Before leaving the homestay I went up to the Primate Rescue Centre nearby in the National Forest Area. They recue many monkeys taken as pets mostly by the chinese and also to make their medecines, as if CV19 was not enough to hoist on the world. It’s a vast place but you are allowed to cycle round. As I was the first tourist in I was welcomed to the sound of the gibbons’ breakfast chorus
The wooded scenery soon gave way to a very agricultural vista with hectares of pineapples and so many new roads being built all the maps are out of date. Noticeable how may houses had catered for pitched roofs but had not built them.
The gradual descent through farmland and small villages was ever accompanied by kids shouting hello what’s your name.
The last 30km were a nightmare due to being unable to escape the dusty wide QLIA main highway. I did find a few pleasant side roads and it was obvious that blokes like me were unusual visitors.
There was one place on a side road I managed to get to that had a strip of stones monolithic, carved and even some made to look like cactusville villages with bonsai trees and cottages.
Once into Thanh Hoa outskirts it was big smiles cycling again. Large wide roads with lots of men in lycra cycling gear riding around.
I found the Bijou Mint Homestay tucked away on a smart boulevarde adjacent to the city Railway station, everywhere was clean and vibrant. Miss Minty Ha, the owner built the house which is decorated to a very high standard. The beautiful and charming owner Miss Ha took me off to eat and meet some of her friends, many were completely myopic but charming with it.
