"On the move" a Vietnam Travel Page by Tellme

Determined to try and maintain my fitness, and get some more milage out of my fully equiped touring bike, I set off with the intention of cycling around Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia over 10 weeks.

The first day on the road I kind of knew I was in trouble when it took me about 7 hours to ride the 35kms from Lao Cai up to Sa Pa. SaPa has the most breathtaking views of the terraced valley below, and fantastic handicrafts (made by local ethnic minorities) so I rewarded myself with a 6 day stay here to recuperate.

After a week of undulating mountain passes and the promise of roads under construction up ahead, I opted for the bus from Dien Bien Phu to Lai Chu. Only 130km, but it took the better part of 8 hours to get there. The Vietnamese do not travel well either, as I discovered. Travel sickness affected almost everyone I travelled on the bus with. Overcrowding, twisting roads and lots of dust didn't improve the situation either. And yes, those marks down the side of the bus are indeed vomit! On the bright side I could travel on any bus with my bike, on top and inside!