Yesterday I stayed in Kham Duc to edit photos. It’s a tiny town, with nothing to see or do. But it’s pleasant, and it was a good place to get some work done. And Be Chau Giang Hotel is so nice and cheap, it was a pleasure to stay in my room for another night.
Today I got up early, and was on the road at 7. It was a fantastic ride. The first 100 km followed a green valley, with a rocky river at the bottom. I went through some small settlements.
Going up and up, my spedometer and odometer suddenly stopped working. Also, my back wheel seemed wobbly. At the halfway point I stopped at a roadside mechanic. He replaced my spedometer cable. He checked my back wheel. I needed a new rear tire, chain and sprokets, and the assembly inside the rear wheel the chain goes around. I knew I needed this stuff, so I had him change them. But I didn’t ask the price up front. That was a mistake I’ll never make again.
The second 100 km was incredible. Up and up into the mountains, with a huge deep valley below. There were no towns, only a few ranger buildings. There were no trucks. The only traffic was a handful of motorbikes. It was a totally remote stretch, with nowhere to fix motorbike problems.
I got into A Lưới late since I was at the mechanic so long. There’s not much in this town. I got some delicious bánh can for dinner, then some chè for desert.
