Day 56 - Quang Ngai to Qui Nhon (October 23)

A random statue to the Revolution.

Terry and I had gone separate ways in Hoi An, but we ended up sleeping in the same city, Quang Ngai. I decided to get up early to ride and just 30 meters down the road, I saw Terry. So I did my best to keep up with him for this ride. With the wind at our back, we were able to complete this 180 kilometer ride before dark.

Terry Truckin' Down the Road.

The scenery began to change during today's ride. I think that riding from Hue to Ho Chi Minh City is a better idea than riding from Hanoi to Hue. There is really not much to see between Hanoi and Hue except for one not so remarkable Vietnamese city after another, but futher south the scenery gets more interesting. For example, on today's ride, there were rolling hills near Bon So'n and between Phu My and Binh Dinh.

The Beach at Sa Huyen

Drying Grain on the Shoulder of the Road.

Taking the Piggies to Market at Bon So'n.

The Vietnamese carry everything on their motorbikes. I saw pigs in cages, ducks (still alive) tied to a 2 by 4 by their feet, and even puppies. When the puppies passed, a dog sitting on the side of the road took up the chase, until it discovered its tail and started chasing its tail instead.

The Bull Speaks: I Own This Paddy, Buster!

This was a good day of riding because we had the wind at our backs. This really helped us to get into Quy Nhon. Before too long, we were within 10 kilometers of town. Before we entered town, though, we made a detour to look at some of the nearby Cham Towers. An effort has recently begun to rehabilitate these towers. Many towers are covered in scaffolding.

We turned off of Highway 1A at a sign that said "Cham Architectural Treasures, 300 m." At 300 meters, we found a Buddhist Pagoda, but no tower. Retracing our steps, we saw a tower off in the distance, we saw a tower. If we just stayed on a road on the edge of a rice paddy, eventually we would come right to the tower. One problem though, the road ended at someone's house. In our confusion, Terry tried to cross a very narrow path through a paddy. I decided to try to find a better route. Fortunately, a person who lived nearby the tower, led us to the tower on his motorbike.

Terry Blazing a Trail to the Cham Towers

The tower and our guide.

Finally, we entered Quy Nhon. What a great city. It has a nice beach, with no one bugging you like in Nha Trang. We tried to stay at Barbara's Backpackers, but Barbara, a Kiwi, has only a bunk room. We stayed instead at the adjacent hotel, the Lan Anh at 19 Duong Xuan Dieu right on the water. We were able a nice room rate. Although Barbara is out of the hotel business, she still makes good muffins and Western food. Yum!

View from the Wrap-Around Balcony at our Quy Nhon Hotel.

Day 56 - Quang Ngai to Qui Nhon - 180 Kilometers