CYCLING THROUGH VIETNAM, Guest Post by Gretchen Woelfle

Vietnam: Ha Long Bay on a foggy day

My friend and fellow children's book writer Gretchen Woelfle recently returned from an exciting 18 day cycling trip in Vietnam. Here is the first of three installments about her trip.  

Gretchen cycling in Vietnam

Vietnam is a beautiful country and I recommend seeing it on a bicycle. Our group (with Exodus Travels) rode a total of 506 kilometers: out of cities, along the coast, past back road villages and endless rice paddies, down mountains. One 30 kilometer steep downhill ride was most thrilling! We shared hundreds of "Hellos!" with hundreds of kids as we rode along.  

Mekong Delta

It’s a watery land. We traveled on ferries and a sampan, and cycled past rivers, streams, lakes, canals, and the South China Sea. Our group was a lively and fit mix of Americans, Aussies, Canadians, and Brits. And the food was fabulous – huge buffet breakfasts, multi-course lunches and dinners, many snacks en route. (I was lucky not to gain weight!)

Village fish market

We enjoyed excursions off-cycle as well: caves, snorkeling, kayaking, a cooking class (four-course dinner,) dance performances, visits to see workers making bricks, coconut products, rice paper, ceramics, paintings, embroidery, etc. 

Painting a traditional landscape on a large pot

We saw rubber plantations, cashew orchards, dragon fruit, tea, and coffee fields, local markets selling seafood and produce. We spent a night on a boat in beautiful Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Planting rice

But it wasn’t all bucolic. We lingered in cities as well. Next week I’ll talk about my visits to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Hanoi.

Fishing boats and coracles

Itinerary: 

See http://www.exodustravels.com/usa/vietnam-holidays/cycling/cycling-vietnam/mov-94296 for details of our itinerary.

Recommended reading:

Pham, Andrew, Catfish and Mandala. NY, FSG: 1999. Vietnamese-American who fled as a child, returns to cycle through Vietnam in his 20s, with flashbacks to his history. Excellent book.

Dinh, Linh, Love Like Hate. NY, Seven Stories Press: 2010. Multi-generation family novel, from 1960s to the present.  Good look at life in postwar Saigon.

Oyster beds and fish shack along the South China Sea