Day 9 - Sunday

Temperature: 32°C Humidity:86%
Destination: Buon Ma Thout to Nha Trang

Today is a significant day - it is the last day of the bike ride. We also will be taking a Team Parkinson’s official photo with us all in our Parkinson’s bike gear.


Breakfast was at 6.30am ready for a start of 7.20am. It was a busy start as we were in the morning traffic and we stopped at a small coffee plantation. Organising our bikes and ready for the photo shoot was quick as everyone cooperated well and we quickly took many photos with a number of cameras, so we hopefully have a good one – you can be the judge.


After the photo shoot we are on our bike ride. The Parkinson’s bike challengers snaked their way forward and in a southerly direction towards to Nha Trang. Guess what - we have no headwind. At the next regular drink break, Christine hopped aboard the bus as she was experiencing headache problems caused by the heat and humidity. On and on we cycled to the next drink break. I was in my usual position - the end of the snake’s tail. I was still riding and I was feeling great, having only taken a ½ dose extra Sinemet at 8.00am. As usual I was the last together with my mate Ngoc, so to help reduce any delays we got on the bus to catch up with the others before the lunch break. I was exhausted and lightheaded once I got off the bike, but a cold can of soft drink fixed me up at the lunch spot. I had ridden 27km this morning.

Following lunch we were on the bus to Phoenix Pass which sits at 850 m. Some of the experienced riders took Hilly’s challenge of cycling up the last 10km of the pass. 7 riders; Hilly, Jenny, Helen, Janice, Max, Leanne and Nico; grabbed their bikes and were sent on their way. By the time we had got back on the bus and started after them they had traveled quite some distance approx. 4km. We followed them up and took photos, with the lead changing regularly. At the top of the hill they stopped and they were applauded for staying close together and achieving the feat.

Now it was everyone’s turn for the last ride down of the trip, unfortunately Christine stayed on the bus as she had not improved. This was going to be some ride as many trucks going in either direction were taking up most of the road. Ensuring we considered safety first, Hilly started us of. I was near the front, something I had not been able to do. Down and down we went in single file with good distance between each of us. We had a photo opportunity part way down, following which we carried on cycling down the pass. It is difficult to explain, but it was very exciting, with an element of danger, one could hear various shoots of joy as we came down the pass. 14km down, plus a further 9km and we reached our drink stop where we all had a break, discussed our ride down the pass and looked at an old dwelling still in use.

Then for the final leg we were off again, 12km to Minh Hoa our last rest place, before the bus trip to the hotel. Determined to finish the, I kept up the pedaling, and while I still came in last I had cycled the whole afternoon. There was much hugging and congratulating people on their efforts and all just sat or lay in hammocks to rest.

Well this is what I had come for: to cycle my way through parts of Vietnam, as had the rest of the team. I was exhausted, standing taking in some water, I had a strange feeling come over me and I recall someone calling my name. I had almost fainted and awoke to find Christine and Sue holding me - I had lost 20 seconds where i do not know what happened.
Quickly recovering Karyn, Brendan and myself (3 Parkies) had a moment together congratulating each other. We were pleased, proud and grateful that we had attempted something that was a real challenge for the 3 of us and survived without to many scars.

We had done it

We had arranged a farewell diner at a Vietnamese specialty restaurant with Hilly's full team as our guests. All participants had agreed to cover all expenses. Due to tiredness Karyn was not able to attend the Farewell dinner. After diner we made a tip donation in which all participnants donated to the 4 members who were leaving us in Nha Trang. Hilly was taking us on to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh) tomorrow.

I will try and finish the final leg to Saigon by train and cover a few more items in the next blog.

Day 8 - Saturday

Temperature: 20 - 34ºC Humidity: 87%

Destination: Kon Tum to Buon Ma Thout


Firstly let me correct something in Day 7. I made reference to Nahid and Nadia in one section. It should be Nahid and I apologise Nahid. Keeping the blog up to date often means working into the early hours which means Christine is usually fast asleep so she doesn’t always get chance to check for typos before I post it to the site.


Second – I have had delays in posting the blogs to the site due to internet issues and long hard days, making us all tired and still needing our sleep for the next day.


Breakfast at 7.00am and then board the bus for the Dragon Slope at Pleiku, a 1 hour 45 minute ride to the top. We grab our bikes for the start of today’s ride which is to take in a local village market. We rode on and on, not much changing at the back of the pack, me as usual at the back. We catch up with the pack at the next drink spot,on the edge of a rubber plantation. Hilly gives a talk on the plantation and we continue on, this time we are off road for about 5 km, which gives us a breather from the traffic. As I’ve said before, the traffic is chaotic to us, but it seems to work and there is no road rage. On the journey we pass many coffee and rubber plantations. We also pass through a number of small villages where we are greeted by the well know “hello, hello”


We arrive at the market and go for a walk through. Perhaps we should not gone in as all types of produce including; meat, fish and chicken all amongst general produce is sold at the market. It is Saturday and the market is busy. We head off again and Christine decides to take a bus ride instead. A further 7 km on, after riding for 32km in busy Saturday traffic, Karyn and I decide to get on the bus as we are a long way back from the front riders.


The Happy Bush - From the very first day we were advised by Hilly of a new term. If you wanted to use the bathroom when we were out cycling you would use the "Happy Bush". Following our ride there are many many happy bushes from North to South Vietnam. A different happy bush is used for the ladies and the men.


Lunch stop at the 51km mark – Hilly is cooking lunch for us. He has many hidden talents this guide of ours; tourist guide, Vietnam historian, singer, translator and now cook. He cooked a beautiful Vietnamese lunch for us, how many courses – we lost count.


After everyone had their fill of a great lunch we made ready for the bus trip for Halan Slope which is a 2 hour ride. We then had a steep descent by bike a journey of 14km. This was going to be an interesting descent as Christine was nervous going down the slope constantly braking and negotiating the sharp bends. So with Ngoc in the lead and me at the rear this small convoy of 3 went down the slope at a sedate pace, negotiating the traffic as it arrived. 14km later we reach the bottom and continued on for a further 9km. As the darkness arrived we boarded the bus, picking up others along the way, finally arriving at the front runners about 23km from the hotel, by which time it was pitch black. Wisely they had stopped riding sometime earlier and were waiting for the bus to pick them up.

55 km traveled by Fred

Some interesting sights observed by other riders:

- A girl rode up to Kim on her non-geared bike grabbed Kim's arm to help pull her up the hill.

- Brendan after getting off his bike after a long ride - he is covered in perspiration.

- Imaginative ways using a scooter or push bike to deliver or carry goods.

- How to carry long pieces of timber with one hand and steer with the other.

- How to take your family of 5 for a ride on your scooter

- How to negotiate other traffic or pedestrians