Day 4: More Climbing, Headwinds, Pain...and Breathtaking Vistas

From Duk Nong northeastward to Duk Minh; 54 miles; up to 3000 ft elevation
Conditions: Partly cloudy, strong headwinds throughout the day

Let's be honest: the last two days have been some hard cycling. We sail down a hill in three minutes and spend the next 20 minutes inching up the next.  Repeat.  Repeat.  Repeat, etc.  Add a headwind that is strong enough to buffet your bike and seems to pull you backwards.  That's what we've experienced for days.  We are tired.  Our legs ache.  We fall into bed and are immediately asleep.

However, there are three payoffs for this toil: (1) we get to see great vistas and some beautiful, simple-living people in these Central Highlands where Westerners rarely travel (we have encountered less than five outside of Ho Chi Minh City); (2) we get to fly with exuberance down the other side of the hill we just climbed.  Make no mistake: this is a blast!; and (3) we realize that's one less hill we have to climb.

That said, we are enjoying every minute of the journey.  Well, almost every minute.  The journey itself and being alive and present in the moment is as meaningful as the destination.  Yes, we do ride with purpose and keep focused on goals.  At the same time, we open our eyes, our minds, our hearts to what we are experiencing right now.  Awe and gratitude emerge that way.

As we wave and say "hello" a thousand times to children, workers, families, and people passing us on motor scooters, nine times out of ten they smile big, wave back, and respond with "hello!"  We've seen eyes and faces light up.  Mothers grab the arm of their toddlers to help them wave.  Schoolchildren playing in their schoolyard run to the fence and yell at us as we pass by.  Some adults will ask "where from?" On a few occasions, a few have asked in Vietnamese (our hosts translate for us): "What are you Westerners doing here?"  Not sure if it's a friendly question, but our response would be: we are here to express our love for our friends, to enjoy your beautiful people and country, to invest in some development projects, and invest in children--your future.

Our impression of Vietnam is that it is so young.  Statistically, we know that 70 percent of Vietnam's population was born after 1975.  So, they have no personal recollection of USA's military presence here.  We see so many families with infants and toddlers.  We see so many young people.  It's rather striking.

We also see people living simply and working hard.  We've ridden through many rubber tree plantations.  We've pedaled past hundreds of homes with coffee beans drying all around.  Every kind of small industry is in full flower.  Construction is underway in many places and the highway we are on is undergoing major upgrades in sections.  It is no wonder Vietnam is one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

The photos on this blog, mostly from the eye and camera of Joe James, reflect only a fraction of what we are seeing and experiencing.  Traveling a place via bicycle is a feast for the senses.  There is so much coming at you, you cannot take it all in.  But you can stop and spend a few moments inquiring, contemplating, enjoying.  Most of this is missed or under-appreciated from behind the doors and windows of a car or bus.  We consider this a privilege and don't want to miss a thing.

Again, thanks for following our journey and checking in whenever you can.  Your comments and questions are welcome.