Touring Vietnam Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) to Hanoi in 14 days / 11 stages/ 1200 miles.

Our tour began in mid-February but my tale goes back to October during an annual two day group ride through Big Sur. Chuck Schroyer who was providing SAG support and he told me he was going to do this trip with Dzung Dang. Chuck and Dzung I knew from riding SuperTour. Bonnie Faigeles, also a SuperTour veteran was on the Big Sur ride, separately Chuck told Bonnie about the trip and she also decided she wanted to be part of it. We were the four musketeers. Dzung was born in Vietnam and like so many he with his family had to leave when the war ended in 1975. When Dzung started cycling he decided to tour Vietnam which he did in 2012. That trip was solo and he made many friends along the way. He toured the country again in 2014 with a friend he met and support along the way. Support for four riders included a seven passenger SUV, one native guide and driver. We also had two local riders receiving support for the first few days from Saigon to Danang. When I signed up I did not realize this was much more than a bike tour. On Dzung’s previous tours he had raised funds to aid poor children and orphanages. The network he had created in the country was organized around the cycling clubs. Our trip included three days where we visited schools and orphanages to distribute aid which included bicycles for the neediest children. Money raised in the US was transferred to the cycling clubs in Vietnam. These groups made all of the purchases and organized the events. All that was expected of us was to cycle across the country and show up for the events to represent the organization. Covering over twelve hundred miles in eleven riding days in hot, humid and wet weather as well as some while keeping ourselves healthy was a daunting challeng. Being in shape to do this in mid-winter required some serious training. We also had to consider which vaccinations were needed and what foods to avoid which might cause illness. Riding South to North was a good choice as it meant riding from hot weather to cooler climates. Our time in Saigon was short. After assembling bikes we did a test ride in the wild scooter traffic of the city. We were taken out to dinner by the bike club whom would escort us out of the city the following morning. We left our hotel at 4am to meet the club at the post office and at 5am after many photos we rolled. It was not long before the group got separated. Chuck and I were with the two local riders accompanying us to Danang. Luckily they both spoke a little English and sort of knew the way. Bonnie was with Dzung and the SAG. After getting separated we all decided to ride as a group as much as possible. We had several “burner” phones between us as insurance. To ride between Saigon and Hanoi, your two choices are the coastal route or the Ho Chi Minh hwy route through the mountains. We took the high road. For the first three days of the trip we stuck to our routine of departing in the dark while it was still cool. Arriving in Pleiku on the 3rd day brought us to the Central Highlands of Central Vietnam. Day four was a layover and for visiting schools and orphanages to distribute aid. We were ferried to three separate sites and treated to a feast by the club at their favorite restaurant. All along the way we were being taken care of like a professional cyclist team by our support team. Each day we would stop for lunch at a restaurant chosen by our Guide Ha, who had previously toured the countryside. By the time we arrived our food was already being prepared if not served. We all generally enjoyed having a beer or two with our meal. Every meal was a feast. I had to refine my skills eating with chopsticks so as to be able to consume enough calories. Along the way our crew would load up on local snacks. Our favorites included a Vietnamese peanut brittle and baguette sandwiches. We were also treated to massage when we stayed in a city. We all chipped in the same amount for expenses and all of the food, drink and massage was included as well as the very nice hotels in the cities. When we stayed in smaller towns we stayed in more primitive motels. We got used to very firm mattresses which we called yoga mats. After Pleiku we continued through the mountains before diverting from the mountain route to the coastal city of Danang. A couple from the local club came out on motorcycle to escort us into the city and again out the next morning. We had escaped the heat of the south but a cold front was in store. The route North from Danang is over the famous Hai Van Pass . For the ascent the weather held for us and we had views of the bay and the sea. As we reached the top of the pass the weather front closed in and we were in thick clouds. We bundled up at the top and as we descended it began to rain. It continued to rain throughout the day into the city of Hue. The others were getting a massage while I made a trip to a bike shop to fix a broken spoke as well as some bike tuning, total cost about 5 us dollars. A local cyclist carried me on his scooter with my bike on my shoulder. We left Hue in the rain, eating our breakfast on the street. As the weather improved we found ourselves in the most spectacular scenery of the trip. It was also the most challenging for us partly due to terrain but also due to a failed crank arm for Chuck. We were behind schedule so Bonnie and I went ahead as we thought the Hotel would be easy to find in the small town. It was not and we wandered around in the dark unable to find it. At some point Dzung and Chuck passed us in the dark while we doubled back into the town. It was only the burner phones that allowed us to be found. Chuck’s mechanical would disable him for a total of three days including our 130 mile day into the city of Vinh which is near our guide Ha’s home. One of Chuck’s down days was a scheduled rest day in Phong Nha-Ke Bang which is a Unesco world heritage site known for extensive system of karst caves. Arriving in Vinh we were met on the outskirts by a vehicle carrying Ha’s wife and daughter as well as the needed parts for Chuck’s bike. He was whisked off to the mechanic as we were escorted through the city to the hotel. After a shower we were taken to a restaurant where we met Chuck. Before finishing the meal Chuck’s bike was delivered by the mechanic who joined us for cocktails (rice wine). Leaving Vinh we had a very short ride to arrive in the town where we would have our last site for us to distribute bikes at a school. This school had prepared an amazing show for us. After having tea with the staff of the school the children were assembled in the courtyard in front of a stage. We were all surprised to find that there was entertainment. A couple of beautiful young women came on stage to sing to us. I thought that they were professional singers but they were music teachers at the school. There were several more teachers who also sang. Then some speeches and then the gifting of bikes and then many photos. All of the teachers and volunteers and children wanted photos with us. Of course we were treated to a feast with the staff of the school. One of my favorite memories was when one of the music teachers came to our table to sing us a traditional drinking song. We one more 100+ mile day and then the final day into Hanoi was about 80 miles. The weather remained pleasant. We never saw the sun in the North part of the country, between the haze and the clouds. When we neared the Capital we were met by the local club at a nice restaurant. This was the celebratory feast to punctuate our successful journey. We still had to ride the final few miles into the center of the city. The leader of the club who like every other bike club in Vietnam it seemed was a woman led us on her scooter. We all managed to stay with her through the crazy traffic to finally arrive at the post office located in the old quarter on the Shore of Hoan Kiem Lake. We had several days to explore both the city and the outskirts. With our bikes packed away we were taken to a local mountain resort which is a favorite out and back for the club. The town near the summit of Tam Dao is at around 3000 feet and a popular retreat from the heat of the city. Unfortunately for us we came when it was cold and dreary. We wanted to avoid any crowds like we experienced at Phong Nha-Ke Bang so arrived on a Thursday. The large Hotel was completely empty and we all agreed that it reminded us of the movie the Shining. None of us wanted to stay two nights here so our guide took us to a lake side resort Friday. We returned to Hanoi Saturday morning to meet up with the bike club which had organized a summit of all of the bike clubs in the North. The event was held at a community center. We were seated in the front row and sat through about an hour of speeches. Then everyone wanted photos with us. Then there was a parade of bicycles to a nearby stadium where they pretended to have bike races on the track. We snuck away so we could have some time to see the city. One memorable site was Hoa Lo Prison. One of the items displayed there was Senator John McCain’s flight suit. Even our trip to the airport was memorable. Dzung’s cousin was an executive at Bia Saigon brewery in Hanoi and arranged our transport which included a stop at the brewery. There was a restaurant at the brewery and even though we had just had a nice breakfast at the hotel we were treated to one more feast that of course included no empty beer glasses. The owner of the restaurant was a woman who joined us for the meal. The feast included many amazing dishes included the best duck I have ever eaten. Summarizing some impressions of Vietnam I need to first mention the food. It is the best cuisine I have ever had. Three weeks of strictly Vietnamese food was the healthiest I have ever eaten. It was so varied, especially the green vegetables. It seemed that every day we experienced a different variety of produce. The people were of course incredibly friendly and seemingly also very happy or at least happy to meet us. Many Americans are curious Vietnamese feelings towards us. My belief is that since America was just one of many countries to have fought wars and occupied Vietnam and by comparison to how they were treated by the Japanese, Chinese, Algerians and the French, we were for the most part less brutal towards them during our war than what they had experienced from previous wars. We were just one of many peoples they fought and certainly not the worst It was really enjoyable to continually hear the hello of every child that we passed As far as a cyclists impressions. Road conditions were surprisingly good especially the first few days where we experienced nothing but perfect pavement. Wide shoulders and nary a pot hole for over four hundred miles. Unfortunately the quality of the air was not good nearly the entire trip. Poor pollution control, burning of fields and trash, dirt and dust on the roads or when raining muck and brown road spray that was mostly from the dung of animals. Fenders are a good idea. I could also include that I was riding a bike with disc brakes and when the road is wet and dirty disc brakes are the bomb.