Thank the lord I wasn’t injured while on the road to Saigon. Dan, Faye and I hung out at the neighborhood coffee cafe and later drifted down the road to find a shop where I could buy something classically Vietnamese. Walking was a struggle but doable. Not much to do other than relax. After an afternoon nap, Hai and I rendezvoused for dinner at one of his favorite out door restaurants. From the hotel and I carefully pedaled his bike as he ran in front of me. This guy is slight in size but in incredible shape with steel bands for arms and legs. I have never seen a sixty year old as in good shape as this man. Four other cycling buddies joined us. Out came the pitchers of beer (which is impossible to get drunk on) and plate upon plate of food. One dish was beef leg tendon, rubbery but good. We toasted at least twenty times over the cacophony of noise from other Friday night diners. Low tables and chairs and no westerners to be seen. We talked about cycling, particularly, the Hanoi to Saigon trip that Hai and two others with take starting early tomorrow morning. No touring bikes, just their racing machines with an absolute minimum amount of gear stored in a pannier extending out from the seat post. These guys are tough.
Hai and I seriously discussed riding from Hanoi to London, perhaps via Singapore. Sounds crazy but I have read about cyclists making this trip. Check out the site ‘Long Distance Cyclists’. I am just scratching the surface compared to some of these guys who ride around the world. This trip would be like no other. I will be picking up some maps and reading more about how others have done it. The trick is to navigate around the Muslim countries which are in conflict.
For tomorrow I will see if I can gingerly ride the bike Hai loaned me.
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