Boxing Day

     It was hard to leave last night's hotel. It was truly luxurious. I even did a yoga class this morning in a large room overlooking the sea with the trees swaying. Breakfast was outdoors on the patio. Right before we were to leave, one of the others men on the tour went and bought each of us a conical hat with the chin tie underneath. Then it was picture time. If I can ever post pictures I will share otherwise, look on Facebook.

     It was a bit of a transfer today to our starting point for 30 miles through the countryside. It was quite windy but relatively flat. That was welcome after some of our other rides. Again we rolled through villages and past rice paddies and spring onion fields. There were goats today and cows ans always. We have started to see a few water buffalo, too. The event of the day was totally unplanned. We came upon a wedding in the morning with the party in full swing. Vu and Thai went in and asked if we could stop in and wish the bride and groom well. They came out along with the mothers of the couple. Pictures were taken, beer was pressed upon us - at 10:00 in the morning. Some of us sang Jingle Bells. The place was in pandemonium. Everybody was coming up and offering us drinks, watermelon seeds, toasts. It was crazy! At the end Vu suggested we each contribute $2.00 in an envelope and present it to the bride and groom. We collected about $30 dollars and Vu asked Lou and I to present it - Lou to the groom and me to the bride as we were the elders of the  group. To much waving and good wishes, we pedaled off. Vu said that the wedding couple and family would have considered our unexpected appearance as an honor and much good luck for the couple. No one has any white people attend a village wedding. For us, it was a fantastic experience that could not have been planned.

     After a stop for lunch as a fish farm where we had a wonderful soup and noodles with shrimp and clams, we rode the last 12 miles in. Both yesterday and today, they have offered us fruit from the lychee family for dessert and snacking. Yesterday it was fur balls. The sweet white fruit with a seed inside is encased in a red pod with soft spike coming out all over. Today it was a rambutan which is a brown ball about an inch in diameter that you peel to get the white fruit. It too has a seed you must eat around. Again it was delicious.

     The transfer to the hotel was long but tomorrow we will start off early to tour the site of the My Lai Massacre. 

     This is a fascinating and welcoming country.