We Made it to Da Nang!

Our team started this journey in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) on January 1.  We did not know much of what was ahead of us.  We knew we would ride long hours for eleven days.  We knew we faced hilly terrain.  We hoped we would reach our desitnation--Da Nang--intact and without mishap.

Today, we rolled into Da Nang after a 47-mile ride from Thanh My.  We passed miles and miles of rice fields--something we saw only sparsely in the mountains.  The river plain between two mountain ridges provides a wide and fertile place for cultivating rice--a product Vietnam now produces enough to be a major export.

Along today's route, we made a small detour to visit a waterfall that a man at whose little outdoor vending stand told us about.  We weren't sure what it might be like.  The two-km ride up a steep hill was worth it.  We came upon a waterfall that cascaded over 1000 feet from the side of a mountain.  We climbed up among the rocks and stream to get a good look...and a drink from this fresh mountain stream.

Our bicycle train wove its way slowly through the busy thoroughfares of Da Nang, passing through the heart of the city on our way to the beach.  When we finally saw the turbulent surf and waves crashing on the sand with Monkey Mountain just to the north, we knew we'd made it safely.  We rolled our bikes across the sand to the water's edge, dipped our wheels in the Vietnam Sea, then hoisted our bikes overhead in celebration.  John dove into the surf for a brief swim.

It feels good to have pedaled 643 miles and completed this portion of our journey safely.  We're grateful for all the help and support we've received along the way.  Subsequent posts will convey some of the specific ways we've been graced.  For now, we're just glad to have reached our destination.  I think we're all due for a good night's sleep...without expecting to rise at 5:00 am, load up the van and climb on the bikes for another long day of pedaling.  Who knows?  We might just sleep in.