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The Grand Adventure
  • Helene Rimberg
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  • Helene Rimberg

The Grand Adventure

A bike trip with no end Leggi altro
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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Village street
    Village streetLocal cemeteryLove the bonsaiSo many ducks aroundLotus lake from aboveMonument on topWee little boats belowAnd higher upTiger cave1First egg coffeeIncense garden1So many fun topiaries

    Adventures amongst the Karst

    11 dicembre 2025, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    After a morning of bike repairs and organizing, venture off on a walk amongst the Karst hills. Air continues to be bad, minimizing views. Head off on bikes to Hang Mua. Drizzle begins as we climb up the steps, making for some slippery rocks. Though visibility is poor, still appreciate what we can see. Continue on bikes to Thung Nham Ecotourism park. With limited daylight remaining, only do a cursory tour. Zoom back to
    room before sunset. Another good dinner in town.    Leggi altro

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Hazy sunrise
    Hazy sunriseAnd she's ready!Lots of water surrounding HanoiOne of a few big cathedrals seen todayLovely side roadsVery fancy building. No idea what forEntering Ninh Bin

    Ninh Binh

    10 dicembre 2025, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Catch a ride to where our bikes have been safely stored and load them up. After a quick breakfast, tackle the Hanoi traffic. Maneuver through a few sketchy intersections and find ourselves on quiet side roads, mostly free of car traffic. The air quality is horrible, muting all views. Decide to push on to Ninh Binh, and check into a quiet “homestay”. Clean up and walk into town for dinner.Leggi altro

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Kind of creepy wooden sculptureLacquer engravingSilk artFirst COVID art I have seen

    Art and healing

    9 dicembre 2025, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Enjoy a nice breakfast before wandering to National Museum of Fine Arts. Nice collection, showcasing the unique style of Vietnamese art. Interesting how central the war is in late 20th century art. Head back to spa for a therapeutic (ie .painful) massage to heal sciatic pain. Try one last restaurant - another good one.Leggi altro

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Fun airport decorations
    Fun airport decorations

    Hello Hanoi

    8 dicembre 2025, Vietnam ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    Up early to return to the airport. Very chilly morning (32F). Navigate Seoul’s large and busy airport and board our last plane. 4+ hours later we arrive in Hanoi. Return to the hotel we had stayed at before, though a bigger room. Meander around, enjoying a photography display along the lake. Have a nice dinner - sans rice!Leggi altro

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    2

    Final day of exploration in Seoul

    9 novembre 2025, Corea del Sud ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    Up early and head into chilly sunshine for some exercise. Jog up to the tower along trail. Stop a bit for some strength training as well. Pack up, and after stashing out stuff, grab some breakfast. Walk past Cathedral and catch the metro to the Olympic park. Many people out enjoying the sunshine. Do a quick walkabout before taking metro back. Catch the train to the airport and pass through security easily spend some time in lounge before boarding plan. USA - here we come. Definitely ready for a break!Leggi altro

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Babbling brook along forest path
    Babbling brook along forest pathTurtles = perseveranceShort cut upPersimmonsSo many arsenals2Medicine chest

    Namsan Tower and National museum

    8 novembre 2025, Corea del Sud ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Head off in another direction this morning. Up to the Namsan park and tower. As it’s Saturday it’s very busy with people enjoying the fall day. Nice 360 view. Walk through the park and then head to war memorial. Lots of police presence for some unknown reason. Skiddadle out of there and walk through nice neighborhoods to the National museum of Korea. Learn a bit about the country’s history - lots of occupations. Take the metro back and have a good last meal in Korea.Leggi altro

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg

    A 3 palace day

    7 novembre 2025, Corea del Sud ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Chilly morning so we take our time getting ready to go out. Greeted by a beautiful blue sky - first in awhile. Fuel up with coffee and hit the tourist trail. Catch a changing of the guard ceremony at the first palace and then again at the second. Walk the hilly streets admiring the older buildings. Another palace, a market and a walk along a river finishes off our tour. ( Added benefit is that everything is free) Find dinner nearby as quite tired.Leggi altro

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Finally a bit of blue
    Finally a bit of blueThis is an LED screenTad bit early

    Goodbye Vietnam: Hello South Korea

    6 novembre 2025, Corea del Sud ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Pack up and bid adieu to our lovely hotel. Catch a ride to the airport and breeze through check-in and security (so much easier without bikes). Sit in the lounge for a few hours awaiting our departure. Do miscalculate flight time vs change in time zones arriving 2 hours later than expected. Quick entry into S. Korea and find the train into the city. Quite chilly out. Stop for vegan Korean food before checking into hotel. Walk around the city a bit, marveling at the quietness and orderliness.Leggi altro

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Small temple along the water
    Small temple along the waterLand bridge/road across the lakeSadly closed for lunchVery fancy governmental buildingsRoyal palaceVery empty walkway in front of HCM mausoleumMausoleumI always knew karma was a bitch, but ...Beautiful quartz1Very different shrines from others we have seenTemple of LiteratureThese honor those who achieved highest level of educational honorsTrading in my bikeIncredible wooden panel

    A final day of wandering

    5 novembre 2025, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    A dry and sort of sunny day - finally. Walked the land bridge we had been looking at from our window. Continue through well protected HonChiMinh park. From there go to Temple of Literature, showcasing the importance of education throughout Vietnam’s history. Do some final shopping before heading out. Good dinner at a very popular restaurant for tour groups.Leggi altro

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Fancy!Old trolley runs by occasionallySeems to be that time

    First time for everything

    4 novembre 2025, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Another cool and rainy morning. Indulge in room service as we need to spend our credit. Don jackets and head out to explore. Find our way to Hoa Lo Prison (aka Hanoi Hilton) where Vietnamese were imprisoned by then French and then later American pilots imprisoned. Checked out a cat cafe before going to the spa my first ever massage. Social entrepreneurship in action - they train vision impaired youth in the art of massage. Somewhat enjoyable experience. Do a bit of shopping before stopping for another good dinner (have eaten well in Hanoi).Leggi altro

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Chinese influence is everywhere
    Chinese influence is everywhereAnd ChristianityBig on BonsaisThey take over the sidewalksOld and new in harmonySkinny buildings meant lower taxesMisty view

    And we go upscale

    3 novembre 2025, Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 19 °C

    Spend the morning wandering around Ho Hoan Lake, the French Quarter and Old Town. Pack up and after fueling with a Banh My, walk to our new hotel - PanPacific. Great view from our 11th door window. Enjoy the facilities before heading to up to the roof top bar. Tis raining so sit inside. Back out into rain to a nice restaurant nearbyLeggi altro

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Local craft beer!One of the small lakes in the cityA music event it seemsChinese relics pop up around the cityYum1Lanterns are everywhereOld city wall

    Tucking our bikes in

    2 novembre 2025, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Our plan to leave early to avoid traffic does not materialize. Repacking and cleaning the mud off our bikes takes awhile. Ride a hectic 10 miles to where we met Tu, who had agreed to house our bikes while we are in Portland. Pare down to what we need and hop in a Grab which takes us to our hotel. Check in and map for awhile - frenzy of the past days having caught up with me. Venture out into the city and explore the Old Quarter. Good dinner!Leggi altro

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg

    Final push to Hanoi

    1 novembre 2025, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Rainy morning and not eager to go out into it - thus a late start. Find our way quickly to quieter roads. Roll along, managing to catch views when the clouds lift a bit. Eventually return to the bigger road and begin the harrowing journey into Hanoi. Traffic is bonkers with everyone out for themselves. Probably worst entry into a city - ever. Find a hotel and begin process or organizing for our journey to Portland. Finally do laundry and have Pho (or Bun) for dinner.Leggi altro

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Fish pond behind our hotel
    Fish pond behind our hotelA mix of clouds and smokeOur hotelPart way up looking back at the valley we leftNice country roadBlech. I hate mudA lot of sugar caneSometimes Google Translate is worthless

    A scary Halloween ride

    31 ottobre 2025, Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 23 °C

    And another cloudy morning. As a monster hill awaits us, get an early start. Though it starts gradual, it quickly becomes devilishly steep. Frightfully loud trucks and cars get impossibly close to us as we head towards the pass. The rain begins and the fog descends making for spooky riding. A cold and wet descent and sadly, no views. Get off the busy road and ride the longer yet much quieter route. Find a hotel and another somewhat odd dinner (grilled duck and cake).Leggi altro

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Not much up in the hillsFirst stage of harvestingAnother fun caveMachine used to separate the rice

    Mai Châu walkabout

    30 ottobre 2025, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Cloudy and drizzly morning; thus opt for a walk. Head away from the rice fields and into the jungle. Just a few farm homes up in the hills. The trail ultimately disappears so we turnaround and walk a bit amongst the fields. Seems the entire village is supporting the rice harvesting. Find our way to a cave before heading back to hotel.Leggi altro

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    View from above our homestay
    View from above our homestayHappy home's waterwheelsGradual downGlad I am not on a bikeOne of many valley villagesGrandma's house?Our path through the rice fieldPath along the riverHmmm. What happened to our pathThey "grow" fish tooBack up we go

    Pu Luong walkabout: Day 2

    28 ottobre 2025, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Another nice breakfast fuels our next walk farther down into the valley. Road steepens to 25% before we hit the valley floor. Village people go about their business of harvesting and making handcrafts for tourists. Though tools and technology have certainly impacted their lifestyle, they still seem to live a simple lifestyle - living off their communal Loop around the rice fields before heading back up - with a mango smoothie break. Back to our happy home and one last dinner.Leggi altro

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Lots of little falls along the road
    Lots of little falls along the roadQuite a ways downSo many puppies aroundBamboo baskets drying the riceDown into the caveA lot of corn in addition to the riceBeautiful wood houses on stilts

    Pu Luong walkabout: Day 1

    27 ottobre 2025, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    After a nice breakfast, organized ourselves for a hike. First stop - Bat Cave. From there descend into the river valley. Walk along a lovely river and amongst the rice fields. As its harvest time, people are out in the fields and also burning; creating a bit of smoke and haze. Very steep walk out and back to our happy home. Try out a different restaurant for dinner - quite good!Leggi altro

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Road washoutOne of many small villages we rode throughWe are headed for those hillsNot our homestay, but prettyAlmost done - mango smoothie timeView from our balcony

    We found our happy home - literally

    26 ottobre 2025, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    After an amazing cheese omelette, set off on a short but hilly ride into Pu Luong reserve. Again, we dealt with hills and muddy roads to avoid the traffic. After a stop for coffee (have yet to figure out how to order it here) headed up. Nice gradual climb of 1200 feet. Made it to Happy Home - our homestay! Lovely room and view. Had our best meal thus far in Vietnam!Leggi altro

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Typical street scene
    Typical street sceneFruit grows right into it's packagingOur "road"Better than the horns

    Things are looking brighter

    25 ottobre 2025, Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    A dry and warmer morning. Backtrack a bit to find an iPhone store. With a quick screen replacement it’s all better. Head out and opt for very small roads to avoid the traffic. Mostly decent surface with a few muddy sections. Scenery improves and with it our moods. Return to the big road for final miles and arrive at our home stay. Greeted by the Brit host and shown to our fine room. Chicken curry and rice prepared by our hosts.Leggi altro

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg

    And another one

    24 ottobre 2025, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Another cool and rainy morning. Longer day in store and unfortunately almost totally on the busy Ho Chi Minh road. The horns and treacherous drivers were relentless. Rain did stop and we did make sure to stop and eat lunch. Arrive at the hotel emotionally drained. A bit out of town so limited options for dinner. Walk across the road and choose our dishes from the pots. Made for a decent dinner.Leggi altro

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    They have beautiful doors here
    They have beautiful doors hereNot sure what's in those bagsView from hotel

    Some days ……

    23 ottobre 2025, Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 19 °C

    ….. it just feels like too much. Today was one of those. Weather was cool and rainy, quite the switch for us. Donned jackets and headed out. Battled rain, wind and honking vehicles all day. So wet, we couldn’t take pictures. Found our hotel - a relatively bright spot in the day. Went out in search of dinner and the few restaurants were closed. Put together dinner from a little store.Leggi altro

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Thus far Christian churches outnumber anything else

    Along the Ho Chi Minh trail

    22 ottobre 2025, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Left our bungalow and quickly returned to smaller roads. Quite windy again making for slower riding. Lots of storm damage and overflowing rivers (a few typhoons passed through recently). Meander across several bridges just for 2 wheelers. Staying away from trucks and cars is a primary objective - they are very horn happy! Make it to Tan Ky, and after an interesting mango smoothie find a hotel. Gathered a few basic provisions and order a relatively balanced dinner. Vietnam is proving to be a bit challenging in the food department.Leggi altro

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