I met a young traveller in the Chau Doc hotel, she said I looked awful (a great start to any relationship) and offered me some rehydration powders. Derrr I had overlooked these. This did seem to help me perk up. So much so that I went exploring.
I had decided by this time I had had enough and need to be sensible for once and stop. I’d achieved my main objective at 2800 km travelled with two punctures One a leaking Schwalbe valve stem on Day 2 and a failed equator on the rear tyre but goodness knows where en route (this might have been on the second ride of Days 1 to Day 3 inclusive; Vinh Yen to Thanh Hoa via the Primate Rescue Centre). DANE Put a larger rear tyre on for the next trip.
I pottered about Chau Doc for two days. At long last I had found the missing (in my memory) hotel from when Mark, Mei, Sarah & I took the kids around Thailand/Singapore and Cambodia. The hotel was where the Luxury boat from Phom Penh moored up – The Victoria Hotel.
What a find. Within a 150m triangle there was a cool supermarket, a street stall for Bun Ca (warning signs and klaxon noises ) and a posh poolside river-view hotel selling cooled (pricey mind) strong IPAs, served by two amiable waitresses; a deserved change from Bia Saigon et al. I hate to nitpick but the peanuts were sugared not salted. The Bun Ca fish stew with yellow flowers I think was my downfall when I ate it the following day. There were half a dozen delightful little dogs to torment too.
The Hotel where I stayed had a little crane device on the very top floor
I repeated the above on the 30th March but included a scooter ride out to the waterside temple and festival.