4th May 2010
Today was to be our longest day on the bikes, some 240kms along the west Ho Chi Minh Trail.
The Ho Chi Minh trail was a logistical system that ran from North Vietnam to South Vietnam. The system provided support, in the form of manpower and material to the Vietcong, and the North Vietnamese Army, during the war. The trail was not a single route, but rather a complex maze of truck routes, paths for foot and bicycle traffic, and river transportation systems. It started out as mud trails but was later paved.
We started out riding through ancient lush green rainforest, alive with the sounds of birds and insects. The “road” itself was something of a surprise, more like a concrete path through the jungle, but this also meant there was no room for buses or trucks. In fact we practically had the entire place to ourselves.
After a basic but delicious lunch of packet noodles and canned meat at perhaps the only cafe on the trail we continued on our way. We now entered a much younger area of jungle. This was the area which was decimated by the American’s napalm and Agent Orange during the war. We could still see hillsides where there was very little growing.
We had spent the day climbing up steep mountain roads, so the panoramas we were experiencing were breathtaking. We were also extremely lucky with the weather which meant we were able to see far into the distance.
We arrived at the hotel in Khe Sanh slightly saddle sore despite the many “bum” breaks Tam and Quy had let us have. We were extremely tired even though all we’d had to do all day was sit back and admire the beautiful Vietnamese scenery. An early night followed a tasty Vietnamese hot pot at a local restaurant.