Ride day 12: Huyen Do Luong to Liem Hoa
29 May 2016
Opportunity taken for a bit of a lie in, with a check out time of 12 noon (a treat from our usual of 8.00 a.m. at Nha Nghi’s). We make it out and on to the road by 10:30 a.m.
The first couple of kms are very dusty and potholed roads. Then the moment the town ended, the road transformed to an elevated road on an embankment, great tarmac and farms all around. The start of the harvest we had seen the day before was nothing compared to today. The fields and the road were alive with people working. Bringing in the harvest, threshing on the road, and then harvested crop and seed laid on the road to dry. For kilometre after kilometre we were riding over a bed of crops on top of the Tarmac. Amazing scenes!
We pull in at one of the road side stalls and buy a freshly harvested watermelon from the lady at the stall. She chops the melon for us, and a kilometre later we stop in the shade to eat our delicious melon breakfast.
The roads for the remainder of the morning continue to be covered with crops and farmers working. There is a narrow path through the debris, but when a truck is coming the other way, there is no option but to ride straight through the green debris. The heat of the day very quickly turning the fresh wet crop dry.
As the kilometres for the day are ticking over, we can begin to see the peaks of Phong Nha rising up in the distance to the south, and know that less than 15km to the west of us lies Laos.
The farmland quickly gives way to thick forest along the sides of the road. Then out of nowhere we spot a couple of old fighter planes at the side of the road. We pull over to find a war memorial along with various military memorabilia (mainly Vietnamese anti aircraft guns that you could climb on, but also an older American Douglas A-1 sky raider plane). We take a while to check out the exhibits, but are beaten by the heat and retire for a quick drink and an ice lolly from the local shop.
Winding further south and in towards the national park, we were both starving and looking for a suitable place for a late lunch. Again we manage to find a Nha Hang at the side of the road, and have a delicious lunch of beef, rice and vegetables. It seemed that getting to Phong Nha town for the night was unlikely, so we set off with a plan to find a Nha Nghi en route. A further 20km of fantastic riding in the late afternoon in to the Phong Nha park, with amazing views all around us. We roll through a very small village and spot a Nha Nghi on the outskirts. A perfect place for the night.
After checking in and dumping bags, we take a short walk around the village to check it out and get waters. The small centre is bustling after the arrival of a bus loaded with supplies. Woman gathering their newly bought supplies up and loading them on to waiting scooters to be taken away. The village had the feel of a small trading community with small stores on all corners selling all manner of produce.
We head back to the Nha Nghi to have a couple of beers. Almost immediately we’re befriended by the owners two small boys, who take up seats at our table, and then spend the next hour playing games on our phones. We spend the time chatting and watching the amazing night time sky and fire flies that are buzzing around outside. The place itself has a fairly steady flow of motorbikes in and out, with teenagers stopping in for a few quick drinks then leaving. The karaoke is blaring, and some truly awful singing is being exhibited.
Thankfully owing to the number of beers we drank, getting to sleep was not a problem.
Cheers!
Full days route here:
Comments are closed here.