This summer Asia Tour Specialist, Lindsay, helped her friends and neighbors Stephen Schuit and Marsha Greenberg find and plan a bike tour in Vietnam. Schuit and Greenberg are American expats living and teaching English in South Korea. They chose to do the guided Dragon’s Tail Tour starting in Dalat and going north to Hoi-An. Both Schuit and Greenberg have traveled extensively in Asia, but this was their first tour by bike. Both wrote about their experience. Here is a he said/she said travel log of their tour.
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Steve and Marsha take a break in the shade.[/caption]
Day 3-Wednesday, Departing: Buon Mat Huot Destination: Pleiku
Steve
Rubber plantations, pepper farms and a ride along the Ho Chi Minh Trail highlighted today’s biking. Biking along the mostly narrow, pot-holed highway, in the rain, with wild native drivers, is not for the feint-of-heart. Bike touring lesson #17, after ensuring you have the right bike, in top performing condition, the next most important factor, without doubt, is a knowledgeable, competent and reassuring tour guide. Thankfully, that’s what we have in our guide, Vien (pronounced Vin). Vien, please get a good night’s sleep. We’ll need you tomorrow!
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Cycling takes you to people and places you wouldn't normally meet or see.[/caption]
Marsha
We started the day driving in the van to the outskirts of the city. We shared with Vinh and Minh, our driver, that it was our 30th wedding anniversary. We laughed and shared stories as we headed out to bike. I was a little apprehensive about the day, hoping I could bike more easily on day three. We mounted our bikes and I tried the gears again and suddenly I was in a groove and going up the hills with ease. Once I mastered the gears I was on fire.
We biked all morning on Ho Chi Minh trail. Vinh explained that what was once the hotbed of fighting during the war, with thick jungles where the Vietcong brought in weapons and tanks as they tried to overtake the south and where so many Americans and Vietnamese died, is now open fields growing coffee, rubber trees and black pepper crops. My thoughts were all over the place appreciating the beauty of the countryside and the tragic loss of life that happened in this very spot. No matter how many questions I asked, Vinh was there to answer them with grace and understanding of what I might be struggling with.
Steve and I hardly ever take the easy path and this is another example of that. A bike trip through Vietnam brings with it some rough and bumpy roads, both literally and figuratively. I suppose we could have chosen a trip through Tuscany or perhaps one in France or Spain where each night we would have stayed in a charming B&B. This trip is everything and more than the comforts of home. It’s a chance to be in a place that has a history for most Americans our age, a beauty that is breathtaking at times and an infrastructure that can be lacking. All the while the people are so friendly, peaceful and welcoming. Every place we have stopped for lunch, or a coffee break or to get out of the rain we have been received with kindness and warmth. This is what makes the trip incredible.
After we stopped for lunch yesterday we were faced with a choice of continuing to bike for about 25-30 miles then getting in the van for the remainder of the day to the hotel or driving out of town for a bit and then biking into Pleiku, where we were spending the night. We opted for the second and drove for about an hour while we all, except the driver, took advantage of the time and slept.
When we got out of the van and mounted our bikes it started raining. What’s a little rain? I thought. We put on our rain gear and we were off. Up and down rolling hills. The rain came harder as the traffic began to increase and suddenly I started feeling very nervous and a bit scared about continuing on. I flagged Vihn down and with his and Steve support we all decided that we might need to call it a day. We ducked into a roadside coffee house and waited for the van while we were entertained and welcomed by the family and patrons in the shop.
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Steve and Marsha celebrating 30 years of marriage with their guides.[/caption]
We made our way to Pleiku, with a history lesson from Vihn on the way. I knew about Pleiku, because a dear friend of mine died there during the war. A bit surreal for me. We arrived at our hotel and the big bathtub was a welcome sight. This was to be our night on our own and Vihn told us about a great restaurant we should go to, for celebrating our anniversary. It only seemed right that we all go. So Vihn and Minh met us at 6:30 to head to the restaurant. They were carrying a box with an anniversary cake inscribed in English “Happy Anniversary 30 years.” We enjoyed a great evening together filled with wonderful food, lots of laughter and stories about our families.
This is what a bike trip can include. It is so much more than just being on the bike. Looking forward to day 4. It’s supposed to rain again and that might just mean we go off the scheduled path.
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