Photoshop effect to make a Panoramic look like a Little World (Tancoc, Nihm Bihn)

Day 30 22/11/2009

Another one of those days where things are uneventful… and as they say in Vietnam all too often… “same same”. I did manage to get 4 free beers during free beer hour…. What an achievement for the day. Whoopee!

HDR Image of the Dragon Boats on the River in Hue

Day 29 21/11/2009

Another one of those days where I didn’t even leave the hostel. I managed to scam/get food from people who I had just befriended. Im really beginning to think that this financially situation I’m in is turning me into some kind of bum who manages to score free food and alcohol.. but I’m not going to complain, free food is free food…Now that does make me sound like a bum. Lol.

Anyways, today was uneventful I just met a bunch of people, introduced some to Shithead and as the weather was no better than yesterday, I just stayed indoors.

I think its going to be much of the same tomorrow and for the following week

Day 29 21/11/2009

Another one of those days where I didn’t even leave the hostel. I managed to scam/get food from people who I had just befriended. Im really beginning to think that this financially situation I’m in is turning me into some kind of bum who manages to score free food and alcohol.. but I’m not going to complain, free food is free food…Now that does make me sound like a bum. Lol.
Anyways, today was uneventful I just met a bunch of people, introduced some to Shithead and as the weather was no better than yesterday, I just stayed indoors.
I think its going to be much of the same tomorrow and for the following week.

Day 28 20/11/2009

Today I had to sort out an extension for my visa for another 30 days, so I had to get a bus to Danang for 50000 dong and go to the embassy. It turns out that I didn’t need to go to Danang because the hostel here in Hue sorts out this type of thing. I paid $35 US to have it sorted in Danang, it apparently costs only $25 for it to be done here… shame, a little wasted money. L

When I was in Danang whilst waiting for the embassy to open I went to go find a replacement tire for my bike. I couldn’t find the right sized tire… but I have my fingers crossed that I can find the right tire in Hue.

I now have to wait 6 days for my Visa to process, so im stuck here in Hue for that time.

At least the Hostel has free breakfast and free beer between 5-6 pm. J

Also bumped onto JT who I met on the road up to Sapa, he is also staying in this hostel for a little while.

Day 27 19/11/2009

Distance Cycled: 67

At the time of writing this I am quite drunk…

The weather today was terrible… raining constantly.

The tube that I had replaced yesterday constantly got flat every few kilometers or so…. So you can imagine it was an exhausting journey to get to Hue. At one point one of my peddles stopped rotating because some bearing came loose and I had to bash it out to make the peddle rotate again.

When I arrived in Hue I searched for a cheap hotel, the cheapest I could find was 130,000 dong… but after a while I found a backpackers hostel for 110,000 dong with free beer between 5 and 6, and free breakfast.

I had a many free beers as I could get during this time… then moved onto the cheap 2 for 1 rum and cokes for the rest of the evening, I even had a guy buy me a drink after a showed him and a few English girls my photoshop work. J

Tomorrow I have to get to Danang early to extend my visa for another month.

Day 26 18/11/2009

Distance Cycled: 87km

Repair cost: 50000 Dong

Today I didn’t leave the Hotel till just before midday. I grabbed another bowl of Noodle soup from down the road and some nibblys for the journey. I knew I didn’t have to cycle far only to get to Dong Ha just less than 90km away.

It was much more of the same terrain from every other day on Highway 1.

I did encounter my first problem with my bicycle… nothing serious (well at first) just a flat back tire. I pulled over on the side of the road to patch up the puncture but again I had a bunch of locals turn up, 15 to be precise that basically did the job for me.

Whist fixing the puncture I noticed that the back tire wasn’t looking so good, it was rather run down, I thought it would last till I got to Dong Ha but unfortuanately the repaired puncture was leaking a little air. So for the 45km I had to cycle to Dong Ha I had to pull over every 5-10 km to inflate the tire. This was only so good till the last kilometer before the tube would not hold any air what-so-ever. Luckily for me there was a mechanic/bicycle repair shop accoss the road. I took it there and had some dinner while the guy attempted to fix the wheel. Again unfortunately the size of the wheel is uncommon in Vietnam and he could not find a new tire, although he did attempt to prolong the durablility of the tire by cutting a rubber tube and placing it between the tire and the new tube. I cycled off after paying 50,000 Dong but before long the tire had deflated again. L

Just as the tire deflated I saw a Westerner walking along the road, Michael was from the Ukraine, nice guy but didn’t really have anything interesting to say even after he had traveled around Asia for 3 years. I joined him for dinner… second one for me and found a small crappy hotel thing paying only 60,000 Dong where I crashed for the night.

Day 25 17/11/2009

Distance Cycled: 130km

I left the truck stop after having a good nights rest and not having to pay for anything in Vietnamese Dong... well I would have given them something but Le asked if he could have the $10 Australian I had in my wallet last night.

Todays weather was so terrible, it rained all morning! All the stuff even inside my pack were at best wet.

I Finally saw the coast, it wasn’t particularly pleasant as it was pissing it down, the waves were choppy and the sky was a dark grey.

I stopped for lunch at a restaurant on the side of the highway where after ordering some noodle soup some locals offered me their leftovers, I couldne have been more greatful, they also kept on offering me some rice wine shooters.. they certainly warmed me up a little.

I pushed on through the rain and the wind sometimes with quite a struggle and up a bit of a hill, the first one on Hwy 1 and my bike handled it quite fine it was coming down the otherside that was a bit of a worry as neither of my breaks were working. It was a little frightening going at the speed I was going unable to stop but I was able to after some distance.

I pulled over to some shelter at another restaurant where I asked for some tea to warm up and to fix my breaks. Some locals then asked me to join them for what seemed to be a seafood hotpot, but I refused gesturing that I had already ate and was full, so they offered me some rice wine, that I could not refuse. As I sat down warming from the alcohol the guy sitting next to me lights one of my back dreads on fire. I only realize this when I get the smell of burnt hair. As you could imagine I was pissed off. I shouted at the guy and stood up, as did he. I shoved him and went to put all my gear back on my bike as I had removed it all to fix the breaks. This guy kept on coming over to me, not to apologize but to attempt to take my headphones. I shoved him again and again telling him to piss off. He kept on coming over to take something of mine so I kept on shouting at him.

Finally I had all my stuff back on my bike and set off.

Frustrated I pushed myself to cycle a little faster till I got to Dong Hai.

I searched for a cheap hotel and found one for 120,000 Dong about $6 got some more noodle soup, hung up my clothes and had an amazing hot shower. The places I stayed at over the past 2 nights only had cold showers.