Ho Chi Minh City

Friday, 23.2.2018

I wake up quite early and I'm already in the sea at 6 am to swim a little. The sea is much calmer this morning. After that, I spend another half an hour in the pool. The breakfast here is excellent.

We leave at 7:45 am and take the bus to a quiet road by the sea where we get on our bikes to finish the last 25 km of our bike tour. The area is very beautiful. We pass through forests, small villages, and along the sea. There are some nice resorts here, but the area has not been heavily affected by tourism yet. After a final sprint, we reach the bus and our bike adventure comes to an end. We remove our saddles and pedals and load the bikes onto the truck. We say goodbye to our mechanic Tam and truck driver Truong after taking a few farewell photos. Then we continue by bus to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). We arrive there shortly after lunch.

The hotel, let's say, is functional. In the humid weather, we visit the War Remnants Museum. It is one of the most visited museums in the city and it documents the atrocities committed by the US soldiers during the Vietnam War through hundreds of photos, such as the My Lai Massacre and the effects (especially birth defects and skin diseases) of the defoliant Agent Orange on civilians. Quite brutal.

In the evening, we have our farewell dinner at a very fine restaurant. Here, children from socially disadvantaged families are trained to become chefs and waiters. At the end of the two-year training, they receive a diploma that enables them to find a permanent position in a good restaurant. This school was founded by an Australian. The 3-course menu is very sophisticated and delicious. We say goodbye to Loc. All of us say a few words of praise. Loc was truly exceptional. Patient, helpful, very knowledgeable. Someone who does his job with great passion. Loc also praises our group. We were very homogeneous and the level of athleticism was high, and there were no conflicts.

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