Adventure Bound

In an attempt to try something different, (as if living in Viet Nam is not different enough) I decided months earlier that our summer holidays in June were going to be spent enjoying the outdoors, particularly since we have never had summer holidays in June!.

Our first adventure was to be bike riding, the pedalling variety that is. Some of the teachers at school had told me about a bike ride from Dalat, central Viet Nam in the mountains, to Nha Trang again central Viet Nam but on the Coast. They had told me how beautiful it was – all 90km of it – and they also said it was easy. So I decided that was for us. We can all ride bikes. 90 km’s is a long way but the brochure said you can take as long as you like AND there was the longest downhill stretch in all of Viet Nam, 30 kms. So I booked it for the week that Mikaela’s friend was visiting.
A few weeks before summer break, three more teachers did the ride but their experience seemed completely different. Firstly none of them completed it, they all had to use the back-up vehicle and they said the traffic was just terrifying. I began to get very nervous, what had I subjected my family to.

Summer break finally arrived. We did a lovely trip to the Mekong Delta with Reannon, Sarah arrived and all to soon we were on a plane bound for Dalat. Yes it is beautiful countryside and it was lovely to feel cool actually cold is more accurate. Dalat is a nice town, much bigger then I thought. We only had a day and a half so we only managed to do a few tourist things; the cable car to a gorgeous Buddhist Temple, a very weird house and boating on the man made lake.
The night before our bike ride I must admit I was very nervous, I had visions of trucks, buses, motor bikes all running us off the road; and me not being able to make the 90km’s.
The van picked us up from our hotel and drove us about 10km out of town – yes 10 down only 80km to go. We collected our bikes had a quick rundown on how to use them and then set off. Now anyone who has ever been riding with me will very quickly tell you I am not very good on a bike, I wobble, I use the brakes all the time, and I tend to fall off when I get tired or see a car, or a pothole or even turn around. The guide told us that the first 40km was up and down and then there was a 4km ride to the top of the hill where we would have lunch and then 30 km downhill. The first 15 minutes was OK I managed to look around and think how lovely the mountains were, I was at the back of the pack, the pack being just our family plus Sarah, 2 guides, 1 van and 1 truck but all was good. Up and over a few little hills then up another hill only to come to the top and found the pack had stopped and Bella was lying on the ground.
She had come off whilst trying to get a drink – will she ever listen, the guide told us to always stop when we want a drink – anyway she was cut and bruised and at first the guide thought her arm was broken. It was funny later but at the time it was very worrying. Being the caring family that we are, the kids were worried first about Bella but then, that they would not be able to go to the theme park the next day, I was worried first about Bella and then not being able to try and finish this ride and Matthew was worried first about Bella and then the waste of money if both her and I have to go the the hospital. Thankfully nothing was broken but she was very shaken with cuts and grazes all over her. They put her in the back up van and off we set again. I was a long way behind; the others had all gone on ahead, so I was pedalling like crazy to catch up. Poor Matthew said they stopped a number of times to wait but when I didn’t come they kept going but he said he was really concerned that something serious had happened. Anyway I did eventually catch them.
But the ride. There were so many hills. To say it was ‘up and down’ was a tad exaggerating it was more up then down. We did stop on occasion and on one of those occasions I was happy to see Bella up and riding again. The scenery really was spectacular you could have been anywhere in the world. We were completely surrounded by mountains. Unfortunately not having a camera with me, there was no way I was carrying anything extra, I just had to look. We rode on going through villages where it seemed all the local kids yelled hello, and up yet more hills. Finally we reached the 4km up hill stretch. Unfortunately for Matthew his bike seat was not designed Western rear ends and at the risk of doing permanent damage, he opted to use the backup van for the 4km up hill stretch. Alexander and Josh were legends they managed it really well and were the first up the hill, Sarah and I just plodded along stopping when we needed to, Bella fell by the wayside and joined Matthew at about the 2km mark, and Mikaela rode as she does most things in life, slowly but steadily setting her own pace.
For me, it wasn’t how long it took me or how many stops it was pure and simple - I made it to the top, exhausted, feeling like I was going to be sick but elated.
Lunch was amazing. Imagine sitting on top of the world – well Viet Nam – eating fresh bread rolls, salad, fruit and pork knowing that it was all downhill from there.
Going downhill though easier was certainly scarier you collect so much speed that I was really worried I would fall off the mountain and would roll to Nha Trang. Unfortunately it started to rain actually pour, teem, deluge – I am not sure what word describes the horrendous weather. At times we were in the rain clouds thankfully we all rain ponchos, but you couldn’t see anything in front of you.
Matthew, Mikaela and Bella loved it. The rest of us were a little more cautious. Poor Josh fell off at one point landing in a ditch, he was lucky he had a sweater on which saved most of his skin – albeit he did have some gravel rash on both elbows. It rattled his confidence but one of the guides then rode with him telling him when and how much to brake – a kind of wish he had been with me .
Eventually we reached the end – all in one piece well kind of – we got back into the van for the drive into Nha Trang wet, dirty, cold, bedraggled but happy.
When I had booked the trip I booked a very simple hotel in Dalat but a lovely hotel in Nha Trang as a reward. Our arrival I’m sure had people looking – all 7 of us tramped into the hotel looking like vagrants I’m sure, but nothing a shower and a glass of wine (for Matthew and I) didn’t fix.
Now we wait for the next of our adventure tours – canoeing and trekking in Laos.