I'll be off the grid for a while...

[Digger]

Did not have the abilty to posts photos while in country and i guess that may have made the Thread a little unimaginative. Well, here's a few.

Google Maps allowed us the freedom to pick and choose some obscure roads and tracks....however, sometimes we ended up not where we wanted to be. My son,Trevor, joined me for part of the journey from Chiang Mai to Bangkok in Thailand


SPOT Tracker gave piece of mind back home and shows a good summary of the total area covered.


I did the last strech of Thailand by 'Ute' to take me to the border. This ute ended up with a toatal of 7 passengers and one infant. They know how to cram em in. The trailer was on the roof


I lost my Boxing Kangaroo flag just south of Bangkok....it was like losing my identity. There's no mistaking where you come from once they see that flag. I replaced it but was asked if i was an American, Pom or Kiwi. I'll have to replace that flag before the next trip. Roadside tea break in Thailand


One of the restraints used during the Pol Pot reign in Cambodia. This was at S21, a high school in metro Phnom Penh conveted to a torture chamber. The whole city population were forced from town and made to live in the country. From S21, most prisoners were taken to the killing fields 15km south of the city and executed (20,000 from S21...there were hundreds of killing fields throughout Cambodia)

[Digger]

Some of the 8,000 bodies that have been exhumed from the killing fields south of the capital city. After heavy rain, parts of skeletons are visable and often exposed in the mass graves which still contain a lot of the victims. Even an Australian journo was killed here. No one was spared, women, infants, men and even Pol Pots Cadres (his staff) were executed here.


Ankor Wat at Siem Reap. The largest 'Church' in the world. The whole area is dotted with Wats so much so, that they sell 3 day passes to look at them all. One day was enough for us (Jacki had joined me for a week) but it was quite extraordinary that even after centuries, these things are still standing.


Trailer ready for transit on a bus...i remove the wheel to stop it rolling around and it lays flat. The trailer takes about 20 seconds to hook onto the biker and the wheel is quick release and takes less time than that. I bought this trailer in 2003 and it has done some hard yards, Hainan Island (China), Thailand (previously), around the island of Bali and a bit around the SW of WA. Designed in the US. Has a sprung rear wheel and is a real crowd drawer whenever i travel. Can hold 4 water bottles


So much for Rest In Peace. These Graves were scattered amongst the paddy fields. I guess when you have to feed the masses, it doesn't matter that the family plot might get in the way.

[Digger]

Floating Market - Vietnam. I did a couple of typical 'touristy' things while traveling. One of them was to do a 'boat tour' while in the Mekong Delta. Most tourists want to see the typical villages and rural Vietnam (apparently). I ride thru typical rural villages all the time and so already had an idea of the lifestyle of the local people. That is why i choose to travel by bike..you cant experience the culture from a seat on a bus (IMO).



The tide is out at Vung Tau Beach. This is the 'Back Beach'. There are oil rigs offshore and a number of Russians live at Vung Tau (i guess Russia supplies the hardware and expertise for a percentage of the profits). This place is only an hour from HCMC and the population doubles on the weekend. It is like their gold coast but with crappy beaches and no surf. I love my bike...but hate the colour (believe it or not). Had the bike since 2007...a Giant Talon with 27 speeds. Use skinny roads tyres mainly now...easier to push along on the road


Caught an unscheduled boat to cross a peninsula...my planning was very flexible day to day and would quite often change in an instant. This boat saved me riding 80 km to HCMC only to catch a fast ferry south to Vung Tau. I short cutted the system (not knowing if it was going to work or not) and sat on the engine room cover along with the other refugees / passengers. The trip took about 3.5 hours and cost me AUD$6 for me and the gear.



Only puncture for me on this trip and that was about 6 days before leaving for Australia. I think it was a piece of bone. My tyres had traveled about 4,000km at that stage. I bought these on Fleabay a couple of years ago....didn't think they were anything special but they have a kevlar strip vulcanised on the inside....i was impressed. There is still a bit of life left in em.

[Digger]

Saw too much of this in Vietnam...these marking are everywhere. It is when i see this type of thing that i am reminded of some of the risks in cycle touring. It is a chance we all take i guess. Vietnam has a population of 90 million people. Some of the main arterial roads were quite frankly, bloody dangerous, for a cyclist. I tended to stick to the backroads which made for longer distances (generally) but a far more relaxing ride.


The gates of the Presidential Palace. This was the place that was breached by tanks on 30 April 1975 when the place was over run and it was from that point that the country became 'Unified'. As the tanks were rolling thru the gates, the last of the Americans and other presidential staff were being evacuated by chopper from the rooftop.


I passed a number of War Cemeteries while in Vietnam...the fact that so many graves are nameless is testament to the mass loss of life during that conflict. Not sure whether this was the 'good guys' or the 'bad guys' at the time.


Ready to come home...the bike ends up in a bike box, the trailer gets pulled down and the bits go in the yellow bag which sits inside the trailer cargo area. That becomes my 'luggage' which goes on the aircraft plus some cabin baggage.


2,530km, 3 countries, one puncture (each) and 60 days on the road. Might plan a similar trip for this time next year in a different part of SEA (if my body is up to it).

Get back to work!!!

[oztim]

Wow, that's amazing! (I do know what the roads in VN are like, no way I would try to do it, even on a motorised 2 wheeler )