courtyard and enjoy the music ..met many Asian tourists from Singapore , Malaysia..some from Hong Kong...Taiwan and mainland Chinese as well
As I was felling a little hungry I went to my favorite "pho"(beef noodle) restaurant near our hotel in "Bui Vien" street and had some beef noodles and then went for a second massage. That evening I went walking around the Ben Than market and ate at the side streets stalls....later I went to a famous pub/disco called " Apocalypse" this place has change from a hole in the wall place to a huge brightly lit and buzzing place,and its now a place where all the backpackers and all the trendy Saigonese comes to party,drink and eat...it has a large open air courtyard 2 floors of tables and chairs 2 DJ's..1 on each floor..music was very loud in the pub but you can sit outside in the courtyard and enjoy the music ..met many Asian tourists from Singapore , Malaysia..some from Hong Kong...Taiwan and mainland Chinese as well
3 October Trip to Vung Tau
This Morning I decided to visit Vung Tau Beach I have been there the first time about 10 years ago when I first visited Vietnam,but it was really disappointing then it was really dirty and smelly and was not a well..equipped to receive international tourist , But after I saw some pictures of it on the brochure it looks like a different place altogether it looks like a well maintained beach with lots of nice new resorts ...
So I ask the local tour agent how I can get there by myself..of course they told me its difficult to go alone..and tried to sell me a package with accommodations and boat ticket for $50 u.s. anyway I am too smart for them to be cheated..so I went to enquire from locals and found out that I can catch a fast boat there ..so I went to the "Bach Dang" pier by myself bought a return ticket to Vung Tau cost...320,000 dong.($24 Aud) The fast boat took only 1 and half hours to get to Vung Tau.
As I exited the pier at Vung Tau...there were Cab drivers all rushing toward me to offer hotels and resorts..so I had a cab driver take me to a small resort at the middle beach..room cost $19 usd
the Beach is now so clean...but still the water and the sand is not as good as Thailand beaches..the seafood is the best even better than Thailand so fresh and cheap...I had 2 baby lobster 1 B-B-Q and 1 boiled...so delicious... total cost 2 baby lobster...aust $30...at night the place is very quite, so I relax in the hotel have a beer on the balcony look at beach...fall asleep then woken up by mosquitoes.......slap!!!slap!! slap!!!!...back to the room.....ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzz
So I ask the local tour agent how I can get there by myself..of course they told me its difficult to go alone..and tried to sell me a package with accommodations and boat ticket for $50 u.s. anyway I am too smart for them to be cheated..so I went to enquire from locals and found out that I can catch a fast boat there ..so I went to the "Bach Dang" pier by myself bought a return ticket to Vung Tau cost...320,000 dong.($24 Aud) The fast boat took only 1 and half hours to get to Vung Tau.
As I exited the pier at Vung Tau...there were Cab drivers all rushing toward me to offer hotels and resorts..so I had a cab driver take me to a small resort at the middle beach..room cost $19 usd
the Beach is now so clean...but still the water and the sand is not as good as Thailand beaches..the seafood is the best even better than Thailand so fresh and cheap...I had 2 baby lobster 1 B-B-Q and 1 boiled...so delicious... total cost 2 baby lobster...aust $30...at night the place is very quite, so I relax in the hotel have a beer on the balcony look at beach...fall asleep then woken up by mosquitoes.......slap!!!slap!! slap!!!!...back to the room.....ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzz
2 oct saigon
Well..our cycling trip is truly over now and the next few days we will be resting in Saigon and eating lots of food before going home to Sydney
today I had breakfast on my own,and sat at Alle Boo's cafe again coz its nice place by the corner of De Tam street overlooking the park and the traffic also they have great coffee and the staff are very friendly always wanting to practise their English with you.
Then after lunch I went for a massage at this hotel on the main street it was very good and cheap...for 1 hour massage and free use of the steam bath and spa and also 30 mins of free foot massage cost only 120,000 Vnd about $ 9.20 Aud...well I think I will be here again...that afternoon I met some guys sitting by the street side restaurant having beers and singing English songs I was quite surprise thinking that Vietnamese can sing so well in English, so I chatted with them. then I found out that they were Filipino's and they were the band at a nearby pub called the 17 saloon, and I was invited to hear them sing at their pub that evening...
The seventeen saloon was very impressive..decorated like an Old cowboy style saloon with wooden walls, red Indian statues, waitress and waiter's dressed as cowboys with hats, gun belts ,great menu as well ,nice steak and great beers...I shouted the band beers..and they sang all my favorite songs for me including "ANAK" (child) by a famous Filipino singer named Freddie Aquila..that night I was a little tipsy but not drunk ...but slept really well.............zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
today I had breakfast on my own,and sat at Alle Boo's cafe again coz its nice place by the corner of De Tam street overlooking the park and the traffic also they have great coffee and the staff are very friendly always wanting to practise their English with you.
Then after lunch I went for a massage at this hotel on the main street it was very good and cheap...for 1 hour massage and free use of the steam bath and spa and also 30 mins of free foot massage cost only 120,000 Vnd about $ 9.20 Aud...well I think I will be here again...that afternoon I met some guys sitting by the street side restaurant having beers and singing English songs I was quite surprise thinking that Vietnamese can sing so well in English, so I chatted with them. then I found out that they were Filipino's and they were the band at a nearby pub called the 17 saloon, and I was invited to hear them sing at their pub that evening...
The seventeen saloon was very impressive..decorated like an Old cowboy style saloon with wooden walls, red Indian statues, waitress and waiter's dressed as cowboys with hats, gun belts ,great menu as well ,nice steak and great beers...I shouted the band beers..and they sang all my favorite songs for me including "ANAK" (child) by a famous Filipino singer named Freddie Aquila..that night I was a little tipsy but not drunk ...but slept really well.............zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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