Big thanks to Thames Water!!

This post is entirely devoted to my previous employer; Thames Water. I want to say a BIG THANK YOU to them for making a fantastic donation of £500 to WaterAid on my behalf! 
Just £15 can enable one person to access safe water, improved hygiene and sanitation.  The sponsorship received from Thames Water alone will help over 30 people gain access to these basic rights.

Thames Water also posted an article about my journey in their in-house magazine, The Source. You can see a scanned copy of the article in the picture below. 

Thank you!!

Saigon Saigon

My last blog wasn't a normal one and I accept that it was rather negative. Apologies to those who have expressed concern, I am OK and feeling much better now, so thank you for caring :) I think a big part of it was just getting my feelings down on paper, or well a keyboard and putting them out there. I want to portray how I feel and I think and be honest about the reality of it because that is how I am as a person so it is important for my blog to match this. I could easily write about how amazing it is and how I'm having such a blast and make everyone jealous at home, but that just isn't me. 

In hindsight, I felt I lost perspective, but I have managed to reign myself back in. Having seen a little more poverty in the south of Vietnam, I remind myself how lucky I am to be out here and doing this. I am lucky to have found a bed for the night and some rice to fill my hungry tummy. From now on, I want to be and will be absolutely grateful for what is available. I may be eating the same thing for days but I know that all will be recovered when we reach cities and towns where a variety of food and shelter is available.

So, since my last update we rested for a day in another beach resort town called Mui Ne. There was nothing really there apart from hotels and resorts and the beach but it was just nice to relax. I think I need to do a little more of that and perhaps not get so run down. From there, we then cycled for another 3 days into Saigon, or Ho Chi Minh City as it is now formally named. I much prefer 'Saigon'. It sounds so much more romantic and seductive and exciting. The people here love the man, Ho Chi Minh himself (or at least the government does). There are pictures of him everywhere all over the country on road side billboards, restaurants, governmental buildings and people's homes, but why change a name of a city!?

Anyway, so it was pretty mental coming into Saigon, as you can imagine. Busy, chaotic and heavily populated with the usual vehicles of all sorts on the road. We have a young Vietnamese lady on a scooter to thank for getting us to the city centre. We were stood at a crazy busy junction looking at various maps trying to figure out which was the best way to go when she saw us and stopped. Instead of giving directions, she said 'Follow me' and drove us at cycling pace all the way into the centre - bless her! 

Saigon is a little different because it is made up of number of 'districts' all bundled together and called a city. I like it. It is very cosmopolitan, very modern but it still holds the weird and wonderful traditional Vietnamese norms. There are brand new shiny sky scrapers, chic boutiques, expensive designer shops such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci but next door will be a little cafe selling com and pho and the little plastic stool scattered all over the pavement! Quite extraordinary really. I can just imagine a Vietnamese socialite spending on her credit card in the DKNY store and then coming out into the heat to have a lunch of 'Pho Bo' (beef noodle soup) on a pavement stool next door. Maybe not, but the contradictory ways will hopefully never change and I can see why there are roughly 80,000 ex-pats here. I wouldn't mind living here myself.  

Take a look at these 3 buildings right next to one another and how they differ! This is Saigon.

We have spent 3 and a half days here. To anyone new to Vietnam there are plenty of pagodas, temples and museums to see. But for us, we are pagoda'd out having traveled the full length of the country and seen all the sights along the way. I have enjoyed not having any pressure to pack in as many sights as possible while here and instead chill and enjoy the atmosphere of the city, which we have done mainly from coffee shop tables :) We did do the War Remnants museum which proudly displayed graphic pictures from the US-Vietnam war from all sorts of angles and outlooks. But, to my disappointment did not actually talk about why the war started in the first place. Hello Wikipedia for this! 

I am really excited now about Cambodia. Today, we left for the border. I feel satisfied with my time in Vietnam. I feel I have seen most of what there is to see here and all the bits in between and I am ready to move on to a new country. Although in doing this, I now have to learn what 'hotel', 'rice', and 'how much?' is in Cambodian, but that is all part of the fun. I wonder if in Cambodia you can happily pick your nose in public like they do here, or spit, or pee at the side of the road. I wonder if people just walk in front of you as if you are not there. Here, there is no such thing as 'After you' or 'Excuse me'. They do not exist, if you are in their way, they simply push past you. I'm looking forward to finding out if the Cambodians are the same! 

Am I spoilt or losing perspective?

I knew before this trip that I needed to be physically fit to carry out this challenge, but no one told me that it was more important to be emotionally and mentally strong to see it through. Anyone can get fit, given that they are in average health and work at it continuously. Which means that anyone could cycle 50-70 miles a day like I am. Can just anyone withstand the trip mentally though? Do you have to be slightly insane or bonkers? Clearly people can as there are thousands out there who cycle around the world all the time. I would like to know how they cope emotionally. 

I feel like my mental strength is falling by the wayside a little. Perhaps I was not strong enough in the beginning or the physical work is leaking into my mind. My emotions frustrate me. I am so up and down in such short spaces of time. I am so sensitive to my basic needs, it is untrue. I never realised how affected I am by the food I eat and where my head rests at night. 

I have really realised how spoilt we are as a Western nation. We have the ability to go to a supermarket, a wonderful concept that sells all sorts of goods in one place. We can buy strawberries, cucumbers and pineapples at all times of the year and there is one price for all, no 'skin tax' added on top because you are foreign, therefore they may be able to rip you off. This is normal for us Brits, to have everything there, the convenience of it all. I could walk 15 minutes from my house and be in the centre of town with restaurants in every direction offering cuisine from all over the world. Most towns have at least a Chinese, an Indian or Fish and Chips and there is always a supermarket of some name. Here I have a choice of noodles or rice. Indeed this changes once we reach the tourist towns, which offers a much wider variety of food, but the periods of 'pho' and 'com' seem to drag. 

The hotels in the tourist towns too are decent like the food, but in between they have been pretty bad. Kris has grown to not care, but I can't stand knowing that I am sleeping in a bed that has the same sheets that only-God-knows how many people have slept in before us. I can't stand walking on dirty bedroom floors with hair all over them and bathrooms that clearly haven't been cleaned as the bin is full of someone else's rubbish, which included empty condom wrappers once. Am I sounded like a spoilt brat here? I really don't want to, but all this stuff makes me miss my nice clean bedroom!

I have really surprised myself at how homesick I have felt on this trip. I have traveled for long periods of time before; I have been to India on my own and was there for 3 and a half months and I backpacked around Europe.for a month. I certainly didn't feel like this then. Am I losing perspective? I need to remind myself that I chose to do this, that it really isn't for that long in the grand scheme of things. Perhaps it is my niggling knee and the fact that it feels as though I am sitting on blunt needles with my nappy rash - which I was hoping for both to disappear after my rest in Nha Trang. Perhaps it is the fact that Kris has found new love with a beautiful Chinese girl, which makes me miss my love at home? Perhaps my moods are going a bit mental or maybe I'm going through the menopause - at 23, maybe not. Perhaps I am just incredibly fed up by the stupid horns beeping 24/7? Always being sweaty? Always worrying about where we will eat next or sleep next? Unpacking and repacking every night and morning? Why am I focusing on all the bad things?

I don't feel like this all the time, admittedly. I would like to thank a wonderful lady called Lauren who came over to speak to me in Nha Trang about the cycle trip. She was from New York and was in awe of what we are doing and said some very kind words to me - you made my day! It is when this happens, I am on an emotional and mental high. I also don't want to undermine the support I am constantly receiving from friends and family at home, it means so much to me and I am grateful for this! 

Perhaps I am a brat, ungrateful, spoilt or losing perspective but it doesn't stop me from missing my family, friends, a home, and continuous supplies of good and varied food. Please don't judge me for posting this either...

My first month in... nearly a thousand miles.

Another 6 days of continuous cycling has bought my total mileage cycled up to 943. I don’t really have too much to report on in my past week of cycling. We are still traveling along Highway 1 and will continue to do so until Saigon. The beeping and the hellos continue. 

A cycling book that I read before I left stated Vietnam was 'flat or moderately hilly - perfect for beginners.' Whoever wrote this is a downright liar and I feel the need to have words with this person. The past week of cycling has been continuous up, down, up, down, up, down and we have now climbed two mountain passes. Kris put his altimeter on and one day we had climbed a total of 768 meters, another day we had climbed 423. 

Climbing one of the steepest hills ever; slow and pushing hard. Look at how the lampposts drop down on the road and the way it disappears!  

Whether it is the long continuous days of cycling or the hills, my body was screaming for a rest by the time we reached Nha Trang. My left knee is sore, my wrists were a bit tingly from the vibrations on the bike from the crap roads and my bum huuuuurts! I think, as a result of always being damp, whether this is from sweat or rain, I have also developed a rather pleasant adult version of nappy rash on my bottom! It is funny, but it is also so sore and making me so uncomfortable on the bike. 

So, two and a half days rest in the popular beach town of Nha Trang is needed to restore mind and body. Due to lack of space in my bag, I forbade myself from bringing any luxurious items as I wrote about in one of my first posts. However, I am missing my epilator and I miss feeling at least slightly lady like, so I decided it was time to splash out on some waxing treatments; underarms, bikini and legs. All for the bargain price of £13.50 but what a bizarre experience and so different to the polite conservative ways that it is done in the UK. I had three girls working on me, at the same time. YES, at the same time, one was working on each body part. ‘Oww’ was an understatement. I felt like I was on a torture bed, I didn’t know where the pain would be coming next. One after the other, my hair was ripped out of my skin in various places of my body, it was all over so quick and I was left feeling like a plucked chicken that didn’t really know what just happened.    

Why I wonder when I should be resting my body, was I feeling restless and itching to go again, and guilty for spending a couple of days doing nothing but lazing around and eating lots (weight back to normal now, if not a bit podgier)? My own mind confuses me, but I think it may be because I feel ready to move on from Vietnam now. 

Tomorrow, we head to Saigon, or Ho Chi Minh City as it is now known as and there we are only a few days until Cambodia.

In memory of Dak... 6 years ago today

Today, the seventh of October 2010 is day of mixed emotions for me. It is six years ago that I lost my best friend. Every year I struggle my way through the anniversary date, watching people around me, never really sure how I should be feeling. If I let myself think about the day he died, I cannot function and I shut down. I remember every single detail about it and I don't think I will ever forget. It was so out of the blue, which is why it was such a shock to everyone who knew Dak. 

I try to think of all the happy times I spent with him, and there were lots. I want to try and celebrate his life, but it is hard when the reason for his death was not natural or an accident, but instead choosing to end it himself. He was the class clown at college, always had a smile to share and his laughter was infectious to those around him. 

I want everyone who knew Dak to think of a happy time they had with him and smile. I know I will be thinking about the times when we were being silly together, running together, gossiping together, shopping together. I remember canoeing with him in France - he got so annoyed he couldn't canoe in a straight line and instead went round in circles! I remember meeting him in town once and seeing him walk over to the cash point, so I ran up behind him and shouted 'Give me all your money!' and he screamed like a girl - mean I know, but very funny!. I remember him helping me take my braided extensions out of my hair, which took the two of us a couple of hours. It's silly things like this that stick fondly in my mind. 

I cannot imagine how his family feel. Losing a friend is different to losing your own child, brother or grandchild. It must hurt so much more. My thoughts are with them today. Knowing how the people who are left behind feel, I take comfort in knowing that the Beachy Head Chaplaincy Team are working hard to prevent people from taking their own lives, and in doing so, help prevent other families and friends feeling as I do.

I would like everyone who reads my blog to take a moment today to stop, and think about the happy times you have had with people around you that you love and care for. Let them know that you love them. Life is too short to not let them know.

Thank you to everyone who has donated so far. This is a reminder to all those who haven't. Please help me reach my target of £10,000 by clicking here: http://www.charitygiving.co.uk/georginaadey

Thank you.

My first mountain pass... rewarded by the best food ever!

Being a tourist in Hue was enjoyable. The first day was spent generally wondering around the city, taking in the largest citadel I have ever been to and all the crazy Vietnamese ways that continue throughout the country. We feasted on Western food after a week of pho and com which as a result made me lose two inches off my waistline, which has been commented on by a number of worried individuals! Don't worry - I am feasting as much as I possibly can and I think by now I have made up for it after the curries, pasta, pizza, cakes and goodies I have eaten that such tourist towns provide. We took an organised tour in Hue - something we both would rather not do as we both dislike being in a group of foreigners being ushered and rushed around the sites, whilst also being ripped off for all the extra costs that are not in the tour fee. But, it was nice to have someone else do the thinking for us and we got to see some great sites that we may not have otherwise. 

I loved the Thien Mu Pagoda and its surrounding gardens (above). It was so peaceful and green and everything is focused on being central and symmetrical - a design I love. 

We also visited the tombs of ancient Emperor Minh Mang, who had hundreds of children who never had the same mother (nice guy) and whose body is buried somewhere in the tomb but no one knows where exactly. This tomb had what seems to be traditional yellow washed walls and red finishings with Chinese symbols (Vietnam was ruled by China for a thousand years). We also visited Emperor Khai Dinh's tomb which was totally different; black and Gothic like set high up on a mountain with contrasting colourful intricate designs on the inside which reminded me of the marble designs on the Taj Mahal. Khai Dinh only fathered one child and as a result was deemed gay - how nice of the local people to make such a judgement.

On we cycled and we took a road out of Hue that for the first time was not Highway 1. Instead it was parallel to it and ran on a long narrow piece of land that was split from the mainland by a bay, so we cycled with white sandy beaches on our left and a fishing bay on our right. It was great to get away from the trucks and the horns. Fortunately it rained the whole day, so there was no risk of being tempted by the beaches! Back on the mainland we suddenly reached a road that split in two. One went through a tunnel and the other went up over the mountain. Bikes and scooters cannot go through the tunnel. Why is it that the smallest types of vehicles cannot take the flat and quick route and the most powerful can? So up we climbed the mountain road which kindly and continuously reminded us that it was an 8% gradient, which lasted 7 miles in 40°C. Sweat springs to mind. Clean, AC tourist buses passed us one after the other, filled with pale faced individuals with their noses stuck to the window trying to take in the views. It was amusing to see them do a double take of us as the bus struggled past up the steep road. Some passengers perhaps thinking 'Why?' and others perhaps thinking 'Good for you'. Hopefully more thought the latter. It was worth being forced to take this road for the view and the challenge, and of course coming back down the other side where I reached the maximum speed Sally and I have ever done at 37 mph. It's funny that the guys that make my trailer recommend a max speed of 18 mph - whoops!

Mountains in the distance.

The view from not even half way up the mountain.

Struggling up the mountain pass with a tourist bus in the background.

Now in Hoi An, which is probably smack bang in the middle of Vietnam - length ways. Staying in the most expensive hotel so far but the town is generally a classy up-market place. The Old Town is one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites along the river. It is a charming area with narrow streets that are shut off to the traffic (hooray!) and with Hoi An being Vietnam's tailoring centre, the streets are lined with cafes, restaurants and tailors, each having a speciality. Argh! It's so frustrating not being able to buy anything! I've seen beautiful ballgowns in hundreds of elegant styles, colours and material, cute cotton dresses, tailored suits for men and women, tailored dresses, trousers, skirts, handbags, shoes including boots, sandals, high-top trainers and high heels. Everything you could imagine, they can make for you. If you present them with a design (even a picture to copy) and pick the material, they will make it for you. I need to come back here with an empty suitcase one day!

On the other side of the river looking back at the edge of Hoi An Old Town.

Getting lost in this crazy cramped market selling everything - despite the rain.

The most exciting thing about Hoi An was my meal that I had the night we arrived. After trying to find a restaurant recommended by the Lonely Planet and failing, hunger took over and I chose a random restaurant in one of the little streets called Morning Glory. Firstly, the seats had cushions! A first in Vietnam. Perhaps it is only because I have a sore bottom 90% of the time that I have noticed this! I had read about a local speciality of Hoi An called Banh Xeo so I ordered this to start. It is a small savoury rice flour pancake, flavoured with tumeric. Inside there are prawns, pork and bean sprouts and it comes with peanut sauce, herbs, star fruit and green banana. After a demonstration by the waiter of how to eat it, I wasn't sure how it would taste with all these different things going on. OH MY GOODNESS! I felt as thought my taste buds had been zapped by a defibrillator and they were dancing around in my mouth, having a party with each other. It was amazing. I tried a slice of the star fruit on it's own and it was like eating Haribo, only ten times better. I just couldn't believe how happy it made me feel! For my main, I chose marinated prawns in coconut juice. Thinking that perhaps this won't be quite as tasty as my starter, I was pleasantly surprised that my dish arrived inside an actual coconut with a lid and all and I couldn't have been more wrong. As I dished it up over the rice on my plate I could smell coconut, herbs and spices of some nondescript kind, tomatoes, onions and garlic. My mouth was watering just smelling it and my taste buds were begging to be stimulated again. And wow, were they. I have never tasted prawns like this, it was as though they had been injected with flavour. Do I sound like Nigella? I can see why she's so descriptive about good food! And of course, my dessert of mung bean filled, chocolate covered profiteroles was surely not going to be as nice as the cream filled ones at home - WRONG! I need to find out more about mung bean, whatever it is - it is better than cream! Yuuuuuuuum! I was in a happy place and so excited I had to call James and tell him all about it! I am getting hungry now and it is nearing my dinner time. Perhaps I can persuade Kris to go back there tonight. :)