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Phong Nha is most famous for it’s caves, as well as the jungle / rainforest in which they are located. Given my inherent love of caves, and natural wonders in general, I decided that I wanted to really make the most of this amazing location. To this end, I decided to take a tour from the hostel which promised to take you deeper into the jungle and off the popular tourist track to see lesser known and more untouched locations – it combined jungle trekking, visits to two caves (including one which required swimming into it to reach the entrance) and a dip in a crystal jungle lake – sounds good, I thought.

It… was… AWESOME! It was also way more adventurous than I first imagined (which I was super happy about!) – I had been thinking that it might be a little tame in order to cater to a broader range of tourists – but in fact it provided excitement, exhilaration, and adventure in spades! There was a group of six of us on the tour, variously from England, America, Israel, and the Czech Republic, as well as our Vietnamese guide Anna, who was lovely!

The first cave, Elephant Cave, was reached by a steep scramble up through lushious jungle, alive with the noises of insects. As the magnificent entrance came into view through the canopies it was easy to spot the elephant-like formations at the front of the cave which give it it’s name. It was also easy to be stopped in your tracks by the sheer size and impressiveness of the entrance, and the gaping darkness of the cave within. Inside the cave, we were serenaded by the calls of bats who were roosting on its towering ceiling as we walked through and explored, scrambling over rocks and marvelling at the impressive cave around us.

Next up was Ma Da Lake, which was reached by another fascinating trek through the jungle, including wading through streams that came up our past our knees, scrambling up banks, and weaving our way down forest tracks, watching out for Poison Ivy. When we arrived, we were rewarded with the sight of crystal blue waters, nestled within an idillic jungle clearing. The sight of cool water was especially welcome due to not inconsiderable output of effort in the hot, humid, and sweat-inducing rainforest conditions. Trekking clothes were rapidly changed for swimwear, and we slipped into the refreshing (if a little fresh!) water to cool off. Ahhh!

Lunch followed the swimming, and consisted of fresh spring rolls made from a selection of fillings rolled up in Vietnamese bánh tráng (rice wrapers) which we assembled ourselves after being shown how by Anna. We did this sitting under a tent-like shelter which had been errected next to the lake, so that we were able to sit admiring the view and drying off in the sun, whilst enjoying the company of our companions and enjoying the delicious food. The process rather reminded me of making fajitas in that all of the ingredients were in the middle and we assembled our own rolls with them. It was a very sociable, fun, and relaxing way to have lunch.

After lunch, came the best bit of all: Tra Ang cave, and swimming into it’s entrance. When I had read about the tour, I had imagined swimming about in the sun close to the entrance of a fairly shallow cave entrance, but this was much more serious, and SO cool! After more trekking through the jungle to reach the cave’s entrance, we were kitted up with bouyancy aids, helmets with attached head torches, and also told to keep our shoes and socks on along with our swimwear as we would need to scramble over rocks to get down to the water, as well as in the water inside the cave. I should say at this point that instead of actual swimwear I had just bought a spare t-shirt and pants, and was also sporting pretty good tan lines from my cycling gear, so along with the boots, socks, and safety gear, it made for quite a look!

When we were ready we scrambled over the rocks to the cave’s entrance and dropped down into water, peering with a mixture of anticipation at the darkness within. As we set off swimming, Anna told us to keep close to the wall of the cave as the current was quite strong, but even heeding this advice it was quite hard work swimming against it. The hard work was totally worth it though – swimming into that dark cave was like nothing I’ve ever done before! Seeing mostly by the light of our head torches, as well as well as the small amount of natural light the reached the inside of the cave, we could have been anywhere in the world, or even on another planet! The lushious green foliage and bright sunlight of outside suddenly seemed a long way away! Adding to the excitement was the fact that the light of our head torches attracted insects to come and hover in the light close to our heads, and this in turn attracted bats to swoop down right next to us to catch them as we were swimming along. It really was amazing! The swim back out was also amazing in a whole different way – since we were now going with the current we could simply lie on our backs or in whatever position we felt like, and simply let it carry us serenely along. The whole thing was just magical.

Given this tour was an “off the beaten track” experience, I intend to do some of the “on the beaten track” attractions tomorrow, which will also act as a test run for my newly rejuvenated bike. I have what is widely considered to be the most beautiful of the Phong Nha caves left to visit, as well as exploring the local area and surrounding scenary. I think it will be another good day, but I in no way expect it to top this amazing jungle aventure – it really was just awesome!

For those that didn’t realise, that was meant to be a cycling joke. Derailed… derailleur… geddit?? Never mind 😉

Anyway, the reason behind that questionable cycling pun is that I’ve been having a bit of trouble with my bike, (and specifically the derailleur) which has been slowing my progress somewhat. However at the time of writing it is (fingers crossed) sorted out. Yay!

The one thing that has really stood out to me over the last few days, which have in many ways been pretty challenging, is how many wonderful people there are in the world! From people who have pulled over to the side of the road to help me, to people in the UK who have spent hours offering me remote support (both practical and emotional,) to the friendly bike mechanic in Dong Hoi who repaired my bike free of charge because he admired what I am doing and is happy that I decided to visit his country. There really are some beautiful souls in the world!

Now, I have finally got to the town of Phong Nha, (famous for it’s caves and other natural wonders) and am enjoying all that it has to offer, which is a lot! The hostel I am staying in is lovely, as are the people who work here, and I am looking forward to exploring the various natural attractions in the local area. Adding to that the fact that I now once again have a working bike, I really do have a lot to be thankful for. I am planning to stay here for probably two days to look around (Wednesday and Thursday) and then on Friday it will be time for me and my newly rejuvinated bike to “keep rollin’ ” – take it, Limp Bizkit!

Tomorrow will be my third day out of Savannakhet. It will also be my last day in Laos for the time being, though I will return to Laos further north after a bit of touring around Vietnam. The last two days have been relatively less interesting riding since it has just been following the main road, without particularly amazing scenary (though still nice) or opportunities for interesting detours. There have also been a lack of roadside stalls along this stretch so I haven’t had as many smiling children to cheer me along (although I still get to feel like a celebrity when I pass by schools with children in the playground.) On the upside, this stretch of easy riding on nice roads has been a good opportunity to really get into the rythm of cycling, especially now that I feel that my body is starting to adjust and get used to the milage each day.

Today I did briefly meet an Italian guy on the roadside, which was a nice change after not seeing another English speaker for several days. He was doing a tour of Laos by motorbike, and seemed very impressed that I had both travelled further than he had, and done it self-powered, (or rather, powered by noodles and biscuits!)

Tomorrow I have just under 30miles to go to the Vietnam border, and then around 10 or so after the border (I have a shorter day to allow time for the border crossing.) Once in Vietnam, I will be following the Ho Chi Minh Road (western branch) through the mountains towards Hanoi. This road was used as a supply route for the North Vietnamese troops during the war, but is now known for being one of the most scenic routes in Vietnam, cutting through some of its most spectacular mountain scenery. I am anticipating that it will be challenging in terms of climbing hills with a loaded bike, but I am also very much looking forward to it. Onwards!

This is just a short post to say that for anyone who is interested, I will be posting the route-tracking files from each day cycling at the bottom of the Cycle touring SE Asia page.

I am using an app called Komoot to plan and record my routes each day. If you haven’t heard of it, I’ll be happy to talk your ear off about it – it is BRILLIANT!

One limitation it does have, however, is that it needs internet at your starting point in order to begin recording the route. Therefore some days do not have a route recorded, or only part of the route.

Another thing to mention is that when I am numbering the files I am only referring to cycling days, so rest days are effectively invisible as far as the numbering goes.

I appreciate most people will probably not be interested in this level of bicycle geekery, but for those that are, the files are there. I have just uploaded the first 11 and will try to upload further ones as I go along, whenever I have internet 🙂

Laos. The 11th country that I have crossed into on this trip so far, and the first country that I have passed into on my own with my bike. The border crossing was uneventful, and also relatively quick since there weren’t many people around. I was soon cycling off down the road and into the distance, ready to discover what this country has to offer.

About half an hour or so after leaving the border, I came across a signpost to the Khonephapheng Waterfall park, which I had already read about on the internet as being well worth the short detour. It really was. The waterfalls were very impressive. It was also really nice to just wander around without worrying about time or getting anywhere, since I was already well ahead of where I was planning to be due to the shortcut of getting the boat direct from Preah Rumkel. I spent a good while just sitting on the sun-warmed stones near to the mighty falls and marvelling at the incredible power in this water, which also provides the lifeforce for much of SE Asia. After an enjoyable hour or two in the waterfall park I cycled off leisurely in the afternoon sun to a guest house just 12miles down the road. After starting off with the boat trip from Preah Rumkel and tour of the planted forest, it was altogether a very enjoyable day.

The following day I had two choices – I could either carry on following the main highway on the east side of the Mekong, which I knew would be tarmacked and therefore easier riding but probably less interesting, or cross over to the quieter west side of the Mekong and take my chances with the road surfaces. I took the latter. I’m so pleased that I did. First, I crossed over a bridge to Don Khong island which sits within the Mekong and is a peaceful and pretty little island with a very laid back and friendly feel. From the other side of the island I took a ferry to the west bank of the Mekong and carried on following the river North. It was extremely pretty and very quiet – I hardly saw any other vehicles at all! As I suspected the roads were not tarmacked, but they were generally nice wide compacted sandy gravel tracks that still made for relatively good going.

In fact, the only thing that marred the lovely journey were the hoards of miniature bitey demons that seemed to lurking everywhere, especially where I chose to rest. Since setting off cycling from Phnom Penh in Cambodia it has been gradually dawning on me that ants are the spawn of Satan. I guess there are more of them over here because it is hotter (just like in hell.) I also think that I maybe come into contact with them more because I often look for a tree to lean my bike against when I stop for a rest, and ants like to crawl around on trees. Whatever the reason, they are extremely annoying. (However I still generally choose not to kill them unless I am in immediate peril.)

Once back on the main highway it was predictably slightly less interesting, but on the upside there was a much higher frequency of children calling “hello!” and “sabadee!” (hello in Laos) to keep my spirits up. (Unfortunately about the same frequency of ants.) As an aside, the word “sabadee” always reminds me of “Zebedee” from The Magic Roundabout, and always makes me smile, which I guess is never a bad thing when you are greeting people.

Today, I am in Savannahkhet after taking another slightly more circuitous route yesterday to take in some more back roads near to the Mekong on the way into town. I am enjoying all the luxuries of a being in town including posher food (green curry last night,) cider available in bars and cafe’s, and a really nice guest house which also has a laundry service. Tomorrow, I will be heading east towards Vietnam and the Ho Chi Minh road, but first, I have heard talk of dinosaurs in Savannakhet. I am off to investigate…

Preah Rumkel is an small and relatively poor farming village in Cambodia near to the Laos border which in recent years has turned to eco-tourism as a way to supplement it’s income, increase living standards, and preserve its community way of life. The basic model is that a fairly large percentage of profits from homestays, boat trips, an other attractions goes directly into community projects such as building schools hospitals and roads and providing an emergency fund for families who fall on hard times. I first read about it as a place from where it is possible to watch endangered freshwater irrawaddy river dolphins which was roughly on the route that I was planning, was immediately attracted to the idea, and decided to go and try it out.

Actually getting there was a little more difficult. There is relatively little information available on the internet with regards to booking or precise directions (organised tours are available, but these didn’t suit my travel plans) so in the end I decided to chance it and go there and find out. It was 20 miles off the main road, which I thought wasn’t too bad, especially as it actually made my overall journey shorter compared with following the main road to the town. Oh My God – what a road! (Not in a good way.) It was a dusty gravel track with lots of short steepish uphills and downhills and was SO bumpy – it felt like there were more potholes than track! In some places water had collected in the potholes and turned into gloopy clay-like mud, which presented a whole different set of challenges. On top of that shade was in very short supply down the lane, making it hard to rest comfortably. On the upside it was very pretty, with the bright green fields on either side contrasting beautifully with the sandy red lane and the bright blue sky, but the riding was VERY difficult under the hot sun.

By the time I arrived in the village, all I wanted to do was lie down and rest, but given that I didn’t actually know where in the village the homestay was, and with my very limited Cambodian and the villagers very limited English this was easier said than done. After about an hour of fruitlessly cycling around trying to ask for directions and getting more and more hot and bothered, I finally gave up and sat down dejectedly on some grass to consider my options.

It was at this point that some friendly villagers, (who I guess could see by my face that all was not well,) came over to help, and when they discovered the language barrier, called for reinforcement: enter Bunhen.

Bunhen, who was born and lives in the village, works as a border police officer on the Cambodian / Loas village, and has taught himself to speak English through watching videos on YouTube. Although not perfect English, it was very good considering, and he soon told me all about the village and the ecotourism project, showed me where the homestay was and introduced me to the ladies who run it. It turns out I had actually cycled past the front of the homestay without noticing it, and the ladies who look after it had been off down the lane doing something else. Even better, he told me that I could get from the village directly to the Laos border by taking a boat, meaning that I didn’t have to cycle back down the lane to get to the border – Whoopee! From here on in everything turned around. The rest of my time spent at the homestay was so good that the difficulties getting there were totally worth it. After food (so much food!) and rest that evening I was raring to go the next day, and totally made the most of it!

Because I was now not going to pass through town on my bike, I decided to get the village bus there the following morning so that I could take out some currency as I had been planning. Although not on the normal list of tourist activites, getting the village bus was actually a really good way to get a feel for the community and village life. Unlike metropolitan buses in the UK, the bus (which was actually a minibus) went round to the houses or small holdings of each of the people getting the bus (you had to phone the driver the night before to arrange it) and pick people up individually. People came out of their houses smiling excitedly and wearing what seemed to be their nice clothes, and as they got on the bus they would greet everybody else on the bus enthusiastically and fall in to conversation with their neighbours. The whole bus journey was filled with chatter and laughter amongst the villagers, who it seemed were a real close-knit community, and all seemed genuinely eager to see and talk to each other. The bus waited in town for a few hours during which time I walked around, taking in the sights and sounds. Then, on the way back, the villagers returned laden with humongous bags of rice, bags bursting with vegetables from the market, and other purchases from around town which were good-humouredly loaded onto the already full bus, with a good amount of shuffling of bags and people.

In the afternoon, Bunhen took me on an exillerating ride on the back of his motorbike down beautiful country lanes to see the nearby waterfalls. I have to say that even though I love riding my bike and wouldn’t change it, I can see why motorbikes and scooters are so popular around Asia – as well as being cheaper than cars, they are a lot of fun to ride around on in the sunshine, and they are so springy and manouverable that they can handle roads and terrain that both cars and bikes would have trouble with! With hindsight, the waterfalls weren’t quite as impressive as the ones I would see the following day in Laos, but they were very cool to see and the journey to get there was very fun.

Next, we rode out to near the river, and the a boatman took me out to a nearby island from where you can watch endangered freshwater irrawaddy river dolphins. At first, I thought I was going to be unlucky as the water seemed still, but then suddenly the boat driver pointed excitedly and I caught a glimpse of a dolphin’s back arcing out of the water. In fact, though I’m sure he’s seen them many times, the boat driver seemed almost as excited as I was, and though we didn’t share a language we were soon pointing and exclaiming excitedly to each other as dolphin after dolphin broke the surface. When we returned to the shore, the boat driver showed me around his small-holding (including gorgeous tiny baby goats,) and introduced me to his mother, who picked me a fruit off one of her fruit trees as a present.

In the evening I watched a beautiful sunset over the paddy fields near the village, before returning to the homestay for another personal banquet. Seriously, the ladies fed me so much! It rather put me in mind of the stereotype of hospitable farmer’s wives that we have in England.

Today (Thursday), I left Preah Rumkel and went out on the boat with my bike to the Laos border, passing on the way the amazing “planted forest” – a place where trees grow out of the water, since the land they stand on is dry during the dry season, but submerged during the rainy season. Today I left Cambodia and entered Laos, but I left with fond memories of Preah Rumkel in my heart.

This is the title of a very good documentary about Ankor Wat that I watched before setting out on my travels, and I really think it sums up the idea of what it must have been for the first European explorers (who were Portuguese missionaries) to “rediscover” it. It really is very impressive to see these enourmous and intricately detailed temples towering above you, half reclaimed by the nature around them. It’s even more impressive when you think that these enourmous structures were built around the same time that that the Normans were invading Britain – in Europe it would be a few hundred years before we built anything near as impressive!

The documentary “Atlantis in the Jungle” and the podcast “In the Shadows of Utopia” (where I heard about the documentary in the first place,) were both really good in really helping me to put the temples at Anchor Wat into context. In fact the temples, while very impressive, are merely the skeletal remains of the very centre of what was, at the time, the biggest metropolis in the world. It was based around a network of reservoirs which preserved the water from the rainy season for use all year round and would have comprised miles of residential and commercial buildngs and communties around the temples. However these buildings were made from wood, so they have been lost to time. The temples themselves also would have been guilded and decoratively coloured, so that they shone in glory and colour in the sunlight. As I walked and cycled around the vast temple complex I tried to imagine in my head what it must have been like when the mighty metropolis of Ankor was at its peak – the noise, the smells, and the hustle and bustle.

Another thing that really helped bring this idea to life was visiting the Ankor Panorama museum, which comprises a enormous and incredibly detailed 360 degree almost 3D painting of a representation of Anchor at its peak in a large circular room, with props in the foreground and hidden speakers playing ambient sound effects, while the viewer walks around a raised podium in the centre. It was very effective!

As well as visiting Ankor Watt, the other thing I did while in Siem Reap was to go the visitor centre of a fantastic NGO called Apoppo, which is using specially trained Giant Tanzanian Rats to sniff out landmines and unexploded ordnance in Cambodia to make the land safe for the communities. The tour included being shown round various exhibits by the guide, a live demonstration by two handlers and a rat of how they work, and a video detailing some of the background of the organisation, as well as first hand accounts of people who have been affected by landmines, or who have benefited from Apoppo’s work. The whole tour really was fascinating, and the positive impact that they are having on the communities that they visit is just brilliant! Although it is a relatively short tour (about 45 mins) I would highly recommended going there for anyone going to Siem Reap. Also it is a really worthwhile cause if anyone has any spare cash to donate.

I was pleased that by going to both the Ankor Way based attractions and Apoppo while Siem Reap, I felt that I had got a well rounded picture of Cambodia, with Ankor Way representing the past, and Apoppo part of the present and future. Next stop is Preah Rumkel, an ecotourism village near the Laos border.

I’m on the road! (Well, technically I’m on a rest day today, but I have been on the road.) Since this is this first time I have done proper bike touring with a loaded touring bike as opposed to a road bike and also the first time I have bike toured on my own I am learning a lot, but I am enjoying it immensely! Of course there are times when things are difficult – when the sun is hot, the road is monotonous, my body is tired, or problems crop up that I hadn’t anticipated (if it was easy everyone would do it!) – but the upsides far outweigh the difficulties. It’s amazing! I think it’s a mixture of the amazing sights and experiences, the endorphins from the excercise, and the feeling of freedom that just combine to feel like euphoria at times.

I’ve had so many great moments over the past few days it’s hard to pin down which to write about, but here is a little summary of some of them.

• I’ve seen lots of farming villages where people still live in mostly traditional ways as I imagine that they have for many years. I really feel like I’m seeing the real Cambodia, and getting a very different (and wonderful!) view of the country that you would miss if you simply visited the main tourist centres of Phnom Penh and Siem Reap as many people do.
• Whenever I pass through villages or pass people at roadside stalls loads of people, and especially children, smile and wave and call “hello!” I’ve even had kids running alongside or behind me for small stretches where I’ve been going slow over bumpy ground! I think a westerner on a bike is a bit of a novelty in these parts by the reactions I get. Lots of the adults make remarks like “well done, keep it up!” or “your legs must be strong!” (its generally easy to tell what people mean through their expressions and gestures.) I find it so heartwarming and uplifting – John will know from Velo Birmingham (a cycling event we did together) what a lift I get from people at the side of the road!
• My initial impressions of the general friendliness of Cambodian people seem to be entirely well founded. As well as waving hello, some kind passers by helped me out when I had a slight mishap with my chain on one occasion, and loads of people have let me fill up my water in their houses or stalls (it’s much quicker than purifying it by hand, given the option.)
• Aside from the people, the animals around here also deserve a mention. I shared a smile with a lady sitting by the side of the road on one occasion when a flock of ducks that were spread out over the path in front of me proceeded to panic-speed-waddle forward in front of my bike instead of going sideways into the water, so I essentially ended up herding ducks for a way! I’ve also met a herd of cows being herded down the lane towards me by a farmer, seen an escaped cow do all kinds of interesting panic-accrobatics in the middle of the main road while the traffic just stopped and waited patiently, obviously used to it, and seen a couple or actual organised cow crossings at designated points in the road. Also, there are random chickens all over the place! Some are in cages near people’s houses or stalls, but most are just wandering around, often in groups of a mother hen and a few chicks. (The chicks are quite funny to watch as lots of them haven’t really leaned to walk properly yet, so they often get their legs all muddled if the ground is uneven or if the mother hen changes direction unexpectedly.)
• On a more negative note, there is so much litter lying around. I find it really upsetting because the countryside is so beautiful and so obviously full of life. It’s a real shame the negative impact that modern society is having on it. On the upside I have seen two different ladies walking along the roadside with a bag collecting rubbish, so atleast some people are trying to do something about it. I’ve got no idea if they were being paid or just doing it off their own backs.

As I said I am on a rest day today. This evening and tomorrow I am going to go and visit the temples at Ankor Way (One of the seven ancient wonders of the world,) and then all being well I should start off cycling again the day after, heading towards the Laos border. I am looking forward to it! 🙂

Suostei! Is currently one quarter of my vocabulary in Khmer (the language of Cambodia.) Kira, The lovely cleaning lady in the hostel, has taught me to say hello, goodbye, thank you, and to ask how are you and answer “I’m fine”, which is basically the same phrase bar one word. Most of the Cambodian locals I have talked to so far have been extremely friendly and welcoming, which is a promising sign for the next few weeks. Even on the bus on the way on the way here, I was helped by a lovely cambodian lady Leah who was also a passenger, and who told me in English what was going on each time we stopped for toilet breaks, customs, food breaks, etc. (the vietnamese bus conductor was not being helpful at all, I suspect because I had refused to give him money to get my visa checked at the border, and said that I could do it myself.)

Here in Phnom Penh, the hostel is really nice! It has loads of communal open space downstairs and even a kitchen for guests to use (this seems to be a bit of a rarity in Asia, unlike in European hostels) so I have been taking the opportunity to cook with lots of fresh veg to get some vitamins in me. Also it has bike parking and a big courtyard area at the front which is a great space for tinkering with bikes in, and I have got my bike all ready to go! Everything is finally ready and I set off cycling tomorrow – eek!

Yesterday, I cycled my bike into Phnom Penh and along the Mekong river front, which was lovely. It was actually a national holiday in Cambodia at the weekend and bank holiday Monday today (I didn’t know until I arrived,) so the river front was full of families out together for the day with lots of children playing. Today, I have walked around the town centre, which was very nice, and then went to the National Genocide Museum (an ex torture facility from the Khmer Rouge regime), which was not ‘nice’, but was very good to see and very well done.

I just need to do some last minute preparations, then tomorrow I will say “leahaey!” (goodbye) to Phnom Penh, and set out on my bike!

Ok, so I guess you can’t be a tourist in Vietnam without broaching the subject which is the Vietnam war. While I’ve been in Ho Chi Minh City I visited two war-related tourist attractions – the Cu Chi tunnels complex (which shows all about the tunnels the Viet Cong used to hide from the South Vietnamese / American forces), and the War Remnants Museum (which displays photos and artefacts mainly about America’s role in the war). I also saw tours advertised to the de-militarised zone (which somewhat ironically was one of the most militarised zones, where most fighting took place) – war tourism is clearly big business in Vietnam!

One thing I have become aware of, however, is the slightly odd relationship the Vietnamese have with the story to around the Vietnam war. ALL of the information is very one-sided, with the Communist Party under Ho Chi Minh painted as the glorious victors, and the South Vietnamese / Americans very much painted as the villains. This seems especially odd in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) where historically there was strong support amongst locals for the South Vietnamese / American armies, but this isn’t mentioned at all in any of the official information – I guess that’s what you get for having a one party (communist party) government.

This odd dichotomy was really brought home to me through meeting and talking to the tour guide who took us to seethe Cu Chi tunnels. At first, his manner struck me as a little weird, (though he was certainly passionate about his subject,) but when I when I heard his story I began to mentally allow him some leeway for not adhering completely to social expectations. Vinh is 69, was born and raised in Saigon, and is fiercely passionate about his home town, which is, he insists, “Saigon! not Ho Chi Minh City! That communist name! I from Saigon!” During the war he was an officer for the South Vietnam and fought alongside the Americans, and after the war he was sent for 5 years on what he calls “my holiday, but not good holiday” – to a “re-education camp” (supposedly re-educating people to make them see the communist way of thinking) which were basically forced labour camps in which physical abuse, torture, lack of food and poor sanitary conditons were common, and hundreds died. At the start of the tour he proclaimed “I not a good tour guide, but I good man! I not tell you the same as the other tour guides, but I got to tell my story before I die!” In truth, it’s clear from the exhibits in the war remnants museum (lots of which were pretty hard to look at,) that there were also plenty of attrocities committed by the side that Vinh was on (the South Vietnam / American side,) but it does seem odd the other side of the story isn’t mentioned at all in the official information.

On a lighter note, I have, as well as looking around war museums, now successfully picked up my bike and panniers, and am all ready to go and explore Phnom Penh in Cambodia for a few days before I set off cycling. As I sit here writing this on the bus out of Vietnam, I’m thinking a lot about the exhibits that I saw and stories I heard about the war, and generally thanking my lucky stars to be born in a war-free country and have the freedom to go off and travel and enjoy myself. I fully intend to make the most of it! Now, to Cambodia!