Tour de Vung Tau

Thanks Long for the above picture... a little coffee before the return ferry.   Can't wait to come back!!!!


So, when I went to Vung Tau on the ferry the night before the Tour, I was pleasantly surprised how nice Vung Tau was.  Our first trip left us with an unfavorable impression, and I can't exactly say why.  Perhaps it was becasue we went by car, the roads were busy as it was a Saturday mid morning.  We couldn't find the great beach everyone talked about.... it started to rain...  and of course, not knowing where to eat, we ended up at a "Good Morning Vietnam", which is good, but its foreign food, and really..... whats the point?!?

November 21st (day before my 41st birthday)... not a hot day.

Sand...10 year old boy... need I say more?

Pooch not so sure.... 

But, a good meal.

So, we left with an unfavorable impression....  its a real pity too!  We missed a lot of good opportunities to do fun things....

So.... back to my story....  after sitting in the taxi from the ferry to the hotel back in March, I thought, "was this the Vung Tau from November of 2009?"...  After riding only one day w/ the boys for the 'tour', I wanted to ride in Vung Tau again...

"So...Long, I am thinking of coming down to ride your hills and a look see tour?"

"Sure, let me know when"

"How about next Thursday?"

Well, it wasn't exactly like that, but close enough.  Told Alex what I was doing.... and gives Gjermund some ease when I don't do things solo.  Gjermund had met Long on the tour and knew I was in good hands.... these ARE good guys! 

Long says, "We'll do our two hills = 45km, then ride to Long Hai and back, thats 90km, so we are looking at 135km"...  "oh....hmm.... I think....that's kinda a long way..."

We arrive to the ferry at 6:00am by taxi.  We have to bag up our bikes (why??? - kinda defeats the purpose of public transport, doesn't it??).. anyhow, the porter insisted we needed to pay him $10 more because the size of the bags....  anyhow, we didn't pay!

We get to Vung Tau about 8:30, across the street is a coffee shop where more then 10 fellow cylists are waiting....  two or three WOMEN!  NO KIDDING! and lots of guys... most I had met either on the tour, or they ride our lustrious Nguyen Van Linh with us...

After crossing the street to the coffee shop, the guys swarm us and pull our bikes out of the bags and put them together immediately!  It was awesome.... like a princess!

Alex who is clearly more coordinated on a bike then me (sorry, not much of a compliment!) took these photos....I just stole them.

Yeah...thunder thighs here.... we take an out and back warm up for about 12km.  Then we climb the 'hill'.....oh...la..la... the 'hill'.....  aauugghh.... we start to climb (some sidewalk looking approach) 2.5km, 140m...  oohhh....yeah... my PHU MY BRIDGE.... well, I'll just stop there.  Oh... the heart  is pumping, I feel sick (because I am in NO climbing shape) but manage to be the third to the top, behind Duy and Alex.  Neither of which tried their hardest.  We come down and skip the 2nd hill.  The sun was super hot.

We head out on the ocean front....  and ride towards the ocean and north.

Long looks at me and says, "Is this better then the Nguyen Van Linh?"...  I thought I was going to choke when he asked....

"uh...yes!"

You know when you are stuck in an airplane for a 10 hour flight... or you are on an airplane for about 2 hours longer then your threshhold, then you get out of the airplane and and walk, stretch your legs, breath fresh air?  that's how this felt.... like we'd been locked in an airplane for tooo long and we finally got to RUN AND PLAY!

We had a BLAST!  I enjoyed the ride so much, I didn't want it to end... the ocean was so blue and beautiful, the sand, the air, the open roads....  good company.... OMG, I felt like I died and went to heaven.

We take a break at the turn around point. 

The guy is 64 years old....  his girlfriend  followed us on the motorcycle. 

Long bought us lunch.... and at a proper Vietnamese restaurant.... steel tables, steel chairs and food that was amazing!  Now.... that's good food!  None of this 'import' stuff....  this was fresh, healthy, hearty, and sooooo tasty....  we mentioned how good the lunch was several times!  Thankfully I have my Garmin, and can find again.

Long, and boys of Vung Tau (and lovely ladies that rode the first 15km and the woman who followed us)... thank you for a blessed day! 

You have NO IDEA how bad.... I needed that!  I feel recharged.

We'll be back... hopefully soon!