The road to Hue

23rd January 2007

Woke early despite being doped up with everyone’s different cold remedies. A long cycle today, so we transferred on the bus out of Hoi Ann for about 30 minutes through bustling Danang, then took to our bikes. We knew that the first 15km would be flat and then we would face the longest, steepest hill of our cycling – 10 km climbing to the top of the Hai Van Pass. And boy was it steep. Well, we’d been given the offer of going up by bus and told the bus would stop every 2km so that anyone could give up along the way. Jenny, 27, from Leamington Spa had a dodgy knee so decided not to do the climb. Myra, 108, from Thurlaston, had a heavy cold, but decided to give it a go. For the first 5km that was, then she gave up (ie between coach 2km-stops) and climbed into the truck which carries the bikes and all the equipment. Which was fine. I didn’t feel a wimp but was glad I’d had a go. Sidney (as the name on his bike says – all the bikes were name-tagged for us on arrival last week) managed the climb, but said it was tough. We then cycled a further few kms to lunch by the beach at Lang Co, which was nice. That was followed by an undulating ride towards Hue – through the backroads, off Highway 1, and included a boat crossing to cut out Highway 1, on the ricketiest, oldest boat you have ever seen. Us and our bikes, all on board. Not sure the picture shows how dodgy it really was.



Then the rain came, and so soaked, after 70km (only 66km for Myra!) we cut the planned 100km short, boarded the bus and headed for Hue, where we are now just about to take very hot baths in the hotel. The rain seems to have dried up the cold. Everything else was so wet, that my nose seemed relatively dry. More tomorrow.