Shut the Front Door!

Distance: 50km
Temperature (max): 35.5°C
View the stats on Strava (Là Gì to Bình Chai)

Total distance to date: 1,816 km

We’ve slowed the pace considerably and are now dilly-dallying our way through. Less mileage, more ice cream while we decide if we will venture down to the Mekong Delta, or goof off on the coastal beaches of Vùng Tau.

When we departed this morning we expected small villages and were surprised by the beehive of activity encountered in La Gi. We squeezed through bustling markets swirling with people on foot, motorbikes, bicycles, crisscrossing, U-turning, halting in the middle of the road, zipping in, zipping out, riding against traffic, and bending and dodging every imaginable hazard. Everyone does their own thing, at whatever speed they fancy. Buses honk like they are having seizures, pushing through at wicked speeds, nevermind that there’s a dude hobbling down the middle of the traffic lane with crutches & one leg. The lady carrying dead chickens stops to chit chat with another & make tradesies. It’s a circus out there. The remainder of the day however was pleasant as the bulk of the bus traffic dwindled, having returned passengers back to their work week.

Upon arrival at our destination it’s a routine—launder stinky bike clothes, charge lights & navigational aids, drink water, shower, then research restaurant or other food options. Excited to see “Street Food” on Google maps we headed out for something other than Pho. Pseudo-pizza, and a hamburger. Better than fish eyeball soup! We dined in, affording us the opportunity to absorb the decor. A gigantic word-art adorned the main wall, likely chosen for its aesthetic appeal, without knowledge of English to know what the message was really saying. Funny how I only chose to eat half that pizza.

Our Guesthouse this evening is a family owned, newly constructed building—narrow, not unlike the surrounding houses. It’s common for families to leave their ground-floor front doors wide open in the evening enjoying family time. We waltzed home after diner, marvelling at the sights and sounds of Vietnamese families. Aha! There’s our Guesthouse, see the big red sign on top!  We round the corner and step into the open front door area. Hmm….it’s not quite how we remembered it. (You know….new hotel, new faces, new everything everyday—its hard to keep track) Slightly perplexed, we scan for the staircase, when the woman relaxing in the hammock laughs and points next door. She’s laughing—our guesthouse host overhears joins the laughter….ahhh , ok, got it! We were standing in the neighbours house! Such is the nature of our memory recall after so many days on the road.

Not sure I’d have chosen these words.