Thanh Hoa

Arrived 16/7/2011

After my few days of rain it finally eased off and stopped for me to get back on my today, but the roads were still pretty flooded in patches along the way.  The amazing highway 1A is a disaster of a road.  Bus after bus after truck all constantly blasting their horns and then there are all massive potholes to avoid.  Avoiding means to sacrifice your life and swing into the lane of traffic or go offroad get muddy and bump over a series of small potholes instead.  It’s not quite the nice smooth, wide road I thought and was told it was.

I’m off to find the Ho Chi Minh Trail tomorrow, whatever it brings I’m sure it will nicer riding than today.

Two things I have been trying to find lately are a bike shop that actually sells bicycle oil and a supermarket.  There are loads of bike shops around but they all just sell old school single speed bikes, no accessories.  Supermarkets, I have actually ridden past and seen a couple but when I need them there never seems to be one around.  Tried to ask a couple of moto drivers in Thanh Hoa today.  They pointed a couple of ways, got someone else over to (I think) help translate but she didn’t want to talk to me then they just ignored me!  I looked at them saying “sin loy” (excuse me) and trying to confirm their pointing but just got completely ignored.  I was pointing infront of their faces but they just totally ignored me, sweet.  Found a couple of super markets, ie. markets that were supersized not quite a supermarket even though it makes sense to call them that.

There was a little bit of sunshine today… hooray!

A quick funny.  Dinner time I sat down was given a menu and immediately asked what I wanted!  Crikey I just sat down.  Then the receptionist, a cook and about four waiters stood around me.  No idea why they all just stood steering at me, it was hilarious.  I gave them a big embracing arm span hello and they laughed then ran away. Ok...?