Wind’s a blowin’ at the rice paddy

Distance today: 77km
Total distance to date: 520km
Temperature (max): 27°C, and soupy humid.
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We met the first cycle tourist since arriving. Michelle is travelling solo in the opposite direction so we stopped roadside to exchange stories, routes & experiences. When travelling the way we are, meeting like-minded cyclists lifts our spirits and brightens our day. Thank you Michelle!

After we said our goodbyes we had a stellar ride.  We caught great views of the ocean and while we stood roadside gaping, we noticed a few Vietnamese tourists gaping at us while sneaking in a little video. We suppose it makes us part of their scenery

When mountains & ocean drifted into our past, we then found ourselves riding on a flat, paved road along endless rice paddies that extended as far as the eye could see and might even  convince you the earth really is flat. Not only might it be flat but it’s also windy. Like, blowin’-the-hair-off-your-head headwind reducing our speed to 9 or 10km per hour. Then it drizzled. Wind and drizzle. Nevermind though—we were already saturated from the humidity so a little drizzle? Ha! We scoff at drizzle now

Today was all about scenery. Glorious, lush mountains, waves from the sea rolling onto shore, and green-on-steroids rice paddies. At  times we were all alone in the vastness of it and the beauty & the silence were brilliant. Water buffalo form part of that scenery. We saw them everywhere, loitering at the side of the road just like cows and random chickens do. Those big menacing horns are for show. They are gentle, docile spirits just minding their own biz.

We splurged on a hotel—$47–and are luxuriating in a splendidly decorated hotel with floors so gleaming & grand it feels like a palace. But most marvellous is their menu—Tonight  its hamburger & fries and pizza! No mo’ Pho!

Our fancy-pants hotel. It’s really spectacular! $50 goes a long way toward luxury.