Le Tour de l'Indochine: The Ho Chi Minh Highway not the Trail

27 February 2013
We set off early and we seemed to be cycling for the first 20km with all the kids going to school.  The road condition was excellent and the highway wandered along the river bank, past houses of the Bru minority, constructed in wood on stilts.  The women wear woven sarongs in colours very similar to southern Lao and smoke pipes with lovely silver bowls.  Everybody was friendly, shouting 'hello, what's your name?'  The primary jungle has largely been cleared and planted with fast growing trees, tapioca, banana and sweet corn.  Some of the living conditions were very poor and this is definitely a gathering and hunting community.
We went over one amazing pass, Peke, and enjoyed a 6-7km descent.  We arrived at the famous Da Krong bridge which has now been rebuilt.  This was at km 90.  We then had a 15-km uphill ride, in blazing sun to reach the battle site of Khe Sanh.  It was tough.  Now enjoying Huda Beer at the Thai Ninh Hotel.  Tomorrow we cross the border into Laos.
Total distance: 105km

Exotic fish on the menu

Le Tour de l'Indochine: Spin of a coin

26 February 2013
We had two options.  One was to continue along the coast to Dong Ha; the other was to head due west towards the Ho Chi Minh Highway.  We had taken advice from a few people, so we spun the coin, and the hills won.
We have just finished one serious workout.  There were three passes.  The first two were straightforward, although often rising above 10%.  The last pass unfortunately was in a state of reconstruction.  It was just mud and dust all throughout the 15km climb.  It was the first time we have had to push our bikes a little, since there was no grip on the steep incline and fighting with trucks and buses coming in both directions.   After the last pass, it was a short downhill before we turn onto the Ho Chi Minh Highway to get to A Luoi.  We stopped to have our bikes washed and polished at a roadside cleaning station.
Total distance: 71km, height climbed: !!!!!!

Aco Pass

The road of the Pass was under reconstruction

Bike toilettage at the Rua Xe

Le Tour de l'Indochine: Slow road to Hue

25 February 2013
We had decided that we will avoid Highway 1 whenever possible.  This morning, there was no alternative but to ride it for 20km over 2 passes.  It was not much fun.  Being a working day, the traffic was heavy and dangerous.
We then followed the coastal road which was narrow and a little bumpy, but there was very little traffic.  We passed through fishing and farming villages before we came to an extraordinary stretch of 20km of elaborate graves and mausoleums.  The Vietnamese seem to have a very different approach to having the dead buried around their homes.  Obviously this site was very good fengshui since it was on a hill, overlooking a lake and into the mountains.
We found the hotel in Hue without much difficulty, quickly changed and set off to visit the Citadel.  It has undergone a massive refurbishment, but there is still a lot of work to do.
We had a few beers and a light supper, getting ready for a big day ahead.
Total distance: 75km

David took a photo by the same door in the 80's

A corridor in the Citadel in Hue

An ancient gate in the Citadel

Le Tour de l'Indochine: Hai Van Pass

24 February 2013
It rained heavily all night, so there was no viewing of the full moon and the colourful street lanterns looked drenched.  We set off at 6am and were soaked through before we left Hoi An.
The road from Hoi An to Da Nang was along the coast.  This was China Beach named by the Americans where they had their R&R.  Now it is sprouting fancy hotels and condominiums.  There are 2 golf courses, one by Montgomerie and the other by Greg Norman.  We were so cold and wet at this early stage that we stopped for a pho.  There was then another long stretch of beach before we reach the bottom of Hai Van Pass.  We came across a group of Americans who were bouncing along with no bags to carry and a support vehicle just behind.
The Hai Van Pass was a long slow drag but we could see nothing.  We recommend you view Top Gear's Vietnam Special to see the scenery from the pass on a good day.
After a cup of hot tea at the pass, we set off downhill, 15km, but we had to take it easy as conditions were just appalling.
Checked into Lang Co Beach Resort, cold and thoroughly wet.  We had covered 67 km and it took quite a while to thaw out.

Le Tour de l'Indochine: Birthday in Hoi An

Hoi An is a delightful little town.  Yes, there are lots of tourists, but they are all walking slowly through the Old Town, since vehicles are kept well outside.  We visited the market, which without doubt, is the cleanest, tidiest market in the whole of Asia.  The selection of fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers were astounding.  People were very friendly but they are tough negotiators.
The architectural influence is very much that of Chinese shophouses.  We lunched at the Morning Glory, and enjoyed a very good bun cha and ban quonh.
Bumped into 2 French cycle tourists from Perpignan, which was very obvious the moment he said, 'demain'!  We got some information on road conditions in Cambodia.

Gone fishing!

They must have copied the Welsh coracle

Bamboo bike

Soapstone

16th Century Japanese Bridge

It has now started to rain and we can expect some on our ride tomorrow.

Le Tour de l'Indochine: Prologue in Hoi An

Our charming neighbour in Paris was born in Saigon and she remembers Central Vietnam as Annam, which means "Pacified South" in Sino-Vietnamese, (安南).  She thought the film 'Indochine' was a good representation of what life was like in her youth.  Therein lies the inspiration for our journey.

The name Annam has also been applied to the Annamite Range (la Chaîne Annamitique), a 1,100 km (680 mi) mountain range with a height ranging up to 2,958 metres (9,705 ft) that divides Vietnam and Laos.  Over the next few days we will be cycling through parts of this mountain range.

Hoi An is known for its monthly full moon celebrations,  In 2013, Têt was celebrated on 10 February.  We have arrived just in time for the Nguyên Tiêu Festival, celebrated annually by the Vietnamese Chinese on the 15th of the first lunar month ; it is very similar to Chap Goh Mei or 元宵节, celebrated in Malaysia and Singapore.  On this occasion, people organise formal offering rituals at village pagodas and temples to honour Emperor Shen Nong and the tutelary Gods, and pray for bumper crops.

Le Tour de l'Indochine: A day in transit

22 February 2013
A very early start from home in Phuket with our bicycles packed in cardboard boxes, in a little Honda Jazz.  Bike boxes can pass through the x-ray machine, but will not fit on the normal conveyor belt so we had to transport them through the airport and put them directly into the baggage holding area.
In Kuala Lumpur, the low-cost carrier terminal is on one level and very practical, except Air Asia will not allow baggage to be checked through to the next destination.  So it meant clearing immigration and customs twice.
Da Nang airport is brand spanking new and after the usual visa hassle, we were met by a very friendly driver who took us and our boxes to our B&B, La Tonnelle, in the historic centre of Hoi An. We have a great room on the ground floor with our sitting room attached, perfect for bike assembly.  People at La Tonnelle were helpful in all respects, including carrying one of our 20-kg boxes from 100m down the road, which was closed to vehicular traffic.
We had a delicious meal at the restaurant of Lau Cau, the local speciality and downed a few bottles of the local Biere Larue, brewed here since 1909.

Le Tour de l'Indochine: Plans

After a month's rest in Phuket, we are raring to be back on the road once more.  Tomorrow, we fly to Da Nang via Kuala Lumpur to start our ride through central Vietnam, southern Laos, and perhaps, Cambodia.

Our proposed itinerary:
Prologue: Hoi An
Etape 1: 104km Hoi Ai/Phu Loc
Etape 2: 72km Phu Loc/Hue
Etape 3: 73km Hue/A Luoi
Etape 4: 105km A Luoi/Khe Sanh
Etape 5: 98km Khe Sanh/Muang Phin
Etape 6: 93km Muang Phin/Dong Hen
Etape 7: 67km Dong Hen/Savannakhet
Repos Savannakhet
Etape 8: 63km Savannakhet/Pakxong
Etape 9: 105km Pakxong/Khongxedone
Etape 10: 67km Khongxedone/Pakxe
Repos Pakxe

The route we are taking, in a nutshell: