Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Day 64 Mon 30/08 - Thanh Hoa to Hanoi ( Longest Ride on a Flat )

Today Distance : 165.3 km     Total : 3509.6 km
Today Weather : 28 - 36C     Sunny all Day
Time on Bike : 8 hr  01 min
Ave Speed : 20.6 kmh    Max : 40.0 kmh
Ave Climb : 1%    Max : 4%
Trip Altitude : 266 m    Max : 121 m
Today Spend : 81000vnd      Total : 623000vnd

Yesterday's decision to take a bus to Hanoi turn out unsucessfully. The reason again due to the bus conductor charging excessively.A normal ticket cost 60000vnd, and they want 300000vnd, just because my bike occupy the back row of 5 seats. I countered offer with 120000vnd, they refused and unload everything from the bus. I understand why they are angry, but me too. The problem is he make "don't know" when I kept asking how much before the bike was loaded to the bus.Fed up with the unhappy dealing with the Vietnamese conductors ( bus leave every half an hour). I decided to ride again and happy that the weather seemsto be on my side, sunny all the way to Hanoi! The traffic on this flat Asian Highway 1 ( AH 1) very heavy with so many buses and trucks pilling up and down on a single lane full of pot holes,dust and sharp stones.From Phu Ly, the road became better on dual carriage way and I am able to increase my speed. By 6.30pm rode into Hanoi and get caught in a sea of motorcycles. Without any map to refer, I gave up after searching for direction to Hoan Kiem Old quater. I ended up spending a night in a lakeside park after failing to find a budget guest house. There is a public toilet for me to clean and change my clothing for 5000vnd. For the 1st time, I am sleeping on a 4 ft long stone chair without my tent, under a bright half moon night.


Vietnamese Le Loi Statue in Thanh Hoa
Vietnamese Chee Cheong Fun
Taste good
On the way to Hanoi on Asian Highway 1
Tunnel crossing 50m long
Side by side with the railway line
Hanoi 93 km to go
Still in the process of widening the road-very dusty
Guess how many ducks here-no price for the correct answer
Vietnam famous road side drinks/smoke stalls
Caught in the motorbikes jammed in Hanoi
                                                                           

1 comment:

ChrisW said...

Glad you made it in sunny weather! Wow, 165 kms is a record. And hats off to not giving in to 'sam seng' bus conductors.