Day 8 - Rain, Rain, Go Away
From Qui Nhon to Nha Trang – no kilometers but plenty of rain. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate today and we were forced to ride the bus all the way to Nha Trang. It is disappointing because the ride would have been very fun with so many rolling hills, challenging climbs and great descents to enjoy. We departed at 8:30 am from Qui Nhon and arrived in Nha Trang at 1pm. We hoped to catch a ride in sunny Nha Trang but it was pouring rain here too so the bikes remained in the sweeper bus all day. When we arrived at our hotel, The Sunrise Hotel, we were pleased to find a great spa, Irish pub and great gym to keep us occupied while we wait for better weather. You can see what the hotel looks like when the weather is nice by looking at the website…. http://www.sunrisehotelvietnam.com/
The bus riders commented many times how happy we were that we had taken the bus instead of braving the elements given the dangerous road conditions and flooded road sections. This is the second truck we have seen turned over in a matter of a few days. Before the day was over, another truck had flipped in the same spot causing the sweeper bus to get stuck for hours.
Since there are no cycling tales to share, I thought it may be a good time to explain how this cycling trip works. In addition to keen cyclists, there are some support staff that keep the trip all together by arranging meals, repairs, entertainment and other logistics for all the vacationing cyclists. The staff consists of a leader (Mr. Hung), two bus drivers and a mechanic. Earlier in the trip we had Ms. Mai, who was the interim leader and well versed in English. Mr. Hung, who has taken over the lead, is super enthusiastic and is somewhat proficient in English. His French is good, so Kim and I have been able to dust off our French to communicate with him. Despite some of the language challenges, his overwhelming enthusiasm and hard work has resulted in a very enjoyable time for all the people on this cycling adventure. In addition to the support staff, there are two buses. The first bus typically rides ahead of all the cyclists to provide water and snacks at predetermined stop points. The second bus, affectionately known as the sweeper bus, rides behind the slowest rider to ensure that all of us show up on time at the hotels at the next destination and provides any mechanical repairs as needed. I am happy to say I have not seen the sweeper bus on this trip so far! 
Kim with Mr. Hung
The rain did not scare everybody however. Neil of Los Angeles, one of the Trek Guys, was the sole brave rider through the heavy rains today. At 8:30 am Neil jumped on his Trek mountain bike and braved the weather to make the ride to Nha Trang. Now I could make some excuses like ‘Neil has a mountain bike (unlike my road bike with skinny tires and no suspension), Neil has been on the trip and has more experience (while this is my first time in these exotic parts of Vietnam), Neil has a special relationship with the sweeper bus, etc’ but I am not going to do that. Straight up, he was the true cycling hero yesterday while the rest of us weak individuals chose the warm seat on the bus over the rugged and wet terrain between Qui Nhon and Nha Trang. Charlie, the other Trek Guy, also jumped on his bike when the sweeper bus was stuck but he did that more out of necessity rather than true hero-like riding the way his father did. J Good work Trek Guys! (Both mountain or hybrid riders! ) 
Neil the Hero (green poncho)
Tomorrow we hope to catch an unscheduled ride in Nha Trang to make up for the lost kilometers. However, as I say that, it is pouring rain!
Current weather conditions....
Comments
People should read this.
Posted by: Vicky | October 29, 2008 05:46 AM