Departure of my solo cycling tour in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam (S3 P1:E2)

On Wednesday, January 4, I have my solo cycling adventure S3 started in Vietnam in the metropolis of Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) and I cycle to the border of Cambodia in three days. Cycling between the local population and their lifestyle is a true experience that you will never see as an ordinary tourist. More than ever I am convinced that there are few means of transport other than the bicycle to experience this.

Cycling Adventure 15 (CA15) is my path of personal growth with which I want to inspire people to develop their own path of personal growth in this rapidly changing world.

As almost the only cyclist, I was constantly surrounded by hundreds of moped riders

During my first two days, cycling was not easy due to the jet lag (6 hours difference). At 4am I was wide awake and at 20pm I couldn't keep my eyes open.

Ho Chi Minh is a city with nearly 9 million inhabitants. It is a vast area of ​​more than 30 km before encountering some quiet roads. As almost the only cyclist, I was constantly surrounded by hundreds of moped riders. They cut you off and drive through the red light. There are no traffic rules in practice. I have not seen a single collision and I wonder whether it is not better than the system in Europe with so many traffic signs and at the same time a lot of accidents. There is a constant horn blowing in order to warn you if they are coming from behind you. Contrary to what I expected, I think it's safe to cycle that way. Especially because there are so many two-wheelers who, like me, want to use part of the road.

I have not seen the police anywhere except on a quiet road along the water where, hidden behind a corner, they did a speed check with a laser gun. Three policemen, 1 with the laser gun, were having fun on the street and inside the nearby house another three policemen sat on red plastic child seats doing the administration. I thought it was a hilarious image and tried to take a picture but unfortunately they didn't allow that.

I think the most practiced profession in Vietnam must be the owner of a shop. During the 400 km I drove in Vietnam, I had the opportunity to buy food and drinks every km without exaggeration. Everywhere there are stalls or people have equipped their homes with a retail space. And what I also found very special were the many 'bars' along the way. You can relax in hammocks while you eat or drink something.

Closer to the border with Cambodia, Strava guided me along smaller roads where I could get up close and personal with the life of the locals

The mosquitoes have literally already bitten me. Because the combination of sun cream and DEET does not work well, I decided to only apply DEET, which resulted in a sunburn. The next day I decided to only apply sun cream which in turn resulted in mosquito bites. Anyway, even if you put on DEET they will stick to you because the majority have become immune to it. At night the mosquito net comes in handy. The instructions are simple to put up the mosquito net, but with a room full of high walls with no fixing points, I had to be a bit inventive and move the bed and the cupboard around. The result was a lot of vermin that was hidden under the cupboard and behind the bed. In the end it is like a game of chance whether you contract dengee or something like that because you simply cannot fully protect yourself.

I did leave my comfort zone to eat in the evening. The eateries are very dirty according to the standards I have learned and do not give you an appetizing feeling, but the food is super tasty and the people are very friendly. The first night I didn't even have to pay for the food. A gift for a hard-working cyclist, they said.

Closer to the border with Cambodia, Strava guided me along smaller roads where I could get up close and personal with the life of the locals. I cycled for a long time along a river with typical houses on the banks. I even met the local hairdresser in his beautiful hair salon. The dangerous bridge that Strava made me cross will also stay with me for a long time.

Everywhere I went people lived in very modest houses, only in Can Tho did I see a few villas and apartments.

There are a few things that struck me though. 4G and WIFI are available in every village, nobody wears shoes only slippers, everywhere you see the shops full of crates of beer but you don't see anyone drinking and there are no bakeries anywhere, at least I've only seen 1.

On Saturday, January 7, I will continue my journey and cross the border towards Cambodia.

Some figures of my (partly gravel) rides: