Lovely day’s riding. A bit hot, a few hills but a full Genoa tailwind. Lots of small fishing vessels and a good looking if remote Narnia, right on the seafront
As I was ahead of the scheduled rest week I had time to tootle around in the villages again. Seeing a family gathered round Gma who was knocking out sugar cane and lemon I thought why not. The ladies were very interested in my head gear and who could blame them. I passed my red plastic utility tea mug that is ace at holding halfeaten Banh Mys she made me a drink. One of the kids had excellent English.
Later in the same little town I found a group of surviving older buildings. I know its nicer to live in a modern house but they havent twigged that foreigners would pay a premium to stay in a quaint old cottage. A group of old men (haha like me) were sat round, French style, supping tea and pointed out a 1974 building that had a new room attached at the front.
First time I’d seen the bamboo panels used; these were common in Phillipines as they allow any draft to slowly pass through.
Excellent bbq pork lunch at Phan ri cua. I was going to leave the busy little market town as I could not find anywhere to eat but common sense and experience told me there’d be nothing more for many a kilometer. Back I went and found a grandma bbqing some excellent looking pork so stopped, and again, no chop sticks.
Locals are so honest with the cash. I’m trying to use VN number and then have to closely look to see if the note is 1k 2k 10k 20k etc and they are already jabbing at my wallet. So many zeros to count. The dialect has changed so understanding their numbers just gets more fun. My attempts at speaking the local lingo are becoming less successful.
Passing huge sand dunes and scores of western kids in jeeps heading for the camel rides, jeep and quad bike experiences in the hot sands. Made me wince and I pedaled past, keen to get away.
Musing or is it rambling?
On honeymoon in 1988 we went on an extended 3 day camel trip in Rajastan. Poor Sarah had diarrhea almost continually in India, almost from day 1. Probably due to a lack of beer and strong spirits (we found out later in UK that it was acute dysentery) so she had a very sore bottom. Thus the camels had to walk. THE MOST uncomfortable step for the rider, especially myself as I had no stirrups so every step involved me being moved forward and back about one yard with an intermediate forward and back in between. The iron saddle was wearing holes in my legs. The night skies were amazing and never equaled until our expedition in Egypt up to Mount Sinai in the dark….another story and even more camels, silent camels.
Nor did I have a driver – I was riding solo Look cool but it’ worryingly high up so if you decide to bail out when they get frisky and rear up (showing off near lady camels). I will never forget my pride when pulling up at a small stone hut with a water trough full of coldish soft drinks, literally in the middle of nowhere, and using voice commands to get my beast to kneel down.
At this point we cadged a lift to the closest hotel, there was one free room. Princess Anne had stayed there, I bet she did not have a bleeding bottom.
When you rein-in on a horse its head comes backwards and it will stop, probably. The difference with a camel was it’s reins are attached to a wooden peg through it’s nose. Rein-in and the head just keep coming back until eventually it turns round, slavering mouth and dripping nostrils literally inches from your own face. I did not understand Rajahstani camel language but I got the impression that I was not the one in charge. Pat on the head – nice camel.
The most comfortable step was a trot, similar to a horse – lean back and keep your bum on the iron saddle – but not for Sarah. I remember waking in the night seeing two dung beetles rolling round camel turd pellets in opposite directions and immediately in front of my mouth. I wrapped my fine turban (its like a kilt for your head, loads of material) around my face and went back to sleep under the damp camel saddle blanket. When I see commuters on both sides of the busy roads, each traveller heading to work where they dont live, I recall those muscled dung beetles.
Ahead there looked to be a power station or cement factory. On the hill side it was massive was it an outcrop of rock with historic roots like in Australia?
I stopped at the bend at Ap Thien Ai for a beer and an ice cream as I was close enough to the destination. At the store-cafe Mum was fast asleep. One of four mapping apps showed a route out of the commune if I continued so I went back to the sandy highway and stopped to look at the Myers Rock. Twas, as my old school alumni King Charles once said of a modern London building – It’s a hideous carbuncle.
Then it was past the truly monstrous carbuncle, a modern day Gormenghast with posing pale faced brides (Korean?) and other nationalities standing up on jeeps for selfies in front of a normal Hastings type sea-scape. No back drop like a beautiful Island. How weird. The building is so massive, so out of place and there is so little round it why anyone would build it is a mystery to me
Homestay Vibi? was cheap, out of the way and looked promising, it had a shared kitchenette but no fridge. Owner agreed to let me cancel. Into the village proper and went into Moonbeam Mini resort for a good walk-in price for two nights. Its excellent. Ana and Mark have cold beer in their fridge and the guest fridge had space for the few tinnies of Philippine Red Horse I’d bought on route for some variety.
I banged my head twice today. Once when picking up a sweet paper from the floor in the guest house I banged straight into the satellite box. Ouch. Second time was potentially quite serious. When leaving the large coop I was focussing on getting through the quite narrow mbike exit point, my hat peak stopped me seeing the ridiculously low metal bar across the exit even the locals had to duck. Luckily I was going uber slow as the helmet was violently forced backwards. The attendant dropped her phone and grabbed the bike as I fell sideways. Happy to report the neck is still stiff but no concussion etc. It happens so quickly.