Day 1059 14th June 2019
41 miles (Quy Nhon to doc pho ) Average speed 10.7 mph
A beautiful ride through colourful countryside.
I was awake late at 7.30 and had tea with ban mi including fried egg and an apple. I packed quietly as the 4 beds in the dormitory were full. I left at 10.30 after cleaning the chain and hit the very dusty road out of town. Across two bridges and then the big one, the second longest in Vietnam, at least it was fairly flat if a little sandy.
Then it turned into arid desert for the next ten miles.
I stopped for a sugar cane drink with the workers. They are building many new apartments and hotels along this beachfront. At 5000 each these sugar cane drinks are set to become my new energy drink. After going through a couple of small towns I took on the three climbs of the day and even though it was midday they were not as hard as I’d anticipated. Each one giving me different vistas with amazing turquoise sea and beautiful beaches followed by dry arid peaks and then green paddy fields.
It was a stunning ride but I hadn’t eaten since breakfast and was beginning to flag. I stopped two miles short of my possible hotel to witness many birds in cages being loaded onto a people carrying coach. Everything went in the hold, just like I’d seen a few days ago when two goats were happily loaded into the hold, not knowing what awaited them.
I checked into the hotel after checking out a more expensive one nearby and had a shower before going in search of food.
It was only 4.30 and I couldn’t find any restaurants open but eventually found a great spot back from where I’d come. I had sheep’s head with rice soup, mango and mint which was delicious if a little fiddly. I didn’t eat the eye as it looked a bit too chewy. I was as shocked as the locals were to see me when the bill came to 100000 dong including three beers!!
I’m now sat at a shop/ bar opposite my hotel watching the world go by. An incredible day of wonderful scenery.
Hotel thanh phong 200000 dong