Day 52 - Dong Hoi to Dong Ha (October 18)

Quang Binh Quah. Dong Hoi.

Today was a day of mechanical problems. I discovered a tear in the side wall of my back tire and Terry replaced his chain with a new chain that he found this morning in Dong Hoi. His new chain is not an exact fit, but it is good enough to keep the wheels turning.

Today was a nice day, we rode the Ho Chi Minh Trail, Highway 15, (during the war, the actual Trail paralleled this highway, but went through Laos). This road was a completely different experience and gave a welcome break from the riding on the busy Highway 1A. Although there was now no shoulder, the traffic was significantly lighter.

Also, there was something other than flat road. There were some slight rolling hills and a few small climbs. This was a welcome change from Highway 1A. Also, there was not a mass of humanity overwhelming us on our ride.

Along our ride, we stopped at Ben Quan for food. Another day of eggs and rice. Sometimes it is not so easy being a vegetarian on the road. Can I just get a grilled cheese sandwich?

At this point in our ride, we rode into the former demilitarized zone. We rode on to Tru'ong Son Cemetery where the bodies of Vietnamese soldiers who died on the Ho Chi Minh Trail were buried. In many cases, the soldiers were buried where they were killed and later their graves were exhumed and moved to Tru'ong Son. More often than not, the names of the soldiers were known for those who were buried where they were killed. Sometimes the names weren't known and the family members had to try to figure out which graves belonged to their loved ones. Sometimes the families just guessed.

Many Graves at Tru'ong Son Cemetary

Monument to the Fallen Soldiers of Hanoi

A Memorial Statue of Soldiers in Action.

After Tru'ong Son, we stopped at an intersection to try find the former military base at Con Tien. As usual a group of kids amased around us, some on motobai. Then a few minutes later, a couple of drunk kids rolled up. This really made for interesting conversation. They weren't very helpful in trying to locate Con Tien. Then some adults arrived and they indicated that Con Tien was back 3 km from where we had come. We decided just to continue on to Dong Ha because it was starting to get dark and we didn't want to ride in the dark. Coming into Dong Ha, Terry was spoken at in English. The women, who was riding on the back of a motobai said "welcome to Vietnam."

Although Terry may have received a warm welcome, we later met a Thai who did not receive such a warm welcome. Noi had been twice duped when crossing the border from Laos into Vietnam. First someone had changed her money and had given her an awful rate. Second, someone had then overcharged her for a ride from the Border to Dong Ha. So without any money, being young and far away from home, she tried to figure out what to do. Fortunately, she came across one tall bike tourist and one cranky vegetarian bike tourist (that would be me).

Terry and I tried to do the best we could. She asked us to find help her find a hotel. I felt an conflicting set of emotions - on one hand, I wanted to help her out as best as I could, on the other, I was wary of being tricked by some ploy or game. I wasn't sure if she was legitimate or not. Although she seemed very Thai - spoke English and was shocked by the Vietnamese culture (too many honking horns...), I didn't want to be seen helping a young southeast asia woman in a way that would be compromising.

So we gave Noi some food and some reassurance that everything would be okay. We then went to help her find a room. Two white men walking into a hotel with a young southeast Asian woman sets off some alarm bells. At the first hotel that we went to, Terry and I flanked Noi as we tried to negotiate a room. Of course the room was too expensive. Undeterred, we went to our hotel and tried to negotiate a reasonable room price. Still no luck.

The owner of our hotel suggested the sister hotel. Cheaper rooms could be found there. So although the price was right, no rooms were available. That was strange, it was 8 p.m., yet none of the hotel windows were lighted. The owner must have been suspicious and thus wouldn't make any rooms available.

Terry and I pointed Noi to the hotel next door. Noi went over to try to get a room. Terry and I waited and waited and waited. Finally, we were tired of waiting. We crossed the street and headed to our hotel. Turning to look back, Terry noticed Noi coming out of the hotel. She and the hotel manager crossed the street. It seems that she had broken down in front of the hotel manager and he had taken pity on her. Terry and I were a little wary. Although the manager seemed friendly, to express his empathy for Noi, he stroked her hair. Hopefully everything worked out for Noi and she returned safely to Northeast Thailand.

Buddhist Gravesites.

Day 52 - Dong Hoi to Dong Ha - 100 Miles