MM Tales: Break out the IBU

Holy hell my butt hurts. I can not even begin to tell you how bumpy some of that 52 km was. But unbelievably worth it. Quite possibly the best trip ever - although jury is still out based on how I feel tomorrow. First off, we have a fantastic guide. Phat is incredibly open and knowledgeable. Just the car ride to the start off the bike tour was worth the price of admission. We talked about politics, business, allies and history. It is so amazing to have access to someone like him AND he has a sense of humour. He claims our bike helmets are to protect us from falling coconuts. He might have a good point about that. This is going to be a great trip. Thankfully I have two bottles of ibuprofen. I will spare you details but I think tomorrow's ride is going to be a test of my ability to connect with my inner zen and peddle through the pain. Details available upon request.

Now about the day:
Most of the time we rode through these little village roads that were no wider than a side walk. Fine when it was just us but motorbikes loaded with sacks of rice took some balance and concentration to pass. Then add a random person, dog, chicken or coconut shell and you have a whole new biking experience. We spent a little bit of time in crazy traffic but for the most part we were on little village paths. In the busy traffic people get out of our way because we are unpredictable.

We biked through coconut groves, villages, busy towns and finally into Tra Vinh, a little town known for their friendly Khmer people. And boy are they friendly. All along the path today we were greeted with hello's from all ages.

Tomorrow, Phat tells us we are about to experience the most beautiful part of the trip. I can only hope I can do it all. Time for bed (8:30 pm). I'm exhausted.