Correction and thanks

Have just realised that my maths in the last blog were incorrect and I have done the Vietnamese retail traders a great disservice. I quoted $60 dollars or so for the price of trousers and jackets; well its half that as I miscalculated the exchange rate, so forgive the senior moment. Mind you that having been said, I still think Paramo is the best quality gear you can get and its not available over here.

I know that people have been kindly writing on my Facebook page and as some of you will be aware from previous blogs; Facebook have cut me down in my prime so to speak and witheld access as I am a security risk visiting so many countries!!!! So I am unable to receive, read or reply to anyone which defeats the whole object of that social network site.

As I strongly hinted in the last blog, I have now taken the decision to return to the UK, a real shame in many ways, but the maths didn't add up (well they didn't above I know!). I would like to thank all of you who have taken the time and trouble to read the blogs which I hope you enjoyed and which I hope gave you a flavour of the diversity of countries and cultures it was my pleasure to experience along the way. I should also like to thank those who regularly sent emails of encouragement and support; always terrific to receive them and boosted the pedal ratios when the going was a little tough. I have appreciated every one of them believe me.

The bike:
Well what can I say about Cynthia! What a girl, my admiration for build quality goes to the chaps at Thorn who built a masterpiece of a bicycle. The Nomad is a cracking machine, bombproof, although I didn't hit ripio conditions as found in South America, she had enough to deal with plus weight and was superb. It is true to say she had many admiring glances along the way; may other cyclists recognised the bike and took photos. Thank you to Thorn for producing British bikes that sit with the best in the world, in fact they are the best. (By the way this is not a promo to Thorn, I'm not getting paid a penny, simply an appreciation of a quality machine.) During the approximate 10,300 kms covered (my computer went awol due to an iffy connection I think, so I cannot be exact.) all that went wrong was 10 punctures (8 before India); 2 broken spokes in Turkey and a slashed rear tyre in the Czech Republic.

I changed the chain in Hoi An, Vietnam
I changed the saddle in Turkey

Thats it; pretty good I think.

I would love to give you a breakdown as to the good and bad countries visited, but won't at this stage, except to say my favourite was Vietnam; a wonderful place.

Not sure what lies ahead; I have certainly got the cycling bug and maybe opportunities lie in cycle tourism which I shall investigate when I get home. At least I can appreciate what is required on such holidays and the planning that is necessary.

Thank you again to everyone; I've turned 62 today (there you go Quent and JB the secrets out) and you know what, it feels great.

Hanoi and waffles!

Firstly.I wish you all a very happy and peaceful 2013 and thank you to all of you who have taken the time and trouble to look at this blog.

Well as you will keenly observe from the title I have now hit the capital, a feat I attained at 5am on a very wet and darn cold New Years Eve. In terms of weather, Vietnam is a real curate's egg; there seems to be a clear boundary at this time of year between the warmer south, which kicks in at Da Nang and wet and much colder conditions north of Hue which is just north of Da Nang. To illustrate, Da Nang was 27 degrees and sunny, compared with Hue which was very wet and 18 degrees; it is currently a balmy 16 degrees in Hanoi!

The cycle north of Nha Trang to Quy Nhon was excellent; coastal views abound and as with much of the topography along AH1 (the main route) gently undulating. Quy Nhon itself is a medium sized city having a long, gently shelving beach. It bears similarities with Nha Trang, albeit that it is some 10 years behind in terms of development and marketing. Potential though, it certainly has. I stayed at Au Oc 2; Au Oc 1 being just up the road, fronting onto the main coast road opposite the beach. I would recomment either of these places to stay; ideal for backpackers.Sandwiched inbetween is the Kiwi Experience (a hostel and cafe) offering dorm accommodation for $4 a night! If your bowels are in need of a little western style food, this is an excellent place to fulfill that need! The Kiwi Experience or Barbara's as it is also called, is a focal point for foreign travellers, so a great place to get some first hand information whether you are travelling north or south. The beach is great but you wouldn't want to hang around too long after sunset. This is because the place is populated by rats, and big ones at that. Without a word of a lie, these creatures are about a foot long, as big as Ferrets and some of the locals feed them so they are quite used to humans being around.

From Quy Nhon it is about a 300 km cycle to Hoi An which lies some 30 kms south of Da Nang. Hoi An is a must. A quintessential tourist trap. A very attractive city featuring narrow streets with boutiques, cafes, the lot really accommodated within some superb examples of French colonial architecture. The city is bisected by a river along which are cafes where you can people watch and enjoy life on the water. Apologies if I sound like a BBC holiday programme (heaven forbid!!) but it is quite unique for Vietnam and because it is, its very expensive but definately worth a stop. Hoi An lies a few kilometers from the beach, so for a couple of dollars, a lot of visitors hire cycles and explore the city, visit the Japanese bridge and the coast; its a good way to explore. For those cyclists head to the coast from Hoi An and then follow that into Da Nang, an excellent road with sea glimpses that takes you into Da Nang avoiding the city centre and follow the beach right to the end, before turning left and cycling around the Da Nang Bay. Its a terrific run with very little traffic since most of it seemes to focus on the city centre itself. Da Nang is Vietnam's third city having a population of around 1 million. It is unlike Saigon or Hanoi in so far as tourism is the dominent feature here. Just south of the city along the road I cycled there are examples of just how developed and tourism focused the local economy is. There is a Greg Norman Golf Resort and major international resorts by the usual suspects like Hyatt etc with more in the pipeline. Once you have negotiated the Bay, which is very attractive, the cyclist is given a choice; either go through a tunnel or take the mountain pass. Well the weather was good, had the sun on my back so I took the latter and glad I did. Although its a 7 km climb (which I walked) the scenery was stunning, its a place where the mountains literally meet the sea. There is a leper colony set amongst the lower reaches, which I was told is the last of its type in the country. This was told to me by a delightful Vietnamese lady on a scooter who passed me coming down the mountain and who managed to sell me a bit of jewelry for good measure!

I stopped just short of Hue which is some 105 kms from Da Nang and arrived there the following morning giving me chance to look around and find somewhere to stay. Hue is a very popular city for travellers, a good stop off point. Most congregate around the old quarter where there are shedloads of small hotels and hostels. Its also a good place for onward travel. I stayed there for Xmas Day and Boxing Day. Christmas is a non-event in Vietnam although you will see a number of hotels and businesses decked out in Christmas cheer purely for the tourists. I managed to call home and speak to Mum, my sister and Nick which made the day for me. Chatting in a hotel lobby isnt ideal especially where the locals are massing and are heavily in discussion. They get very exercised when trying to make there point and accordingly the decibel rate increases dramatically. I mainly hung around the main Backpackers hostel where the food was pretty good and the service even better. It was in Hue that the weather turned, chucking it down every day and it looks like that mountain range I traversed between Hue and Da Nang acted as a buffer of sorts. I had met a few cyclists on route all heading south. Without exception (well except for two Chinese fellers) they had all taken either the train or bus from Hanoi to Hue. The reasoning varied from lousy roads, bad weather and little to write home about in terms of scenery. Well the weather was incentive enough in Hue for me to consider bussing it north, but then I had set in my mind that I wanted to cycle as far as I could. The following morning was clear and warm, so I saddled Cynth up and headed out making 130 kms (must have been all that spagetti I ate!). Hanoi is around 630 kms from Hue so still quite a way to go. Well from there on in it all went pear shaped. The weather closed in, and I met strong headwinds and lashing rain every day. It was relentless, reminded me of cycling through morth Holland and Germany at the beginning of the trip. The guys were also correct as to the state of the road. It was bad and very muddy; I couldn't comment on the views, since you couldn't see anything! I made it to Vinh, some 370 kms north of Hue without a dry piece of clothing in the locker and darn cold. I decided to catch the late evening coach for the final 300 kms and was unceremoniously deposited somewhere in Hanoi on a wet morning in pitch dark. A serious injection of caffeine was called for, so having located a posh hotel, grabbed a couple of cups, waited for daylight and found out where I was and where I had to go.

The old quarter just to the north west of Ho Hoan Kiem lake is the place, where I re-aquainted myself with Jomo cafe; having got to know there other branches in Vientiene and Luang Prabang (both in Laos). Wonderful to get good coffee and get the laughing gear around a giant waffle soaked in fresh whipped cream and maple syrup; can there be anything better!!! Having arrived in Hanoi, the overriding issue was to buy some warm clothing. The locals were muffled up like it was -50. The temperature did go down to 10 degrees which from 27 degrees a few days before is quite a difference. Got a sweater but no chance of trousers; if you are over 5ft 6inches and have a waist over 32 inches, forget it; every shop I went into I was met with "no clothes your size"! So I continue to walk the streets in shorts. Well, I did find a pair with a 36 inch waist for which they wanted the princely sum of 650,000 dong (that's 62.5 dollars). I found jackets my size, Jack Wolfskin, North Face and Columbia all made here for which they wanted $60 minimum!!! Looking at the standard of zips, I wasn't convinced these were not knock offs, so left them well alone. The jumper was the main thing, that was 10 dollars and is spot on. The moral of this story is that if you are visiting Vietnam and are over 5 ft 6 inches tall, bring your own gear from home.

I havent yet had time to explore Hanoi; though it has a very different vibe to Saigon. Its quieter and the architecture is much more influenced in the French colonial style. It seems ok though, at first glance it has more character than Saigon but the main commercial heart of this country lies in Saigon; Hanoi is the administrative centre. Planning on staying here for a couple more days before I head out.

At this stage it looks like I shall, with great reluctance and disappointment have to head back to the UK. My original plan was to meet up with Nick my son, in Hong Kong and then head for Canada. Normally such a decision is made on the grounds of ill health or loss of interest; neither of which apply in my case. Unfortunately, President Obama isnt the only one with a fiscal cliff problem!!! Having done the research and sums and given consideration to different routes (LA, Phoenix, Santa Fe, Oklahoma and north east to New York) I would be well out of pocket, given the expected duration of around 8 weeks. The pain in the arse remains my property following flood damage and associated costs as a consequence. I am having to make this decision within the next day or so. So far it has been a sensational experience, beyond my expectations in many respects and it will be hard to take if, as I feel likely, that decision is taken. Whatever the outcome, I will put a blog up.

Nha Trang

Having left Mui Ne I have now moved up a couple of inches up the map to Nha Trang. I had hoped to arrive here yesterday, not that it matters that much, but I have had to negotiate a strong headwind all the way which reduced my progress considerably. At its worst I was struggling to make 6kms per hour for a lot of legwork. No matter, since this was a really good leg otherwise. Leaving Mui Ne the land is almost semi arid with dunes extending some way inland and cacti growing. Bougonvilia  (I know its the wrong spelling, but the spell check keeps coming up with Yugoslavia!) grows along the roadside and there is a shrub or tree which gives off a scent that reminds me of Provance. Even the light is like the South of France. Gradually the land becomes more fertile and you cycle through paddy fields with palm groves in the distance and mountains beyond. Its quite beautiful. Along the route there are glimpses of the coast and of course the numerous villages and towns along 1A which is the main route to Hanoi.

A day out and I met two French fellers cycling towards Mui Ne. Really decent blokes who told me that they were spending 8 months cycling around South East Asia, having arrived in Hanoi, brought two bikes and set off. They did take a bus for the mid section of the route as they have a timescale to be in the south. The following day, two more cyclists, again heading south; its like rush hour!!!! Laura and Brant were from the USA and from their home in California (Big Sur) which is a terrific location, they cycled across the States to New York, a journey they completed in 6 weeks and is what most Americans consider to be a right of passage. They kindly gave me the heads up on an alternative route into Nha Trang. This route kicks in about 30 kms from the city and is effectively a dual carriageway, brand new, with hardly any traffic but the most superb sea views which was great to cycle this morning. To anyone contemplating cycling north, this is a gem of a route into Nha Trang. Brant is a very keen cyclist and both had custom made bikes for the trip. He was well versed with Thorn and took pictures of Cynth. We both had Schwalbe Marathon XR's tyres which are no longer made, probably because they are so good. Brant bought his set second hand and hardly any wear. Come on Schwalbe, get manufacturing these tyres again, your replacements arn't a touch on the XR's.

Its always good to meet cyclists on the road, swap stories and discuss your bikes; those four were the first cyclists I have met I think since Turkey, but the South East Asian market is growing in popularity as a cycling destination, so if any of you guys I met cycling along the Danube are reading this, then believe me if it's a possibility, then go for it. The two French fellers brought their bikes for $250 each and both said they were great for what they wanted.

Life along the road continues to be interesting and fun. Truck drivers, shop keepers, road workers and blokes sitting around in the numerous cafes continue to chaik, shout and wave. Pull into a cafe and they all gather round while you explain what you would like to drink; the women are great, always smiling, chatting and are very tactile.I found this in Mui Ne, while all the testosterone fuelled 20 somethings were demonstrating their physical aplomb either by exercising on the beach or kike surfing; I just chatted to the girls with very positive results. There are loads of cafes, not sure how any of them make a profit. I generally like to get an hour or two under my belt before a pit stop, and the day I left Mui Ne I did just that and pulled into a cafe where 6 blokes were consuming Tiger lager at an alarming rate, well for 8am it appeared that way. They insisted I sit with them and would not think of me leaving until I had drunk 3 cans of lager with them; so I did. They were also ripping a crab apart so again insisted I help them demolish that as well. The thing about cycling is that you don't know whats going to happen next. It's a gimme here that quite a few scooter riders will come alongside and slap you on the back by way of encouragement; this can be a bit dicey if your not expecting it. Also the kids love hi 5's while you are in motion and hold their arms out. Lads also like to race me and overtake before heading off a sidestreet then look at me and laugh as they head away. And yes I do let them win. On one occasion I stopped next to a collection and distribution plant where dragon fruit was the product in question. Dragon Fruit is a mainly pink coloured circular fruit with pink 'fingers' coming off. Hence the name I guess. The inside contains a white coloured fruit with black seeds, very good to eat. The owners daughter was called Anne who could speak very good English; having met her mother and co-workers Anne then gave me 4 of these fruit to take with me; about 2 kilos in weight. This just demonstrates how generous these people are.

Hotels are plentiful and cheap, rarely away from cities do you pay more that $10 for a room which is a double with shower and a/c. I stayed at one on the second night where my room cantilevered over the ocean on both sides. So at night you could listen to the swell and watch the fishing boats' wonderful. I usually eat street food or local restaurants. For breakfast, stop off at roadside where you get a warm bagette, two fried eggs, sausage meat, veg and spicey sauce for 50 cents!!! Thats about 30p and its usually very good. In the evening its pot luck, but again select something usually with noodles or rice, with water buffalo as the meat, and of course seafood and fish of all descriptions. The girls often bring me crayfish or something else off the menu with a sauce and sit with me showing how to extract the meat. Of course, its quite usual to spend the odd night, or part of it, on the loo so the following day you feel a bit under the weather and not really looking forward to getting on the bike. On days like that I think about why I'm doing this; for kids with cancer. Bet they would swap their situation for mine at an instant; so I get myself into gear, give myself a verbal lashing and kick up the backside and start pedalling.

They make coffee with condensed milk over here. Its very good, not that I need any incentive to demolish a can of that. Mum and I would sit down with a can of condensed milk and two spoons and go through it like a dose of salts.

Of course spending so much time in the saddle, the old tackle gets a bit sore. I have tried a variation of clothing and even resorted to a condom to provide a bit of relief but all to little avail. So now I find the best is to flip the tackle occasionally from one side to the other. Its ok. Now I have a mate called John Stamp who I think usually reads these at breakfast while getting his laughing gear around a large danish. His reposte (and he has one for most occasions) would be 'Bloody hell Trevelyan, half an inch less and you'd be a stewardess!'John and I go back more than 40 years, I think Wichita Lineman was charting so must have been around '69. He likes nothing better at a dinner party to regale what I looked like and my musical taste at the time. So a description of me with shoulder length Beatle haircut with bright shirt, flares and hipsters grooving to T.Rex, Mungo Jerry and Cream is portrayed to the dining guests; fortunately there are no photos. Janet, his wife is amazing; how she puts up with him I don't know, she is a superb, cook and hostess and when I needed help both of them were right there no questions asked. Its something I am appreciative of even now. Great mates.

Well I see by the date on my watch that Christmas is rapidly approaching. Not that it feels like it here, or you would really know it. I'm surprised that shops are selling xmas trees and tinsel. So to get into the festive spirit I bought some tinsel and decorated Cynth; photos on the side. Looks a real picture eh! Not sure where I will be on the day; because of the headwind I cant see me making it to Ha Long Bay or even close. It doesn't matter because the weather up there isnt that great at the moment. Hanoi is only 20 degrees positively shivering!

I know at this time of year you all get bombarded with begging letters from charities. I'm also aware that everyone is tightening the belt with such an uncertain future ahead. However, if I could simply ask that for anyone with a few bob to spare feel so inclined to lob it in the direction of Children with Cancer UK  it would absolutely make my xmas. I hope to blog again before xmas, but in the event I don't may I wish everyone a very happy and peaceful xmas.