On the Hue to Hoi An

Our 35 miles around Ninh Binh were thankfully flat, but lacking in shade. We baked as we admired the limestone karst peaks and the temples and gardens of the Dinh Dynasty’s 10th century capital. The town had few food options, so we ate supper together before heading to the station. 

Night Train
No, not the 1951 Jimmy Forrest classic, but the overnight rail journey to Hue. The train was surprisingly nice and comfortable! Even so, only about half of us rested well. 

Hue
It was an easy 10-12 miles around town to the Citadel, Forbidden City, and a royal tomb. A little less jovial today, we downed water at every chance. Spirits revived in the evening as our hydration finally caught up with the past three days of hot miles, and there were hue too many Hue jokes. 🙂

I’m close to drinking a gallon per day now. I’ve never drank so much in my life, and peed so little (we’re all remarking on this phenomenon). 

Hai Van (Sea Clouds) Pass
The easy day in Hue was a great setup for the ride to Hoi An along rice fields, rivers, and elaborate cemeteries. The first 36 miles were flat, cloudy, and flew by. After lunch we headed up Hai Van pass, 6 miles to 1600 feet. The views were amazing, and my ridemates called me “mental” for enjoying the climbing so much. The 6 miles down the other side to Da Nang were quite fun as well! 

Traffic Safety
To Westerners it seems like chaos: the lack of lines, seemingly few rules, and almost no traffic lights. Yet it is so much safer for cyclists here than in all of our countries. Drivers are alert and on the defensive, never aggressive. Everyone, and everything including cows and dogs, share the road equally. With no lanes, everyone gracefully swerves and weaves as needed to avoid anything in their path. We are rarely on large roads, if ever, so the traffic we encounter is fairly slow-moving, which also helps.