I only had a 100 km ride today, so there was no rush. I tried to sleep in, but was up at 6 when the hotel cafe started blasting Vietnamese pop music. I hit the road at 8.
The scenery was nice, but not spectacular like yesterday. I rode through villages. The houses were wood and the people looked poor. Kids said hello.
The road left the villages and followed a valley with a rocky river at the bottom. There were some dams, and a new one was under construction. There is so much development in Vietnam.
I got to Khe San before noon, and checked into a decent hotel. It’s a very small town near the Lao border. The attraction here is the old American air base. I had visited it years ago on a day trip from Hue, so I didn’t go again. The thing that impressed me about that trip was the base is hours away from the nearest city, in the middle of nowhere. It seemed incredible that so many died fighting over it.
I went to the Honda dealership and had them check Tién’s front wheel. It started making a squeaking sound yesterday after her repairs. The mechanic didn’t find anything. But that doesn’t mean anything. I learned you have to tell the Honda mechanics exactly what you want them to do.
