The group for our cycling tour is a mixed bunch – two Canadians in their 60s patriotic enough to fly the flag from their bikes, an English couple who look like professional cyclists, and my mate Dave and me. Dave hadn’t ridden more than about 10km in a day before we began our training program. I’ve done a few week-long rides, but am typically a casual cycler. Quang, our guide, is the most outrageous of the group. He introduced himself with a joke about three virgin daughters, which set the scene for the rest of the trip.
Quang later went on to tell us about the happy place (toilet) and the happy drink. The happy drink is a rice wine, in which a cobra has been fermenting for a few years. It is believed to make men strong at night which makes women happy. When asked why women couldn’t drink the happy drink, Quang replied that if the woman is strong at night, the man might die.
We’re all fitted out with mountain bikes, and I’ve bought a TomTom GPS watch to track the ride. Luckily, wifi seems to be prevalent throughout the country so I hope to be able to keep the blog up to date. Tomorrow is our first day, so it’s only a 40km ride. Tonight, we rest up in a luxury hotel. I have to say, that I don’t get the point of staying in a place with a roof-top pool and ducted air conditioning in the middle of Saigon. Why come to Saigon only to avoid it?