Vietnam: Ruth's Birthday Bike Ride

Off we go, looks hot out already

June 2nd, today is Ruth's Birthday!

'Flame Trees' burning?

So, we went for a long bike ride, a very long bike ride considering we were on 'shopping basket' bikes and it was very hot.

Phong Nha, it's where we live. Just not on this hill

We went everywhere, or it seemed like it, always keeping to the minor roads where possible.

Lonely back roads

After leaving Phong Nha we crossed the river and turned right along a minor road (like we did the other day), this time we continued along beside the river until we got to the second ferry crossing.

Child labour on the ferry

After a bit of a wait, where no one seemed to be around, a motorbike turned up, and another on the other side of the river. Two young boys appeared, these were our ferrymen!

Real quiet back roads!

Once across the ferry (10,000 VND, about 30p) we were on dirt tracks alongside the river.

Looking back towards Phong Nhga Ke Bang National Park

The terrain here was flat with no shade so it was a relief when we finally arrived at Phong Nha Farmstay for cold drinks, food and to top up our water bottles.

What a view!

After lunch we set out towards The Pub with Cold Beer, although this was not our destination, we were heading for the Wild Boar Farm which is a little way beyond.

Are we lost?

We continued past the turn off to The Pub with Cold Beer and passed through a small village, shortly after that we the road seemed to end at a river. We crossed this and soon came to more signs to the Wild Boar Farm.

Finally

The track got rougher and rougher until we eventually arrived, there are indeed wild boars here!

It's charging, Run! Women and children first, after me!

A further 100m past the Boars, is a small cafe which has magnificent views, certainly worth the ride.

View from the Wild Boar Eco Farm cafe

It was hot, Ruth was tired and flaked out on a hammock while waiting for the drinks to arrive.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Oh, and we ordered some peanuts which we shared with the owners five year old daughter.

Your Nuts

After a second drink we set of back towards Phong Nha, past The Pub with Cold Beer and past The Duck Stop. At one point I thought I'd died and passed on to a better place, I was surrounded by fields of chillies.

Heaven, is a place...........

Using Google Maps we tried a different route back to Phong Nha, at one point we had to cross a thigh deep river, no problem for us and got us to where we expected to be but a local boy kept trying to tell us "No!", we went anyway.