Northward from Ho Chi Minh City

Our experience in Ho Chi Minh City was incredible.  On Sunday afternoon (January 2), we decided to take a "shake down" ride together through part of the city.  We were not at all prepared for the experience.  We rode amid thousands of motor scooters and motorcycles, along with some bicycles.  It was at the same time invigorating and harrowing.  After 90 minutes of riding, we arrived back at the Duc Minh Hotel safe and sound, but each of us was full of amazement.  The photos in this and other posts show only a fraction of what we saw and experienced.

Today, Monday (January 3), we again rode faced unbelievable traffic, even though we left the hotel before 6:30 am.  The ride through Ho Chi Minh City's two-wheeled traffic is the experience of a lifetime.  It took us about 90 minutes to get north of the city and into somewhat lighter traffic.

About 30 miles north of Ho Chi Minh City, we stopped to tour to Cu Chi tunnels. This is an underground network of over 160 miles of multi-level tunnels that local residents and the Viet Cong used to avoid American forces.  It became both a supply route as well as a key to the Viet Cong's ultimate ability to turn the tide of the Vietnam conflict in the 1970s.  We crawled through part of the tunnels.  Quite an impressive place.  In this photo, Bob Burtch goes into one of the tunnels.

Back on our bikes, we headed another 40 miles north of the city.  The terrain is undulating, slightly uphill and some down (but mostly uphill) as we head toward the Central Highlands in a few days.

Everyone is healthy so far.  Everyone is riding well.  We have great Vietnamese hosts who are watching out for us every mile of the way.

Hope you enjoy some of the photos from Ho Chi Minh City and our first day of riding. The following photo is our first flat--Greg Pennington gets the dubious honor.

If you are trying to follow our journey via Facebook, please know that FB is not accessible in Vietnam, so that avenue of sharing our story is not available.  You can see our updates from on the road several times each day at http://www.twitter.com/bikevietnam2011.

Also, please remember why we are riding: to raise support for needed development projects and to sponsor Vietnamese children for education, food and clothing through ICCM.  Please see our Bike Vietnam 2011 page on the ICCM website, where you can make an online donation.