Long Xuyên to Châu Đốc | Day 3 Vietnam Cycle Tour
A roadside festival wedding, a hotel whirlwind, and more!
The itinerary:
Today’s ride follows the canal system all the way to Chau Doc. This is a great way to see the river lifestyles of the local people - the canals are alive with boats transporting goods & the banks are lined with houses & fish cages. In the afternoon we take a boat tour to visit a floating village.
Leaving Long Xuyên
Woke to this view, a city home to about 400,000 people.
We were on the road quite early, to beat the heat and although not a huge distance (~58km) there are lots of sights, stops, to take in.
The Festival Wedding
It was also the last day of a regional festival:
Chol Chnam Thmay Festival (the Southern area)
The traditional New Year of Khmer people takes place from the 1st to the 3rd day of Chet month (Buddhist calendar), usually on the 12th to 15th of April. This festival honors the Buddha and Tevoda - a God sent from heaven, down on earth to help human beings enhance their life. On these days, Khmer people go to visit their relatives and friends, make prayers and wishes for health, happiness, and fortune.
There were lots of family and community celebrations roadside, one we got unexpectedly involved in.
There was a wedding near a roadside drink/regroup stop, we were spotted and invited in. The Bride & Groom, and proud Dad, wanted photos with the cyclists. From memory some were offered rice wine or spirit; glad I missed that as (combined with the heat) would be the finish of me!
Photo below by guide Nhan.
Temple visits
We visited several churches/temples along the way.
Meeting the monks (Photo by Nhan) in the middle of their morning tea.
Meeting the monks (Photo by Nhan) in the middle of their morning tea.
That's us!
A roadside stop, the expression of delight as they saw their own image on Mike's camera screen. Times like this you'd like to have a pocket photo printer...
Cầu khỉ ("monkey bridge")
The cầu khỉ ("monkey bridge") are light pedestrian bridges to access villages or houses. They are a common sight, was one of the more substantial ones!
Rest stop relief
Our support crew, the brilliant Ecotours Team, had scouted out a lovely stop, out of the hot sun, for our morning break.
If you buy a drink, you get to use the hammock free!
Catfish for lunch
Lunch was at a Catfish fish farm. Below a few that weren't lunch, today anyway...
We had nothing but bottled water or drinks to, hopefully, keep tummy bugs at bay. I didn't have any problems with that thankfully!
Underdressed in elegant surroundings
Arriving at the upmarket French Colonial style Hotel Victoria Châu Đốc (hot & sweaty in cycling gear) to be offered a welcoming drink (fresh fruit juice? *) by elegant hotel staff made me immediately feel under-dressed!
The hotel is on the Mekong River, with a stunning riverside pool and tour boat / water taxi jetty in front.
I was happy to get up to our room, shower, and change into some more venue appropriate attire!
Noticed this living art near a window in the hotel hallway, he was just passing through...
Afternoon chaos
I was up in the room, noticed a change coming in the weather enough to grab a snapshot but didn't think much of it. We had seen a brief, but heavy, afternoon tropical rain dumps before.
I think was resting, or reading, in the room when the sound of rain and wind got my attention. The view from the room suddenly looked vastly different as a gale and deluge arrived.
It was powerful enough for a mini whirlwind to trash the pool area, sending furniture and foliage flying, and lifting tiles off the hotel roof!
The road outside the hotel was strewn with debris, the roadside vendors scrambling to reassemble their stands and stock.
By evening the pool had been restored to its former glory as the sun set on the, now tranquil, Mekong River.
Traffic on the short walk to dinner, but I don't remember much else about the evening.**
Day Cycling Total: 58km | Total Cycling: 130km
2023 Amendments
This post was written in 2023, so this section will document any gaps. I had a blog back then but didn't update it while travelling, and it was before I used other social media.
* All these years later, I remember the arrival but not the flavour.
** I do remember all the meals were great but no real detail about the early days of the trip. Maybe just overloaded by all the new experiences.
Robin Capper
