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The Grand Adventure

A bike trip with no end Read more

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🇱🇰 Kandy, Sri Lanka
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Journeying inland
January 27 in Sri Lanka ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C
“Attend” a buddhist beach wedding. Two guests of the hotel opted to get married in a local manner. Grab some breakfast before heading back down the peninsula. Though we see elephant crossing signs, none are spotted. Arrive at our jungle resort and have a little walkabout. Find a nice lake to walk by - spotting a few monkeys, birds and peacocks. Eat dinner at our homestay.Read more
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Scuba day
January 26 in Sri Lanka ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
Three is us (Doug has caught my cold and unable to dive) head out early for our fun dives. Get suited up and take small boats over bumpy water to first dive site. Very choppy water which makes getting in more difficult. Descend into murky water. Maddie and I are buddies and Hannah is with the other group. Do see a lot of eels, rays and nudibranches. Second dive was even murkier and a bit chaotic. More cool stuff spotted. And overall ok dive experience. Have a nice curry lunch before heading back. Take a short walk on the beach and watch sunset.Read more
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Easing into vacation mode
January 25 in Sri Lanka ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
With no big plans, go with the very chill vibe around here and have a late start. Eventually head down for some breakfast and then prepare for some beach time. Relax, do puzzles and bob in the water. Eventually need to take Hannah to her dive refresher course. Maddie gets to try out driving. Drop her off and find another beach to walk on. We all meet back up at the hotel eventually and have a BBQ dinner. Major church celebration which includes a procession and fireworks.Read more
Traveler That thing is a riot. Thank heaven y’all are small!
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We are now a party of 4
January 24 in Sri Lanka ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C
After 2 days of travel, including a long layover in Hong Kong, Hannah and Maddie join us in Sri Lanka. We all get some more sleep (they arrived very early in the morning) before beginning our adventures. Doug and Maddie leave to get pick up the TukTuk and get driving instructions. Turns out to be harder than anticipated. We all pile into the TukTuk and head north through city traffic. Doug manages well and we all do our best to help. Long journey to our beach destination - Surfpoint Kitesurfing resort . Check in and go off on a beach walk. Dine at our “resort’s” restaurant. Nice curries!Read more
TravelerHooray!!!!
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Wandering around Negombo
January 23 in Sri Lanka ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
Spend the morning organizing what would be needed for our Sri Lanka vacation. Took an Uber into Negombo and wandered around a bit. Did a bit of shopping before returning to our apartment to make dinner. Impressions thus far: Sri Lankans seem friendly and relaxed. Genuinely interested in being helpful.Read more
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Goodbye Vietnam. Hello Sri Lanka!
January 22 in Sri Lanka ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C
After 2 months, it is time to leave Vietnam. Though there have been some high points, I found it a particularly difficult country. The roads weren’t great, the drivers were atrocious and the language barrier was significant everywhere except the tourist spots. We travelled through a lot of cities which generally were less pleasant. It was also the country where I felt the most out of place and at times not very welcome. Regardless, I am glad we went but not keen to return anytime soon. Managed to navigate 2 separate flights and kept baggage weight within limits. Arrived with our gear and caught a van to our apartment. Settled in and went to bed. Long day of travel.Read more
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Packing day
January 21 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C
Organize and pack - that was how we spent our day. Did go out for pretty good pizza.
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Exploring Saigon
January 20 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C
Head out to explore the city as I am feeling a bit better. Start off with terrific French pastries. Take a Grab to avoid the busy and unpleasant streets. Wander around District 1, passing a few notable buildings. In general, it seems like a generic busy city. Wind up spending a few hours in the Zoo and Botanical Gardens. A rather large selection of animas from around the world. Head back to the hotel where we reman for the rest of the evening.Read more
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A sick day
January 19 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
Woke up feeling crappy so spent most of the day in bed while Doug procured our packing boxes and materials. Sightseeing will have to wait .
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Onto Saigon
January 18 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
Less than 40 miles to go to end our cycling journey through Vietnam. Get some coffee (sweet of course) and breakfast and head out on small roads through the countryside. Ride through a few market towns and fish markets. Take a small ferry and begin our journey through Saigon. Lots of motorbikes but it seems less hectic than Hanoi. Perhaps we have gotten better at riding in the flow. Arrive at our hotel safely. Do some packing prep and walk towards main part of the city for dinner. Very hectic. After finding gelato, take a Grab back.Read more
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It’s pretty but …
January 17 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C
small canal paths take forever. Though we start nice and early, another high mileage day keeps us riding all day long. Find ourselves on single track paths amongst the rice fields. This is followed by a 7 mile stretch on a “motorbike superhighway” where we seem to be going against the flow of traffic. Pull up to intended hotel just as it gets dark to find it full. Manage to find a fine hotel a few kilometers back. Pretty good seafood dinner.Read more
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Back through the canals
January 16 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C
Get an early start as we have a big day ahead. Retrace our “steps”, and the small paths and steep little bridges are still slow going. It’s also quite toasty. After lunch, my derailleur has a little tizzy and stops working. Stuck in the lowest gear. All the little hills become giant. Miraculously find a bike mechanic on our route who is able to quickly fix it but we lost a lot of time. Pick up the pace, cross two waterways on ferries and race to beat the sunset as we cycle through another area full of fruit. Last few kilometers are in the dark. Find our hotel, check in and wander down the road in search of food. Manage to have a good meal, thankfully.Read more
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A less hectic return to the mainland
January 15 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
Pack up and spend a bit of time at the beach before riding across the island to the fort. Buy our tickets, wait in line with the motorbikes and board. Land back in Rach Gia, grab our bikes and ride the short distance to the hotel. Explore the MegaMart and opt for a big salad for dinner. Watch a movie as well, just like normal people.Read more
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Last beach day
January 14 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
Doug left early for final day of dive training. Futzed around in the morning before heading to the beach. Water a bit rougher today but still quite lovely. Watched the sunset.
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Scuba Day
January 13 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
Today we both catch an early van to go scuba diving. Doug goes off with his little group to complete required skills while I have my refresher dive. Though we did a few skills, mostly reminded myself how to manage to stay buoyant and not float away. First dive was very murky and not very scenic. Second dive was over a nice coral wlll and much nicer. Had lunch on the boat after our dives and returned to shore. Van ride back to hotel where I relaxed by the pool. Nice seafood dinner.Read more
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Ong Long Beach Day
January 12 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
Doug started his Open Water Diving course today. I spent a good part of the day hanging at Ong Long Beach - nicest one yet on this island. Not much room to walk but the water is clear and not too crowded. Did a bit of snorkeling; seeing only a few fish. Thai food for dinner for a change.Read more
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Ong Lang
January 11 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
Day to transition to our bungalow for the remainder of our time. Do a bit of beach yoga and frolic in the calm sea. Pack up and head north. Enjoy a quiet promenade for a bit before hitting the chaos of Duong Dong, the main town. Manage to clear the town unscathed and continue north. Pull off the main road and enter a more green and quieter side of the island. Small village of Ong Lang is definitely touristy but in a manner that honors where it’s at. Check in and chill by the pool. Out for disappointing pizza.Read more
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Hectic day to Phu Quoc
January 9 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
Allow ourselves plenty of time to ride the 3 miles to the ferry dock. Manage to secure tickets but seems all bank machines are on the fritz. Doug finally finds one that is operational, pay, and race to the dock. Quite the chaotic scene with multiple ferries unloading and loading. Our bikes go on with the motorbikes and we settle into our seats for 3 hour ride. Arrive at Phu Quoc and reverse the process. Ride across the island and find our hotel amongst a series of boutique hotels. Walk a short ways and check out the beach. Head to night market for seafood dinner.Read more
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Deep into the delta to Rach Gia
January 8 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
Long day planned to get us to Rach Gia where we will catch the ferry to the island of Phu Quoc. Spend most of the day on very small paths alongside the channels. Lots of branches, meaning lots of steep little bridges. Though it’s scenic, it’s also slow going. Stop in a park for some lunch and continue along. Fortunately days are getting longer but we still get to Rach Gia as it is getting dark. Find out hotel and too tired to venture out. Order in and listen to rocking festival nearby.Read more
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Can Tho
January 7 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C
A day of small roads amongst fruit trees. So many different kinds; bananas, coconuts, dragon fruit, pomelos, oranges, jackfruit, limes and likely more. Huge bridge to cross to get to Can Tho, the biggest city in the delta. Found ourselves a very good Italian meal.Read more
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Tra Vinh
January 6 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C
Short ride to Vila Basi, a nice homestay within a beautiful garden. Rode into Tra Vinh and checked out a few Buddhist temples. Quite reminiscent of the Wats of Thailand. Picked up dinner food at the supermarket. Made a simple salad for dinner.Read more
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Ben Tre
January 5 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
Very nice riding in the morning along a small road amongst the greenery. Stop at a fun temple in My Tho. Rejoin the big road, as we need to cross the Mekong. Somewhat surprised about how busy this area seems to be. Take advantage of the modern supermarket before heading to our homestay. Take a dip in the pool between rain drops.Read more
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To the Mekong Delta
January 4 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
Slow morning. Must have been because we were up late watching the finale of Stranger Things. Find a nice place for breakfast before riding around the peninsula in search of a ferry. Find it and jump on board as it’s leaving. Cross a large finger on water and arrive on one of islands of the Mekong Delta. Many bridges later, and another ferry have us arriving in Go Cong. Check into a brand new hotel and go in search of food. An ok bowl of noodles, broth and some seafood.Read more
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On to Vung Tau
January 3 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
Another windy ride along the coast. As we have seen in other places, there is a a lot of construction; mostly building big name resorts that seem very far from the rest of Vietnam. With the wind solidly behind us, make very good time into city of Vung Tau. A separate lanes for bikes and motorbikes provides some relief for cars and trucks. Check into our hotel overlooking the bay and indulge in a Western meal (steak, grilled fish, warm goat cheese salad). Quite nice.Read more
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La Gi
January 2 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
Make our way slowly out of the sprawl of Mui Ne and then Phiet Nam. Dodge the self-centered drivers of all sorts who pull out in front of you without even bothering to yield. Stay along the coastline where waves are crashing due to big winds. Check out lighthouse before riding through massive dragon fruit fields. Arrive in La Gi, a non touristy town a bit away from the sea. Eat Pho Bo at a roadside vendor. Quite tasty and cheap.Read more
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