Day 61: Xin Chao! Ho Ho Ho Chi Minh

Day 61: Xin Chao! Ho Ho Ho Chi Minh
Vietnam: Moc Bai to Ho Chi Minh
Distance: 70.5 km
Time on board: 4 hours 47 mins
Avg speed: 14.7km/h
Cumulative distance: 2786.7 km

Good morning Saigon! Great start today, finally back on smooth road. Following the QL22 or AH1 to Ho Chi Minh city. If Cambodia is cheap, wait til you arrive in Vietnam. A bowl of noodles cost 20k dong, which is $0.90 USD and Sugarcane juice only cost 5000 dong or $0.22 USD. Cheaper than Cambodia. I am already loving Vietnam.

Only pet peeve about Vietnam is the incessant horning by both motorcyclists and drivers. It is once said that you can get rich by just selling horns. Maybe Vietnamese are horny, pardon my pun haha. Not only I have to wear my Totobobo filter mask but also ear plugs. The horning just gets on my nerve. Way worse than Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia combined. They horn at everything.

At the 47 km, found a pho bo (Vietnam beef noodles), and the stall owner is Catholic as well. Good thing I stopped for lunch.

Approaching Ho Chi Minh city, the traffic gradually increased. Hordes, legions of motorcycles swarming past me. Sometimes 3-4 motorcycles heading towards me in the opposite direction. Scary shit. Last 20km is the most stressed skate since johor bahru, Malaysia and Bangkok. Had to take break at a sugarcane stall with hammock. They have hammock cafes. This is really hanging out' Instead of chilling at beach, I chilled at the road side, counting motorcycles zooming pass by. In a minute, literally thousand of motorcycles zooming past. Continued on, navigating my way on map.me, had to stop each junction to make sure I am on the right track. Couple of Vietnamese motorists chatting with me while riding and many slowed down to video me skating. Now I understand why the French cycle tourers I met in Cambodia wanted to take the other border and bypass ho chi Minh, because it is truly stressful experience.

The secret of skating in Vietnam is just to skate in a straight line, no pumping or whatever. Let the motorcycles do the waltz around you.

Finally arrived at Notre Dame cathedral, my favorite spot in Ho Chi Minh. Will be resting for the weekend to attend Easter mass.

Day 32: The final demise of my board and phone

Day 32: The final demise of my board and phone

Thailand : Ao Yai-i to bang Saphan Noi

Distance : 40km
Time on board: 2 hour 43 m
Cumulative distance : 1728.2 km

Woke up early to catch sunrise at Ao yai-i. Walked to the edge to catch the egg yolked sun while i had my cheese biscuit. This is the one of the moment why i wanted to tour on longboard. Beside the locals living here, how many foreigners managed to catch sunrise here. Probably only me, there were no accomodation for tourist around, unless you bring a tent.

As you already know my board already delamed on day 5, i managed to salvage by chopping it. I understand it will be a short while before it delams again, but i am hoping for it to last me to bangkok where i can wait for my family to visit me and bring my spare. Also, not only my board having issue, my ruggear phone us breaking down too. Though advertised as drop proof, water proof, but the screen cracked when i dropped it in malaysia. So called impact proof phone. Now it is giving me problems. Now will just buy a cheap android phone, even when it is spoilt, it is still cheap. No complaints.

28 km into the day, i can feel the board flexing and scrapping the floor. The most of stress on board come on rear. When i push mongo, i put all my weight on the centre. Probably also due to flex of the torsion tail i think might be a factor as well.

I am just 350 km away from Bangkok, so close yet so far. I can probably still continue if i only push on my goofy leg.

Hitchhike a ride to nearest train station Bang Saphan noi, only to realise there is no train to Hua hin. Then i took another bus ride to the bigger town bang saphan yai and the 2pm train is full. Therefore i must wait hours till 9 pm train. Now here i am, spending time in beach writing this journal.

But the journey doesn't end here. Waiting for my family to visit me in Bangkok and bring my spare board. Mean while i will spend my days in the beach of hua hin and roaming the streets of bangkok. Well skating 1700 km for a month, i deserve a good recharge.

I guess it says 370 km to Bangkok

Most Beautiful Sunrise in Thailand

Final Resting place of my board. RIP and thank you for carrying me

The kind Green Pickup who i hitchhiked when my board broke. 

Day 31: Off beaten path

Day 31: Off beaten path
Thailand : Thung Kha to Ao Yai-i
Distance: 63 km
Time on board : 4 hpurs 38 mins
Cumulative distance : 1688 km

How i choose my day to day destination? I just look at google map and search for place with possible camp and food water nearby and ranging from 60 to 90 km. After 2 consective days of riding 80 plus km, today i took it easy, found a place on google map 60km away. And it has nice beach and a cave. Interesting.

Since today is a short ride, woke up later than my usual 6am. Pack up and thanked the monks. Last night i had a soundful sleep, because there were no dogs in that monastery. Skated to Chumpon city and continued on to Thung Wua luan beach. That beach is much better than Krabi's Ao Nang. Water is crystal clear and way less tourist crowd than Ao Nang. Went for a dip to cool down.

After thung wua luaen beach, the terrain turns hilly. Stopped at Pathio police station for water. At a town, a car wanted to pass me some water, i couldn't see a road divider and my wheel got caught. Thankfully i am fully protected, not a single scratch.

Ao Yai-i is truly a off beaten path cos there is no sign indicating where to turn. Thanks to Google map, found a side road and entered into Ao Yai-i beach. Went on another path in search for the Yai-i cave. It turns out to be a retreat for monks to mediate. Sort of a monk resort. Climbed into the cave and was awed by its sheer awesome aura. I really earned and paid through my sweat and blood to come here. That makes the destination worthwhile. When you work toward something, your reward just gets sweeter, as you know you deserved the right to be here. Green emerald wall in the cave.

Chatted with monk and they invited me to camp for the night. Though i planned to camp at Thung zang beach, but with the monk's offer I cant refuse. This cave is rarely visited by tourists cos it is never featured in any lonely planet or wikitravel. I managed to discover this place through google map and longboard touring. Any form of manual touring makes you discover off beaten path.

Yai-i Caves

Thung Wualuaern Beach

Chumpon Train

Best Camping

Ao Yai-i

World on Boat

Rolling in beach

i love this town. Bang Bird. I wonder what they do to the birds?

Day 30: First month of Voyage

Day 30: First month of Voyage
Thailand : Don Khaew to Thung Kha, outskirts of Chumpon
Distance : 87.9km
Time on board: 6 hours

Cumulative Distance: 1625 km

30 days has passed since i embarked on this voyage on board. It is my first full month of my world tour. Though i have been touring many places before, but those are short trips, longest is less than a month since my teaching job only allows a month in June and December. It felt different from now as previously i know i will return home at the end of it. This time round, i don't have certainity of tomorrow destination. What surprises await me. Life is a journey, not a destination. You don't know where you end up next.

Today mark my first month and i am starting to miss my family and friends. It is natural to feel that way. Back in Singapore or my short skate trip, i never really miss family. But after a long voyage, i am getting homesick. That is the one of reasons i embark on this journey. Only then i will appreciate my loved ones.

It has been weird day. Woke up really early at 5.55 am thanks to Dogs alarm. Packed up and left early before 7am so i can have early headstart, see whether i can reach Chumpon 100km away.

The 4112 road is quiet as usual and arrive 28km later at Lang Suan by 9.20 am. By 12 pm, i already reached 50km at Thung Tako for lunch. 40 baht noodle with nice presentation. I must say it is a good deal. Took a hour and half break at eatery before continuing my way. Passed by a watermelon stall and the owner bid me to pause. She gave me watermelon and water to quench my thirst. I accepted the juicy watermelon but i have to refuse the water as i already top up my 4 litres water supply at the eatery, no more capacity. Shortly, car slowed down and a lady passed me another bottle of water. Skating on the road, i cant refuse people's goodwill and took the bottle. At the pavilion for resting, a truck driver passed me a can of soft drink. Finally, a driver passed me 200 baht. I was stunned, no one ever passed me cash on the way. That is my daily budget for food and drinks. Though i am not a beggar, but i cant refuse another goodwill. The money can last me another day.

Camped at Wat Khao Din monastery, 13 km from Chumpon. This time, i am skipping the city and will pass through Chumpon for its golden coast of beaches tomorrow.

Another great camping ground in the monastery

the kind fruit stall owner who treated me to watermelons and water

500 km to Bangkok!

Thung Kha Bike Club