This section from La Gi to Vung Tau is the twenty-sixth instalment of my bicycle ride from Yunnan to Cambodia – if all goes according to plan. Titled “Slap the Belgian!”, it is simultaneously published on Crazyguyonabike.com, where you’ll find a map with the itinerary and many other bicycle diaries by me and others. I hope you’ll enjoy.
We get up at 5.30, snooze until 5.40 and then begin our drowsy ritual of packing. After a breakfast of oddly sweet pho – the worst we’ve had – we’re on the road by 6.50. We hope to avoid the heat this way but it’s already disgustingly hot out.
We want to get to the metropolitan area of two major cities called Vung Tau-Ba Ria, located on a peninsula on the east side of Saigon’s port channel. We’re in for a 100 km ride today, or a bit less if we follow the main road all the way.
We advance slowly, drowsiness, headwinds and a false flat sapping our courage. It takes several coffee and food stops before we finally start making some good time.
Our spirits low, we had chosen to take the shortest road: the QL55 more or less straight to Ba Ria. Though lined with food stands, this road offers very little in terms of sights, and I get conscience pangs after a while and talk Tu into taking the prettier sea-side road anyway.
Acknowledging the fact that it may be resort hell again, with no or very pricey food along the way, we stop for an invigorating plate of Hanoi-style Banh Cuon before taking a left at our first chance to go back to the sea. This will lengthen our trip, but at least the views will be more stimulating.
Added bonus is that this passage to the sea leads through a natural reserve, which has an asphalted if slightly coarse road with almost no traffic and just trees around. Normally you get fined for responding to nature’s call in protected areas – the mosquito police let Tu off with an itchy warning.
Back at the sea-side, we find ourselves in resort hell indeed, Ho Tram taking the cake with miles of private beach, golf courses, bungalows and hotels. Funnily enough the road is one of the smoothest in all of Vietnam, probably paid for by the development group that exploits the strip.
By noon, we already have 70 km or the majority of our stretch behind us. Near Loc An, we allow ourself to slack the hottest hours of the day away in a hammock, slurping on a coconut and munching on green mango. This is how I like my cycling best.
One of my spokes had popped before rolling into Loc An, and I make use of our time to re-true my wheel. I don’t feel comfortable trying to replace the spoke by myself, not in the middle of nowhere and not a mere hundred kilometres before rolling into Saigon, a place with plenty of good bike stores.
Of course, I understand that means listening to the ticking time-bomb of more spokes ploinking in the next few days. What I don’t understand is how this wheel can break so quickly. It can’t have more than 5000 km on it, it was hand-built and has 36 spokes instead of the usual 32. I guess I’ll have them all replaced.
The last fourty kilometres lead us around Long Hai and then get us onto the island that is Vung Tau. It’s technically an island, because a series of sea inlets separate it from the mainland. There are, however, a number of bridges connecting it to the Ba Ria area, so it feels a lot more like a peninsula.
On the island, we join a major road which starts in the middle of nowhere and leads us to the centre of Vung Tau. From the beginning to the actual town, there are 12 kilometres of nothingness: a massive roundabout with no traffic, traffic light-free intersections with lateral roads ending in nothing and a Metro cash-and-carry. Feels like China.
We get bed in Nhat Minh on Truong Van Bang for 200.000 VND after we lie that we’re married (mixed couples are not allowed to sleep together until married). Initially they wanted more for the foreigner, but with several identical-looking guesthouses next-door, we have all the bargaining leverage.
