day 95 - Mui Né to Gia Ray

Monday, 27 January 2014

We set off from Mui Né shortly after sunrise, hoping to cover the 110km to Gia Ray before the hottest part of the day. The normally busy main street was very peaceful and the swollen sea that carried kite surfers across the waves yesterday was now calm and still.

(A group of young people rehearse for Lunar New Year dragon dancing)

We were 40km into our journey when Paul suddenly heard a loud bang which turned out to be the tube in this back tyre puncturing. It deflated instantly and we pulled over to inspect the damage. Some sympathetic onlookers pointed us to a nearby mechanic. Generally, when we've had to impose upon a mechanic to help, they've been willing to, with the odd exception. Fortunately the owner was happy to let his apprentice do the repair and we were back on the road within about half an hour.

(The young apprentice patching the inner tube)

Although our progress had been slowed, it was time to refuel so we stopped for lunch at the next town. As we stood up to leave, we talked about how much ground we wanted to cover before the next break. That's when we discovered Paul's tyre was flat again and unfortunately the mechanic next door was not the obliging kind! We unloaded the bike, found the culprit that had caused the puncture and replaced the tube. Eventually, we were back on the road again, just as the temperature reached the high 30s.  

(Yellow chrysanthemums are sold at stall after stall in towns in preparation for New Year)

The early afternoon sun forced us to find some shade for a while and so it was late afternoon by the time we reached Gia Ray. The town sits at the base of some hills and has a lovely feel about it. The streets were decked out in colourful banners and bunting, ready for the New Year festivities. 

(A side street in Gia Ray, ready for New Year festivities)

(Watermelons appear to be a popular food for New Year)

After we had checked into a hotel and cleaned up, we explored a little of the town and had dinner at a nice family run restaurant. We wandered the night market after dinner where people were beginning to set up their food stands and clothes stalls for the evening. Gia Ray isn't a very big town so we assumed the market was part of the New Year festivities. It's a great time of year to be here with so much activity and excitement. The town doesn't appear to receive many foreign tourists and we were regarded with great curiosity as we wandered around. 

(Gia Ray's Night Market)

Tomorrow we're heading for Bien Hoa, our last stop before Ho Chi Minh City. Looking forward to seeing more of the New Year activities and hoping for a puncture free day!