I arrived dehydrated and suffering bouts of light headedness/dizziness especially when going over a river bridge at end of ride. Nice quiet route except first 10 and last 10 km due to traffic. I took a detour along the river, to avoid the road, I knew it would bump up the distances but anything to get away from the hightway and the fucking awful horn, klaxons and scooter hooters. On the right/eastern side were proper houses. The ones to the left looked normal but were in fact stilt houses built along the river bank, some looked more secure than others. I passed a large Temple with what appeared to be a festival (I returned a few days later on a Scooter) . Many roads seen but not on maps.
See the map extract below to see just how many little bridges have to be crossed. Each bridge had 4 distinct bumps and the scale they were on it was very wearing on me crown jewels, hands and the poor phone. Each bridge was made of three slabs and each change of direction created a jarring bump. The VN can build roads and bridges faster than the eye can follow BUT the buggers cannot join each section without a bump. Even large road highway bridges had this and more as each road section had a comb device that merged with the teeth on the next section. Bicycle tyres were not part of the planning process as the gaps between teeth could snag the tyres so best taken at an angle (ignoring the traffic as they drive like crabs and use the horn anyway).
The large jars I thought were water but might with hindsight be spirits seeping with fruits, crows, snakes and other less macarbre flavours.
As I approached Chau Doc, the last town in Vietnam before heading northwards to Phnom Penh but Chau Doc would be the completion of my Primary Objective. The temperature was hitting 45/46C and the tarmac roads retained and radiated extreme heat from below me until after sundow (cement and mud were cooler).
I stopped for a coffee at about 4pm on the outskirts of Chau Doc and a cooling indoors cup of cafe den da – iced black coffe with the usual free Tra/tea, the manageress was such a nice lady. Feeling a bit less knackered I went back up to the raised highway and continued into Chau Doc.
By the time I was getting into Chau Doc I was suffering from the heat more and more, dehydration no doubt affecting me. I could not physically drink any more bloody water. I did not need to pee very often either.
I checked into the small Bao Thy Hotel, the owner spoke excellent English but was a bit put out when I said I could organise trips and outings myself! I really thought I would passout on the final bridge to the hotel and had to stop until it passed.
The hotel had cold beers and aircon. No Karaoke! Brill. I stayed in Chau Doc for three nights, I thought I deserved a bit of a rest.