17th
poor sleep last night, probably too many teas, still awake about 1 a.m. woken up by loud noises about 2, probably air-con, room changed to other side of corridor, even bigger room. Rousing Vietnamese music from the square outside the hotel at 4.45! Thats the way to go, Uncle!

set off about 10.30, without breakfast.

Stopped at a shop for food, counter manned by a young boy, I look around and see what looks like bread. There are some eggs on the counter, raw and I ask for two to be fried, he looks uncertain and I offer to cook which he accepts. In the kitchen we are having problems lighting the gas fire (a lot of cooking here is actually usually done on charcoal fire that is on most of the time). The younger brother who has been taking care of a younger sister comes in and finds a small camping cooker but while I am heating the oil mother arrives and takes over. The bread turns out to be something like croissants, I get two. I also get some sellotape from the younger boy and repair my map after discarding two thirds, top half of the country which I have not seen and the bottom which I wont.

Stopped off for a drink at quite a nice area, had a fresh coconut with a straw in it. Slept in a hammock for about an hour, needed that.

Road works - there are loads of roadworks going on. sometimes you get to a place where there are a few roads in various states of construction )gravel, soil etc) going off at different directions and unclear what is what. I get a bike to lead me on and follow the best I can as he is going quite fast. I do my est to keep up and it is good fun to do some fast riding. got to be real careful though. at one point he overtakes this bus spewing out black smoke. soon afterwards we get to downhill and the bus picks up speed and I am not too happy to be overtaking at over 70 in this place. The bus soon catches up with and is hooting at the guy who allows himself to be overtaken so I can catch up. we do manage to overtake the bus later at the start of a incline. I have something buzzing in my ear so have to stop off to take it out. i hear this bike beeping at me furiously, he has come back. I eventually let him go ahead on his own as I have made good distance and know roughly where I am now.

There are good reasons why these guys sometimes ride slowly. I decided to overtake couple of bikes only to realise that there were some potholes coming up and I was very nearly unseated.

Coarse gravel is the worst thing to ride on as the grains are large enough to be under the tyre but too large to stay there so you slip and slide badly.

At a coffee place in Kiendoc, the girl tells me Saigon is within 4 hours! I guess it might be at her speed, 160 km away. Unsure about getting to HCMC, busy streets, Meekong delta is a must visit. I am in two minds about selling the bike, it has been an interesting experience.

Got to Doc Phung at a very good time just before it was getting dark, having taken some photos of sunset too. The sky was awash with colour and kept changing so I was stopping proactically every few minutes, this is a sort of place you can just sit and watch the sky in the evening, I love sunsets. The place is full of guesthouses for a change, but did find a hotel Giavu, almost leaving the town. I am full of dust everywhere, i think my jeans are held together with soil and the sweat off my body and I am sure if I wash it, it will fall apart pretty quickly. WIFI not very good. I head out for a stroll and food into the dark and dusty streets. The place I eventaully find is a kiosk and get two sandwiches followed by two pieces of cake, hadnt eaten since 11.30. It is also nice to just walk around and off the bike.  Bike has become my legs and sometimes I just want to keep on riding, the feeling is exhiliriating. The problem is sometimes I miss some good photo, food stop opportunities, but I guess a lot less than if I was passing through on a bus.