Hello everyone,
My name is Dung, and I'm new to Hive. This is my second post. I have a very tight deadline so I've been jotting and drafting the post for this whole week haha. This was about the time when I went on a 700km bike trip with my team, from which I acquired a lot of valuable things. The stories and itinerary are right below. I love outdoor adventures, I hope to make friends with all the active people on Hive. Thank you for reading.
Day 1: Hue - Quang Tri - Dong Hoi (Quang Binh): 180km
I could feel the pounding of my heart under both excited and frightened breaths. I was excited about doing something different, but scared of all the difficulties ahead because we had no back-up car.
Everything I had was these things
There were four of us but one was sick so he decided to leave early
We were all set to depart at 5 a.m. for the four-person adventure, but one of them became ill, leaving only three of us. We left early in the morning for Quang Tri. Then rested for two hours, and then cycled to Dong Hoi, as scheduled.
There we went Quang Tri province
We arrived in Dong Hoi around 8 p.m. Our hands and feet trembled. Despite the fact that we didn't want to eat due great exhaustion, we attempted to eat in order to gain back our vigor for the long trip ahead.
Fortunately, being a frequent jogger and soccer player, I was familiar with how to reduce pain and speed up joint regeneration with cold water.
reduce pain and speed up joint regeneration with cold water.
We bought $1 worth of ice, put it in a bucket of water, and submerged our feet in it. Our bones were numbed by the cold, so we each immersed for 5-10 minutes. We then rested before going to bed. This treatment is quite helpful, and we use it every time we rest, whether it's at lunchtime or in the evening.
Day 2: Đồng Hới – Hà Tĩnh : 170km
We awoke around 4 a.m. We got on the road, and practically everyone in the team was no longer in pain, but I was still a little fatigued. However, it was interesting to realize that the joint didn't hurt, but the butt hurt a lot because we sat on the bike from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. the first day.
It didn't work even though we got suits with under-butt cushions and bottom saddle padding. To help reduce the ache in the buttocks, we pedaled and stood up in rotation.
Sometimes we had to take a break because our buttocks are hurt 😁.
We rested and switched on Google Maps when we arrived at Ngang Pass in Quang Binh province, Vietnam's most picturesque pass. We were on the right track, but there was a fork on the way down the mountain. Then we came upon a street called Vung An, which we assumed was solely for workers in the Vung An industrial park, but Google Maps also showed the way to the bypass. so we made the decision to go into that way.
It, like many of our unforgettable events during the trip, was a blunder.
We made a mistake and had to bear the consequences. We ended up riding for 30 kilometers longer than planned. It was eleven o'clock in the morning. It was scorchingly hot and we were in a sparsely populated area.
While my two buddies left me behind around two kilometers away, I was thirsty, hungry, and seeing illusions. What came next was that the tire fell flat, forcing me to walk with my bike. I couldn't contact my teammates. Fortunately, I was able to get a ride on a truck along the way.
the cold spray for our muscles
My second stroke of luck came when I discovered a shop that could repair my bike. But, ironically, after finishing the repair, I lost track of my two teammates. Because they were hungry and hot on the way, so they hopped on a truck and went to Ky Anh Town, while I still remained out of town
I discovered a shop that could repair my bike
So I had to go look for them. The phone was too hot to use, I wouldn't be able to contact them until 1 p.m. Finally, at 2:00 p.m., we met. We ate lunch and then rested.
On that day, one of my teammates' sons was admitted to the hospital, and he needed to return to Hue right away to care for him. As a result, he left at 14:00 and boarded a bus back to Hue.
We slept at a gas station in Ha Tinh that night. We didn't leave the window open because of the thelves even though it was very hot. For the rest of the night, we couldn't get any sleep.
Day 3: Hà Tĩnh – Hoàng Mai ( Nghệ An) : 130km
After spending the night at Ha Tinh. We got up at 4 a.m. to get on the road. The absence of another member in the team made me restless. However, It soon went unnoticed as the early morning just came out beautiful. That was a life-changing experience in an unfamiliar place.
Bến Thủy Bridge, Nghệ An
Beautiful!!!
Another ordinary morning bike ride. We arrived at Dien Chau - Nghe An, a 100-kilometer journey. After that, we ate lunch and relaxed at Mr. Nhat's house, one of my team's riders.
14:00 The journey to Hoang Mai began. We stayed in a roadside hostel. Feet felt too calloused but we were too exhausted to care.
Day 4: Hoàng Mai – Ninh Bình: 130km
7am we hit the road
we left a little later today than we did the prior days because the journey wasn't as tough
½ Day 5: Ninh Bình – Hà Nội: 100km
We left at 5 a.m. for the final block. The scenery was breathtaking. Ninh Binh is a beautiful place of Vietnam.
We pedaled hard till 10 a.m. on our bicycles. On the highway, I noticed a large sign to which I didn't notice until I got closer. I felt like I had crossed the finish line. It was blistering and far away. I thought it was illusions.
"Ha Noi" It said! Yayyyyy!
700 km was finished. The temperature outside hit 40 degrees. But we were cool inside out! Haha.
- Now, looking back I'm not sure how we managed to complete that! Normally, a 50-kilometer bike ride would deplete all of my energy.
Actually, this adventure has given me a great deal of useful lessons:
1. Perseverance.
Actually, everyone claims they were healthy, but we were not lying. When we arrived in Quang Binh the first day, we were already exhausted. To mange to complete 5 days, despite any anxieties, takes real perseverance.
2. Calmness: things happened on the road, and there are moments I'd never expected. However, everyone remained composed and handled the situation well.
3. Never trust your head saying that you can't do it: I learned to trust people as well as myself. Breaking the limit is also important. I wanted to give up at times because I didn't think my body could endure the journey. But I've shown that my belief wasn't always correct.
4.Gratitude can help: I met a lot of interesting people along the way. When I compared their situation to mine, I realize how much better off I was. So, rather than whining, I'll try my hardest and grateful that I have another day to "exhaust" myself which not a lot of people had the ability to do.
Thanks for reading. Also thanks my Hive friend for consulting me how to blog this post.