Just got back from Hanoi.
With 3 of the bestest travel buddies anyone could ask for! Thanks guys!
So part of the itinerary was a day trip to a place of great historical significance, with 2 temples, a big lake, and some truly picturesque landscape (ok, you guessed it, I’ve forgotten what that place is called… Hoa Le or Thuam Loc or something like that.....)
It was very pretty, and the weather was a cool low 20ies.
It also had a 40 min bicycle ride in the kampungan areas, surrounded by paddy fields and duck ponds....
(Can you imagine how happy Eric, the great RPM Master was?) I swear, I heard a sigh of contentment when he put himself on that bicycle seat...
Bicycles were basic and old but functional. And the ride around the kampongs, cool fresh early evening air and the pretty paddy fields and occasional cow and duck made for a very very “The Hills are Aliiiiiiiiiiive” moment.
And then of COURSE, (cause it could ONLY happen to me) during the bike ride...I.broke.my.bike.
Really, the bicycle served me fine, until Eric and I decided it would be fun to race. BAD IDEA! Especially when one thinks of the size of the average Vietnamese person, who stands at 5’ 2” tall and weighs at the most, 50kgs (and I’m talking about the men here... the women don’t weigh anything above 35kgs and are mostly 4’ something.... barely 5’ tall)... and then there’s us, on their bicycles.
Sigh.
“Let’s race!”
“Ok!”
*happy giggles all around*
Not 2 revolutions of the wheel did I feel all resistance disappear.......
Which was exhilarating, for all of 2 nanoseconds, and then Eric did a U-turn, whizzed by me.... LAUGHING HIS HEAD OFF! WHILE.TAKING.A.VIDEO!!!!!!!!
So much for a friend indeed in my moment of need!
So I had to holler for the tourguide. Who was 100% Vietnamese (See general description of average Vietnamese above).
Hats off to him, he very gallantly offered to give me a ride on his bike.
I stood there and laughed for a minute.
All 3 travel buddies joining in mirth (No doubt already picturing the poor bicycle and more amusingly, the poor tour guide)....
Until we all realised he was serious.
So I shrugged my shoulders, said a little prayer and hopped on. He held on to my broken bike, and away we went.
v.e.r.y.....
s.l.o.w.l.y.....
Poor thing. he struggled on the flat plains, and I didn't make it any easier by laughing half the time and shooing Eric away the rest.... the rest of my beloved travel buddies were too busy laughing and taking pics to be of any help.....
And then (of COURSE) the landscape got slightly hilly. and it's just a gentle slope, not even a bonggol kinda slope, and we were almost at a standstill....
Poor thing huffed and puffed (seriously, the bike hardly moved, I was very close to doing a Fred Flinstone) and then, almost out of breath, my heroic tour guide yelled "OH MY BUDDHA! YOU ARE HEAVY!"
Basket...... *curses and scowls*
I’m sure he said other things (happily and thankfully, he was laughing too) but I couldn’t hear anything except the huge explosion of laughter from all sides (think dolby surround sound) of my dearest travel buddies.... you guys WAIT!
Tipped him and gave him accolades in the comment form.
Had such a fabulously fun fun time, even if it was really and truly a “shy only” moment.
:D
