So, what is the difference between TanSon and Tayson? Simple, the first is SOuth of Pho Chau and on my way to Hochimin city, the latter is west of Pho Chau and on the border to Laos. I should have gone to the first but ended up in the latter, dont think there was any malice intended but the people I got directions from must have misunderstood and readily assumed I am heading for the border.

Day 5

The previous night I went out to upload the journals and get some dinner. At a cafe near the hotel I got some rice congee with chicken meat (poor quality) and veg. I pointed to the vodka being drunk at the next table meaning that I want to order some, instead the guys filled a glass followed by another and we had a drink together.

At the begining of the day I checked out and asked directions to a local temple shown on the map. The receptionist lady first said it was 1000 kilometers away (so it would be somewhere else on the map anyway) we eventually gathered she means 1000 meters, then she gave me directions which took me a round about way to a very simple temple. I returned to the hotel and on the way back tried having some breakfast, first place only served me coffee, cold and charged me 10000. second place more than made up for it though. I actually managed to get couple of nicely fried eggs, 2 small warm baguttes, some tea, (plus one crisp bread and bottle of water to take away) for 22000. I have paiid up to 10000 just for the water in the past. She was very sweet and patient to get what I wanted. I I donated the crisp bread to a very old man a few minutes later and had his blessings. I was quite happy not to have noodle again for breakfast and for the rest of the day was cheerful and smile at as many people as I could.

Most people shout a hello at me and usually smile back or at least dont look at you suspiciously for having smiled at them. I saw one lady pushing this heavily laden bicycle and we shared a smile. May be that cheered her heart if not lighten her load, I hope so.

I got some petrol while waiting for breakfast, got directions from the hotel and set off about 11.00. On the way I pass the temple again, it was only a few hundred yards away. The conclusion I came to in China is just as valid here, just because some people are local and speak the language does not mean they know what they are talking about.

Progress was slow, think I have a cold. I have made 26 km by 12.00 and already in need of some rest! I have a lie down near this bridge off the main road and get about half an hour nice rest. Strange but I have realised that sleeping long hours as I was tempted to do this morning does not refresh me in the direct proportion to the number of hours slept. To the contrary the more I sleep the more lethargic I seem to feel. When I got to my feet preparing to leave I noticed a few dogs around and wandered if they had been around me while asleep too. The timing of my rest was perfect as I started climbing mountainous windy roads soon afterwards. Lovely roads, cool overcast day perfect for the ride. I was quite cautious as I hadnt ridden like this before and was dismayed a few times as I was overtaken on bends by speeding mopeds. On one occasion I was even overtaken by a truck, but I have no false pride and know my limitations. It is a looong way down!

The road was nice and I could imagine bikers with some experience will be speeding through these bends much faster than I. The scenery was also pretty amazing and I settled for lower safer speed and enjoying the view.

Traffic was very low, sometimes my only companions were butterflies flitting across the road in my view. I took various photos and soon after every single photo found yet another vantage point with better photo opportunities.

The ride seemed to go on for some time, I had been enjoying the ride so much I kept riding. I did not see any stopping places and very occasional mopeds and other traffic. I began to consider that I may well be lost and likelihood of staying in the mountains overnight!

Eventually about 2 oclock I reached some cafes. As I pproach I can hear a woman shouting hello, hello and assume she wants me to stop and look at her cafe or some such thing> I am ignoring her as I am about to stop anyway. It turned out that one of the cords securing my bags had been loose for some time and the tip had signs of contact with the bike. I had been quite lucky as it could have got caught in the bike and taken me down with it. I asked for some food in the busiest of the cafes, by pointing at what one guy was eating, rice with some stew. It appeared that what he had was the last of it. I was offered some food to be prepared from canned meat (she offered me eggs first!). I am not quite sure what the meat was (do they sell canned dog meat here?) but it was good and plenty and I had been hungry for some time. This had been the first time in the last 4 days when I hadnt come across eating places every few hundred meters. Following the meal (40000 a little high, most I have paid so far) I asked for directions from the serving woman and she made me think I was about the right place. Few minutes later couple of the younger girls came over looking at my map followed by one of the guys who had been playing cards. 

I showed him Lierm Phu on the map, he tells me that is 130 km away! I thought (based on the womans information that I was almost there), I am pretty surprised and thinking this guy has a sense of humour. Unfortunately it appears I have been travelling in the wrong direction all day, as confirmed by another man in the next door cafe, and I have to return to PhoChau in order to pick up the correct route. If I had carried on I would have been at Laos border, about 5 weeks ahead of my intended entry. Time now is 14.45, there was little point spending too much time on this matter and I decide to set off quickly and enjoy the ride best as I can.

The ride back was quite nice too, there is mist up in the mountains, I am riding more confidently and a little quicker, I am on the side away from the edge of the drop too. The bends can be interesting not only because of the change in direction but also the quality of the tarmac is poorer, presumably because the stress on these areas has been more. My return to phochau took only one and  a half hours. Was I glad to see the place again? Only because I had to go through it!

Topped up the petrol at the same station, cant face another night in this place and set off as soon as I can on an even better road, sometimes I have a good quality dual carriageway all to myself. I am hoping to do about 50 km if poss.

After about 25 km I pull over for a drink, there are no hot drinks or cold ones either. I settle for a can of red bull and some cookies. The local kids and grown ups gather around me quickly and we begin to have a little fun. There is a volley ball and we play around with it for a little while. I could ask to stay here but decide to do another half to an hour and so get on the bike.

I am heading for Huangkhe (then Tanson!) which is about another 10 km away, Daylight is rapidly fading as I reach the town which reminds me a lot of Phochau, may be all the small towns look alike except that here there seems to be a few street lamps (In Phochau I could hardly see anything when I went out and unsure if the traffic could see me either, quite an odd feeling, reminded me of the dirt roads of Uganda). I rode into one hotel forecourt, quite a nice place but comparatively expensive, so eventually got directions to and followed a biker to another guesthouse. Having checked into the room I realised that I will be sleeping next to the railway track or near enough ( I should have realised as we had ridden across the track to get here!).

I grab a shower, do a little wash and hang things out to dry in front of the fan (including my jeans which are still damp from 2 days ago) and set off in search of an internet cafe. after going through various poorly lit or completely unlit alleyways eventually find it. The lad who guided me here came and sat next to me for a while watching my performance!

It has been quite a nice day and I have gathered some good riding experience and may be this was a good way of having a day off from insisting on making up the distance towards the south. I decided to do the journal at the cafe instead of unpacking the laptop.

I think my camera datacard is corrupted again, the laptop was suggesting reformat before I could use it when I tried to copy it onto the computer last night.