And lo, Sally-Anne's romantic vision of cycling through the Vietnamese countryside came to pass. We rode along, through little villages, where the cutest children waved and shouted after us; past the paddy-fields, where hard-working farmers, wearing the ubiquitous pointy hats, paused from their back-breaking toil to watch us ride by; and along the earthen embankments between the shrimp farms, where Sal fell off the bike, went A over T into the shrimp pond, resulting in a soaking, a liberal coating of mud and weeds, scratching and bruising to various limbs, and generally feeling v embarrassed!
Even Sal's spectacular spill didn't spoil her day, though, as this little trip was one of the most enjoyable experiences so far! Although it didn't feature breathtaking scenery or anything extraordinary, it was lovely to see Vietnamese rural life close-up, and not whilst whizzing past on a bus. Tom and Thuy, the two Vietnamese girls who acted as guides, were funny, bright, and informative. They were also very attentive when Sal needed pulling out of the shrimp farm, hosing down, her wounds treated, clothes washed, and generally looking after. There was also a nice bunch of folks on the trip with us, so the banter was good too.
A very enjoyable day was rounded off with a visit to a Vietnamese fast-food place recommended by our cycling guides. 'Bale Well' specializes in the local delicacy ''bunh xao'. It's local food for local people! We found the place, down a back-alley, full of locals, and frankly a bit mucky, Sal's mum wouldn't have liked it! There's no menu, you just walk in, sit down, and they start to bring you the food! A plate of greens, a huge bowl of peanut sauce, some pancakes and spring-rolls, loads of meat on skewers, and rice-paper to roll it all up in! The waitress shows you (if you're not local) how to roll your own, then you're left to it and the food keeps coming until you say stop!
The manager at our hotel was surprised when we told him where we'd been, 'that's for local people' he said! He also wanted to know how much we'd paid, when we told him 200,000 Dong (about 6 quid) he laughed, and said that's about twice as much as a local would pay. I refrained from pointing out it was still a damn-sight cheaper than the $10.50 Club Sandwich at his hotel!