Don Det an Island paradise of peace, tranquility and occasional drama.

It is now the 27th of March. I have been on Don Det since March 5th. It has been a wonderful period of healing and rebirth. I came here a hopeless cripple barely able to walk 20 meters without a rest. 3 weeks later and I feel a new man. No back pain, no spasms. I can walk up and down stairs without pain, I can bend over and touch the back of my heels!

As I said I got here 3 weeks ago and I could hardly move. For the first 3 days I laid on my Back on my bed or on a bench in the restraint. After the third day I wondered around a bit and groaned a lot. Tip found me someone who could give me a massage. The masseur was a young Laotian woman. She was strong as an ox and knew exactly what to do.

It started off with me lying on my stomach. She grabbed each calf muscle and turned it into a piece of plasticine. It was like my calves had become piece of bread dough. Then she would kneel her way up the backs of my thighs (she was not a light person) onto my pelvic girdle and onto my lower back. She then pushed my back and shoulders through the front of my body. She pressed hard in all those point guaranteed to elicit a groan of agony from me. For an hour she subjected my back, legs and arms to a withering amount of pressure points. It was a refined form of torture. The first few times it was terrible, then after a while my body began to respond. No painful pressure points, all my muscles seemed to wilt under her touch. For two full weeks I had a massage every other day. It worked miracles. Not only did it fix my back but it also sorted out a whole lot more things. Both knees are now reborn. I am really flexible these days. No back pain!

Life on the Islands remains the same. Every day is a scorcher. The sun is relentless and all you can do is get out of it and under a fan or a breeze. That is what I have been doing. A bit of colour and movement when one of my friends and his partner got well and truly busted. the Police dragged him off to jail in Pakse, a place you do not want to be. After a day they took him to the border and deported him. Poor bugger.

I am here for two more days and then I fly to Saigon from Pakse on Saturday. I will be in Dong Hoi Saturday night. Back on the bike and back on the tour.

Postscript
It is my last morning. I am all packed, bills are paid and I am waiting for the 11 O'clock boat to take me to Nakassang. For the last 2 days I have been lazing in my hammock and having my last massages. I have been watching the water buffalo diving for morsels in the river bottom. They can hold their breathe longer than I can.

Post Tet the tour begins and almost finishes thanks to Google Maps.

So Tet came to an end and regretfully it was time to return to Hanoi. Ewan had gone before so I took Lan on the back of my bike to Hanoi. It was convenient this way as she knew just how to get back to Hanoi without getting lost and all in a mess which would have been my experience if I had come back alone.

I spent a week in Hanoi getting over Tet and getting ready for the big trip south. The plan was to ride down to Cuc Phuong National Park, spend a couple of days here then go on to Vin Long National park. From there I would go via the Ho Chi Minh highway to Tan Ky and Phuong Ngha. From there I would go to Dong Hoi for a few days fishing. Then it would be on to Khe Sanh, The Ashau Valley and Hue. Then down the coast to Da Nang and Hoian. From Hoian I planned to go to the 4000 Islands (by Plane and leaving my bike in Hoian). Then back to Hoian and south down the coast to Nha Trang, Mu Nee and Vung Tau. I would try to avoid Saigon and head straight into the delta at Ben Tre. I will be heading for Oc Eo which is near Chau Duc.  The plan is then to get into Cambodia and ride to Angkor Borei the old capital of Funan (400 bce to 400 ce). Then I will ride back to Saigon, put the bike on the train and go back to Hanoi by train. At that time I should probably go home and sort things there. That was the plan, it didn't turn out that way......

I finally extricated myself from Hanoi. The bike was packed to the roof and google maps directed me to the outskirts of Hanoi and then promptly got me lost amongst a puzzle of rice paddies and hidden lanes through non descript villages. The last call came when the batteries died. I managed to make it to Cuc Phuong National park by instinct. The last section involved riding along the top of a rice paddy wall! But what Fun ? I was having a ball. I found the road and then I found Cuc Phuong. Thanh was there and he had organised the accommodation perfectly,  The next day I spent walking through the various "sanctuaries" for a number of different monkeys and gibbons. There was also sanctuaries for other animals, carnivores, bears and the like. It was fantatic to see the red shanked Langur and the Delacroix Langur. Two of the most rare of the genus. There they were right in front of me just sitting on a branch contemplating life. It reminded me of the time I was in Da Nang with Ernie and Vicki and Thanh and we saw Red Shanked Langurs there.

That afternoon Thanh and I rode over to Vin Long National Reserve. We had an awesome afternoon in this little boat being rowed around this amazing wetland edging onto razor sharp Limestone Kharsts. It was very impressive just in a panorama point of view but also in other ways from the majesty of the surrounding Kharsts to the waterbirds and Eagles in the sky. We had a fantastic time chasing the eagles as they were a bit unusual here. After a lovely meal I dropped Thanh on the corner of Highway One where he was going to catch the bus to Hanoi. I headed back to Cuc Phuong for my last night.

I resolved not to go south through Nhim Bhinh but rather cut back through the lesser roads to the Ho Chi Minh Highway and then south to Tan Ky. This good thinking as I have already done this twice. That I had never gone the same way twice should have warned me about the potential for error. Regardless I set up google maps (batteries fully charged) and attached it to the bike. I set off with full confidence that this would get there in no short order. Silly boy. I began to become suspicious when the directed track seemed to be taking me back into the more mountainous parts of the park I had just left. I stopped and consulted the phone which cheerily announced that it had found a short cut that would save me 8 minutes from my trip. Conned by this confidence I accepted the change and set off on the new route. This was my biggest mistake. If I had ignored this things may have been different, needless to say I didn't ignore the advice. The track led me into what could only be described as a goat track in a very poor disguise. I came to an extremely steep hill covered in Mud. I made it up 2/3 of the hill and the engine stalled. I immediately started to slide backwards down the hill, The bike fell over and I was in the mud. I stripped the bike of all my gear and dragged it up the hill. I went down and picked the bike up and tried to get up the hill. The bike went down 5 times before I gave up and wheeled it down the hill to the flat bit at the bottom. Then I was able to get the bike up to the top of the hill. I got off the bike and collapsed on the ground totally exhausted. I lay there for about 15 minutes until a Vietnamese bloke came along with his wife. He asked If I were alright? I told him that "no I was not alright but did he have any water?" It is amazing at times like these the language does not need to be the same, we could understand each other despite not knowing each others language. As it turned out he didn't have any water. So he left his wife with me and took off back down the hill and disappeared. He came back 15 minutes later with a bag of sweet donuts and some warm tea. I scoffed the tea and a donut straight away with much gratitude. I then had the energy to repack the bike and make it to the top of the mountain. Then I had to go down the other side. It was almost as bad as going up. The last section was a very steep scree covered in wet rocks and mud. The Vietnamese guy held onto the back of the bike and skated down the hill behind me acting as an anchor and stabilizer for the bike. If it weren't for him I would not have made it. Another 2hours of bush bashing and I was on the Ho Chi Minh Highway headed for Tan Ky 200kms away.

In Tan Ky I was so tired and sore, I collapsed on my bed and did not move till the next morning. I got up early and in pain. My back was spasming and I was in agony. I paid the bill and geared the bike up and headed off early. The trip to Phuong Ngha was about 350 to 400 in length. the trip took all day and it passed for me in a cloud of pain and agony. This is a shame because the last bit into Phuong Ngha is very beautiful and spectacular. Huge forested Kharsts Mountains surround the road. The road slithers between the mountains giving stunning vistas all round. There are gawping mouths of caves everywhere. You get the very strong impression that there are caverns unexplored all around that will dwarf what we already know. One day....

I rode straight to the resort I stayed with Vicki and Ernie only this time I stayed in the dorm for $10US. I had some food and laid straight down on the bed and tried to go to sleep. I spent a pain filled night full of fear and anxiety that I had injured myself seriously. Next Morning I resolved to ride to Dong Hoy and just relax for 3 days and get my back better. I was up early, a cold shower did not help the injury but at least I was clean. I rode to Dong Hoi using google maps suspiciously and ignoring all advice to take short cuts. It was a little difficult as all the falling over had broken the thingy I used to hold the phone to the bike. I had to keep stopping and take my phone out of my pocket. Anyway I managed to make it to the "Beachside Backpackers Dong Hoi". The receptionist took sympathy on me and gave me my own room with Aircon and TV.

I spent the next 3 days lying on my back in my room at the backpackers. I would emerge for Breakfast. lunch and dinner and to gaze wistfully at the wonderful Gutter right in front of me on the beach. After the second day I realised that I was not getting better, in fact it was worse. I had regular spasms in my lower back that would take my breath away. I had heard and had confirmed it myself that you could fly from Saigon to Pakse in Laos. (This is where you go if you are going to the 4000 Islands). So I booked a flight from Dong Hoi to Saigon. I flew there stayed a night and then caught a plane to Laos the next day. The next day I was on Don Det.

So begins my recovery.

Tet in the Red River Delta

This year I was to spend Tet with the family of my friend Lan. They live in the middle of the Red River Delta in an area called Nam Dich (scuse the spelling). The area is amazing, it has got to be the flattest place in Vietnam. You can clearly see this is the rice bowl of Northern Vietnam. Everywhere are rice paddies, acres of them uninterrupted all the way to the horizon. I was there in their winter. The paddies when I arrived were all flooded. The place looked like it had suffered a major flooding incident. At most times driving around you were surrounded by water. Only the towns and villages rose out of the water like sentinels in a sea. What is even more striking and anachronistic are the cathedrals and churches that pierce the horizon with their spires and towers. It boggles the mind to see so many in what is also a staunchly communist area. At one point when I was on the coast wall looking back over the paddy clad plane I counted 27 of these buildings as far as the eye can see. Most of them were built by the French in times gone by, but my friends and relatives assure me that they have regular Masses every day and that they are well attended each time. During the Tet week Lan and I visited the Cathedral that housed her school when she was a kid. It was her first time in a church. It was my first in Vietnam. It was quite impressive from a Catholic point of view. I have to declare several conflicts here, just to qualify... I am not a Catholic, in fact you would have to say that I am definitely non religious. More of a non believing atheist. Another conflict... Lan is a good communist. Her father is an even better communist being the party representative in his village. A position of authority, responsibility and very hard work for the community. The whole family has impeccable connections and are well regarded in their community. I was very grateful that Lan's Father was so patient with me asking very direct questions about things political. I was anxious to talk about rubbish and the way it is managed in Vietnam. He was very gracious and answered my questions about what was possible and what was not. We ended up at several impasses, in circumstances such as these that is all one can expect. He is a very gracious man and I have total respect for him and his family. Next door to us is his brother. Also a very nice warm and inviting man. He enjoyed plying me with rice wine starting from 9am in the morning.

The village is very small, no more than 20 houses all in a row beside a canal full of fish, ducks and rubbish. the streets are clean and well swept (daily), there are flowers on all the edges and little plots of herbs and small green plants. There is a table and bench covered by a concrete umbrella so that people can sit outside and chat with the neighbors. The street also has a PA system which starts at 5:30am and wakes everyone up with stirring music or talks from the local women's representative or the youth Rep. While I was there I was invited to be part of a local celebration for all those members of the community who were over 70. There were a whole pile of them, two were over 100! The ceremony was held in the Party Town Hall type thingy. Statues and pictures of Uncle Ho. Photos of party luminaries etc etc. All the oldies were herded onto the stage and various people including Lan's Dad got up and gave speeches. Then the Party Luminary got up and gave presents and certificates to each of the older ones. It went on for about and hour and a half and by the end of it the old ones and I were pretty tired. We were served tea and nibblies and then people began to drift away. It was an awesome demonstration of how healthy that community was. Everyone turned up with cousins and aunties and all the rest.

Tet lasts for at least a week and it consists of drinking and eating with all members of the family, near or far. Every time we visit someone it seems it is banquet time. All of a sudden people turn up from near  and far. Food is laid out in a long line on the floor and the family sits down to eat. There is a nominated person whose job it is to manage the "Hot Pot" a large pot kept hot by electricity. Meats and vegetables are placed in the pot and allowed to cook in the steam and boiling broth. There is  constant activity with food added and taken away from the pot and put in bowls for people to pick over with their chopsticks. There are other plates of food as well. Being Tet people eat an awful amount of meat. As well as that added to the Hot pot there are also pressed and preserved meats. There is pork rolls and chicken rolls, the meat pressed with spices and other greens. The whole thing is a dietary delight.  my only problem was that my stomach cannot take in a lot of food at once these days so I am only able to graze the feast. My hosts are concerned that I do not eat enough food so someone is always there trying to fill my bowl with morsels and tastes. I really enjoy Tet in Vietnam. This is my second experience and it is as good as the first. The festival is celebrated country wide and has an effect nationally. If you don't know a family or people you can spend Tet with it can be very difficult to be a tourist. The buses, trains, planes and any other transport is a. ll booked out, the hotels and restraunts are closed  It can be very difficult for the unsuspecting. With a Family it all changes. You are constantly surrounded by people and activity.

While we were in the area Lan, Ewan and I spent a day at the beach. First we went to an area that has the ruins of a cathedral right on the waters edge. We had drinks here and then moved to a beach where there were no tourists just the occasional fishing boat making its way to the shore. We had an absolutely lovely time here. I did a little fishing in the ocean... no luck! We were sitting under shade in a sort of beach cafe that was empty. at one stage a fishing boat returning has some fish which Lan quickly acquired. The lady in the cafe agreed to cook some for us and all of a sudden here is this huge meal laid down in front of us. The fish were fascinating, long and slim with a snake like head. When they were cooked they turned to a weird kind of jelly. This made the bones edible as they became soft and jelly like too. All in all the meal was delicious if not a little strange.

While we at the beach we watched a gaggle of boats come in. The whole thing looked a bit strange and turned out to be a bit of an emergency. One boat was clearly in trouble, in fact as we watched it sank. The whole gaggle turned into being a pandemonium. After the boats were finally brought in and all the flotsam cleared it was clear what had happened. One boat had crashed through the side of another basically breaking the boat in half! What got me was that the boat owner did not seem overly upset.

Another day after Ewan had gone back to Hanoi Lan and I went to a National Park right at the river mouth of the Red River. It was a maze of canals and mangrove swamps. We hired a boat to take us into the mangroves to spot birds and other wildlife. We went out into the River mouth and then back into the mangroves. I got out and wandered around a big sand island. It was very interesting to look at the ecosystem, to see the succession of plants etc. What struck me was the similarity in form these plants had with Aussie ones in the same system.

The coast in this area is spectacular. The inland is soo flat. Stopping the ocean coming in are huge coastal walls that are wide enough to drive on the top. the coastal plain is all rice paddies and fish farms. When you stand out the front of Lan

's house the unimpeded view is of rice paddies. I quizzed Lan about how they managed the rice. She told me that they have grown two crops of rice a year on all these paddies without a break for some 1000 years! Without a break! never leaving the land fallow! That is amazing. The nutrients must come with the flooding from the red river! It is incredible to see how fertile this place really is.

This area is not a traditional spot for tourists. All you will see is daily life. But for someone like me it was really fantastic. I shall treasure the memories of this place. I will be back.