From Phuoc Binh (elevation 530 ft above sea level) to Kien Duc (2300 ft asl); 56 mi /90.7 km.
Conditions: sunny with a constant headwind; by mid-afternoon, temps were well above 90 degrees F.
We just put in one of the hardest days of cycling most of us have experienced. Ten major climbs, one at 14 percent grade, took us from 530 feet above sea level to over 2300 feet asl. This was a day to remember, one we will all likely look back on and tell stories about.
These were long, grinding climbs--not the kind adventure cyclists would typically jostle with each other to make to the top first. These were climbs on which you talk to yourself. A lot. You try to stay focused. You count revolutions up to 100 and start over. You sing songs. You do whatever's necessary to keep your head down and your feet cranking. Remember, we range in age from 45 to 67, but we all made it to the hilltop town of Kien Duc. Exhausted, but we made it.
You never know what a day holds when you begin in the morning. On this day, after a 6:00 am breakfast, we headed out and one of our riders punctured a tire within 100 feet of the little hotel in Phuoc Binh (btw, the hotel cost $6 per room). Within 20 minutes, we were on our first climb. Before 8 am we had climbed to over 800 ft asl (both Daniel Shinkle and John Hay, Jr. have GPS units mounted on their handlebars as a fun way to track the trek in a variety of ways). Less than an hour later we were over 1000 ft asl. How high would we go? We weren't sure. By the time we crested hill on which Kien Duc sits after 4:00 pm, we were too exhausted to celebrate the accomplishment...or hardly notice. But no one needed to tell us that we'd done some very serious cycling--cycling that's not for the faint of heart.
Though the climbs were difficult, the tops of these hills have provided us with some breathtaking vistas of this hill country (called the Central Highlands). We anticipate more.
We are now on Highway 14, which is the main interior road running south to north through Vietnam. Unlike Highway 1, which runs south to north along Vietnam's coastal areas, Highway 14 is more lightly traveled, which means it's safer for cyclists. However, it is not in good condition, is narrow in places, and is under construction for upgrade along the way. And, of course, it is quite hilly. It is also the route on which some of the friends we are riding to support live.
In one bustling town along the way on Tuesday (Jan 4), we helped one of our Vietnamese hosts traveling with us to purchase a bicycle and helmet (in foreground in the photo). He wanted to ride some with us, to share the experience. It was fun supporting him in this. He and our other host have ridden portions of these two days. When not riding, they put the bike on the mini-bus that serves as a support vehicle that's going along with us to Da Nang. They have helped us immensely, including finding rest areas, refreshments, lodging, a places to take lunch and dinner.
As with the previous days, we are grateful for good, Vietnamese food. We really did not know what to expect. But we're trying a variety of food our hosts recommend. We ate something like squid today at lunch. We're not really sure what we're eating some of the time. Whatever it is, it is usually served with either rice or rice noodles in a soup. We're eating lots of bananas and oranges. Also tried: dragon fruit, jack fruit, rambutan, papaya, etc.
You are welcome to leave comments. We will share them with the team. Our Internet time is usually very limited, so we are only able to capture a few highlights and photos. Some days we may not be able to post at all. But we're grateful for your interest and support.
And now, a night's rest and another day in the saddle. Who knows what adventure it will bring?
Scanning at our blog, it might seem that we're just pedaling from place to place, day after day, riding the same road along the same terrain. But no two days are the same. Each day brings something we haven't seen before, some unexpected vista, some new experience, different dynamics, a twist. Even what is familiar--a mountainous terrain along Route 14 headed north and northeast through Vietnam--is experienced afresh every day.
We are a truly international team. Six members are from USA, one is from Canada (Joe James), and our friends from Vietnam switch off riding segments of each day's route. We had not anticipated this dimension of our team, but our Vietnamese friends insist on sharing in the riding, rather than serving only as guides. These two young leaders are outstanding in character, strong in spirit, and knowledgeable. So, as we ride up through Vietnam, all who inquire realize that what they are seeing is not just some cyclists from USA, but an international cycling effort for the sake of a peace investment.
But we weren’t counting on a 20-30-mile per hour headwind. As we left Buon Ma Thuot, following the mountain ridge that has taken us northeastward for several days, a strong wind hit us head-on. Typically, we ride at about 14-20 mph on gently rolling terrain. But though the terrain today was not too hilly, the headwind reduced our speed to 5-10 mph. It felt like the tougher hills we climbed in the middle of last week, except when we crested a hill we could enjoy the ride down. With this headwind, there was no resting, just grinding.
Tomorrow (Monday, January 10), we will be back to our 100+ kilometer per day routine. Our hoped-for destination on Monday is Chu Se, another Central Highlands town on Route 14.
Our ride today was eventful for the heavy traffic on a narrow road that we encountered riding into Buon Ma Thuot--a city of about 1,000,000 citizens. Each of us, at one time or another, have been forced to move completely off the road when trucks pass each other, leaving no pavement. Unlike in the USA, honking horns are nearly constant in traffic flow. Instead of being used to say "get out of the way!", honking a horn here means "I want you to know I am coming up behind you. Share the road." Or, at least that's how we've come to interpret it. You usually know the size and speed of the vehicle as it approaches from behind by the kind of horn it sounds, along with the rumble of its wheels on the pavement. Please know that we are wearing florescent yellow vests with reflective stripes on them not as a fashion statement (seriously?), but to be readily seen (as well as to see one another when we get separated or strung out along the roadway).
We are deep into coffee country. Buon Ma Thuot is considered the coffee capital of Vietnam and we are anxious to sample what it has to offer. We have biked past hundreds, if not thousands, of homes with coffee beans drying in the front yards. If you live in this part of the country, instead of growing a grass front lawn, you roll out canvass and dry coffee beans. 
