4
February, Phuong Lam to Dau Giay, 63km
Guesthouse 68 100,000VND
It was a
hot, hot day during which nothing momentous occurred, but which was enlivened
by rocks and lunch. Dinh Quan, 20km beyond Phuong Lam, was subject a long, long
time ago to intense volcanic activity. South of town lie a jumble of enormous
boulders, one of which partially blocks the road. Abutting these are shops and
tea-houses and a pretty temple with a white Buddha. Some days we are hungrier
than others. Today was a day on which we wanted a full lunch rather than simply
a snack. We found a restaurant just off the road, large and quiet and cool, and
there were served a delicious meal, some of it cooked at our table over hot
coals, that caused us to linger longer than we had planned. So it was getting
late when we arrived at the intersection with the AH1 around 70km from Ho Chi
Minh City; a very noisy intersection. We were surprised and thrilled to find a
motel 50m off the road, with a lovely quiet room fronting on a garden – both the
quiet and the garden being unusual in our price range. I marvelled at one point
today at how much more confident I have grown in my ability to cope with
Vietnam’s erratic traffic. As I reached an intersection, three scooters turned
out of the road on my right, two toward me, one away from me, all hugging the
sidewalk beside which I was riding. At the same time a scooter stopped in front
of me, the driver angled across the road planning to do a U-turn, and another
coming in the opposite direction turned into the road on my right. I am still
slow by comparison to the average Vietnamese in working out what minor adjustments
to speed and direction are required of me to ensure that I do not need to stop
and do not cause others to stop. Babes in arms are transported by scooter; and
tiny tots not yet walking sit in front of a parent manoeuvring through traffic,
eyes taking it all in, hands developing muscle memory on the handlebars.
Dinh Quan rocks
Dinh Quan rocks
Dinh Quan rocks
Dinh Quan rocks
Dinh Quan rocks
Dinh Quan rocks
Lotus pod
Dinh Quan
Tri An lake
Tri An lake