11:23am 12 January 2024
Canterbury to
Milton Keynes by
Train
12:03pm 14 January 2024
Milton Keynes to
London by
Train
I picked up a copy of Andrew X. Pham's book Catfish and Mandala when I was in Hoi An. I'd seen it on the 'Asia Interest' shelves years ago, without realising it involved bike touring. Ostensibly, the book is about a Vietnamese-American bike touring in the US, Japan and Vietnam. In fact, it's better described as a personal exploration of the identity issues faced by emigré Vietnamese.
MoreHere's what the rest of the day looks like, aside from bike time, starting with rolling into a destination town:
MorePiece of cake, really. Point bike at city, ride, arrive, stop. Well, ok, there's a bit more to it than that, but it's not too much of a challenge.
MoreKnobbled for baguettes again! I've really not sorted the eating patterns of Vietnam out. Rice is not for dinner, ok, I think I've got that straight. I've been offered rice porridge for dinner, but elsewhere in Asia, that's pretty squarely in the breakfast department. What's going on? Anyway, I thought baguettes were an all day kind of thing, but I don't see any on sale as I roll out of La Gi.
MoreI cobble together a breakfast from my guesthouse's confused menu, do a bit of basic bike maintenance, and roll out.
MoreToday turns out to be much longer than I'd expected. It's unfortunately all my fault.
MoreAbout 100km on the slate today, to the twin cities of Phan Rang-Thap Chiam. Bit of a dismal day all round, thanks partly to overcast, blustery weather.
MoreThe wind's really been the story of the past few days. Without it, I'd have spent a lot more energy getting to Nha Trang. Against it, these distances would have been hard. But today's blowout was of a different kind.
MoreMy first dorm night of the trip, and probably the last. Not the best of sleep, but the price was right. I'm slow off the mark, but take time for a sturdy breakfast of chips, eggs, bacon, toast and coffee.
MoreFinally, a day on the bike with no rain. And what a difference it makes. Today's terrain is similar to the past couple of days, but paddy fields with their greens glowing do so much more for one's optimism.
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