Hoi An

Sorry, sorry, sorry. I know it's been quite a while since we updated our happenings and I sincerely apologize for the delay. There is good reason for the break in writing. Simply, it is because we had a long, marathon stretch of riding that took up most of our time for the past week. Last entry, from Qui Nhon, we were on day 3 of continuous riding. A pretty good stretch without an off day. Now we have taken some much needed time off in the city of Hoi An after what turned out to be 7 straight days of cycling.

The routine was monotonous to say the least. Wake at 5 or 6 in the morning. Put in an average of 90 kilometers. Find a city to sleep in for the night. Pass out. Repeat. Unfortunately it was not just the physical routine that became cyclic. The geography as well quickly thinned out from the exciting mountain passes and scenic coastal views to more long, flat stretches of incinerating asphalt. I thought the worst of the heat had ended when we left the inferno of Cambodia, but apparently that was being rather presumptuous. The last few days of riding were ungodly hot, with minimal cloud cover to wind to help break the heat. Mixed with that was the fact that none of the recent towns we stopped in were particularly enthralling and that pretty much led to the conclusion that back-to-back-to-back days of riding were necessary. It's been rice fields as far as the eye can see and now that we've moved inland, those expanses of deep blue ocean are too far away to gaze upon. That will soon change based on what is planned in the near future. Most of the riding during the last few days were on a piece of highway that, 35 years ago, was littered with army men wielding machine guns and camo gear. We were literally riding through some of the most heavily active war zones of the Vietnam Disaster. To think that just a short time ago we and the Vietnamese were such intense adversaries and now we're able to bike through the region without any troubles at all demonstrates not just the progress the country has made in making peace with America, but also how busy the people here are taking care of and cultivated the prosperity of their own country.

We've now done some recuperating in Hoi An, an interesting city for many reasons. Mainly because of the unique business niche it has cornered. There are essentially three types of businesses here. Hotels, restaurants, and tailor shops. Tailor shops? Really? Yes, really. For some reason there are hundreds of tailor shops that people come from all over the world to patronize. And it's obvious why. The tailors here have enticed the globe with their ability to custom-fit any article of clothing a buyer might want and have it ready (at an insanely inexpensive price) in one day or so. Anyone who wants it can chose from a dizzying array of ensembles and set their preferences. Silk, lace, double-stich, A-cut, dresses, skirts, suits, hats, sandals, slippers, robes, belts, shirts, anything and everything can be made just for you. I've run into many people who just laugh and open their eyes really wide when they're asked if they had a lot of clothes made here. Thankfully I have not had a need for nice clothing anytime recently and if my luck holds then I will not need to look particularly nice for anything in the foreseeable future. Therefore, I was able to curtail any desires for a new, suave attire and reassured myself that the collection of rock band t-shirts I have at home would be adequate for the next few years.

Today Raffi and I caught a bus to the site of My Son, a collection of towers and temples built by the Cham Dynasty between the 3rd and 14th centuries. Sadly, many of the complexes- about 80% or so- were destroyed by American bombs during the Vietnam war so a vast amount of these great shrines to Shiva were nothing more than a pile of bricks and rubble. I felt slightly embarrassed as we walked through the wreckage trying to imagine how great it would all look if they were still standing. Nevertheless, a great site, and a great way to spend the morning. Last night was just as special. There was a riverside festival in celebration of the Full Moon that we wandered down to. All along the streets were colorful lanterns lighting the dark, stone alleys and roadways with different demonstrations spaced in between. There were Kabuki shows, children performing martial arts on the corner, speeches given on floating boats, and general erratic behavior which classifies a celebration. The song and dance was like nothing I've ever seen before.

Oh, another reason why there hasn't been a blog in a little while: Hoi An seems to have a small problem keeping it's electricity on. Perhaps they're late on their bills, but at least two times a day the entire city will lose power for an undetermined amount of time. Speaking of which, let me save this blog real quick in case the outage strikes again......hold on........



....ok, there we go. Sorry, not only have I woken up sweating two mornings in a row because power in our hotel killed our fan system, but earlier today I had the pleasure of composing a large email to a good friend and having the screen go blank approximately 5 seconds before hitting the "Send" button. (Sorry, Anna. I'll try again later.) We've all had that happen, and boy, is it ever fun!!! Can you hear the sarcasm as it drips on the floor beside your feet?

Anyways, we're well past the halfway point of our trip and I can confidently say that we've really been seeing what makes Vietnam it's own entity. Aside from these larger cities of Saigon, Nha Trang, and Hoi An there are the in-between cities that lie right upon the ocean and offer their own deeper sense of the country's culture. Cities and towns like Bong Son, Quang Ngai, Sa Huynh, Tam Ky, and so on. We're lucky enough to take all of these places in at a slow pace, pedal by pedal, and absorb so much more than if we were rushing through on a bus. I know I complain a lot about the heat and physical duress, but it is welcome trade to be able to see the intricacies that are never commented on.

Tomorrow, we test out our new improved legs and go farther north. Mountains are promised and possibly cooler temperatures (knock on wood). Let's hope that's the case, but in any event, it'll surely be quite the experience no matter what. I can't thank you all enough for keeping along with this blog. Knowing you care really makes the riding much easier and I hope you get enjoyment out of this. Another one will come sooner, I swear. Until then...

-jacob