I am a Yank retiring abroad and going a fun journey starting now and ending.....?

Pics, Pics, Pics
Siem Reap, Cambodia
No Blog yet, just a place to put my pictures- I've only been here three days and the Temple ruins are amazing!!!!
See the pics!
written by  Mike_Veine on October 13, 2013 from Siem Reap, Cambodia
from the travel blog: Cambodia Temples and Travel

So it begins....
Darwin, Australia
This is the first entry for Mike's Top Gear Challenge and my friends Rob K. and Louisa will know what Top Gear is, but for the novices let me explain that Top Gear is a British TV Show where three British Hosts drive cool cars and have insane challenges that they perform with limited funds and other resources involving vehicles in foriegn lands. For example, one of the hosts converted a caravan (trailer) into a Blimp(!) and on another episode they drove cheap motorcycles from Ho Chi Min City in the South of Vietnam to Halong Bay in the North (over 1,000 Miles) in under 8 days.
So since seeing the show I have wanted a Top Gear Challenge and here it is!
In this country where the average price of a good car is probably 30-40,000 dollars and cheap ones go for 3,000 to 5,000 I must buy a vehicle that can carry myself and all of my bicycle gear from Darwin in the North back home to Melbourne in the South or across the entire continent over 5,000 kilometers for under 1,000 dollars.
My mission began today when I went to a local backpacker hostel and looked at message boards with "Car for Sale" notices. I had been led to believe that many cheap cars would be listed by backpackers desperate to sell before their visas ran out and they had to leave the country so I was very disappointed to see only 4 vehicles listed ranging in price from 3,000 - 7,500 dollars!
This looked like a tougher job than I had been led to believe.
I asked around and heard a rumor of an area out the way I had come in on my bike about 30 k away that the backpackers brought the cars to and waited for prospective buyers. I did not feel like a possible 60 k bike round trip today and someone told me cab fare was 70 dollars to get there so I wasn't very keen on that option unless it was my only possible choice. I racked my brain for another solution and found myself near a News Agent where magazines and newspapers are sold and inside I found a free auto listing magazine.
It only showed dealerships, not private sellers so I thought it might not be very useful, but one place listed called itself "Cheap as Chips Cars" so I thought, "that sounds promising!" The cheapest car in the ad was 3,000 dollars, but I thought I might be able to talk them down or they may have a trade in that was in bad shape they would part with for cheap so I called. The number I reached turned out to be the owner of the place and he was in Melbourne of all places so after I explained my bicycle trip and why I needed a cheap car he gave me a local number to call. The number went to a small dealership only 5 blocks from my hotel, but first I called to see if there was anything promising there. The saleman heard my story and said I should come down- he might have something.
When I got to the lot it was postage stamp size and crammed with cars, mostly in the 3- 5,000 range. I saw a very ugly sedan with no price and a blue station wagon that was filthy and had body damage all down its right side that also had no price. I gave my attention to the wagon because it would be easiest to carry my bike in it. It was as dirty on the inside as the out. It wasn't locked so I let myself into it, but I really did not want to sit in the seat because it was that crummy! I popped the hood and the engine was almost immaculate- new plugwires, new power stearing fluid unit, newish radiator...it looked exactly the opposite of the rest of the car!
By this time Rob the salesman came out and I said hello again. He told me he only had one car that had met my description of the dirtiest trade in on the lot and it was the wagon. The car was a 1996 Mitsubishi Magna Exec Station Wagon with a 4 cylinder fuel injected 2.6 litre engine, power steering, AirCon, and automatic door locks.
The windows are roll down style, which is cool 'cause less to go wrong. Under the dirt it was bascially light blue with big dents and damage streaks on it.
I looked it over, opened the hatch door and checked the spare tire compartment and there amongst crud and dead moths was a full size spare with tread and full of air as well as the complete jack assembly- another good sign.
Rob brought the keys and offered to jockey the other cars around so I could take a test drive as soon as he finished with some other customers who were picking up a car.
I started the old blue wagon up and it started right off, but idled pretty roughly...I gassed it and saw that the tach seemed to work and that the fuel gauge showed "Full"- Score! at the gas prices here a full tank is probably 60-70 dollars! I did a quick check on turn signals and lights and everything I could see seemed good. The other really cool thing about the car was that it had ten months registration still on it which is longer than I will be in the country and a big deal here.
By this time Rob was done and he moved the crummy sedan out of the way and I took to the road behind the wheel of a car in Australia for the first time. Driving on the left side was not difficult because I had been doing it on the bike for a month and over 2800 kilometers, but the mirror placement was weird- I was not prepared for looking to the left to see the rear view mirror and remembering that all the body of the car was to my left side was something I had to think about- not automatic at all!
I drove back to the Holiday Inn and parked across the street in the park and stopped and restarted the engine and it backfired a couple of times. It also seemed like the left front shock was weak maybe....I drove back to the dealership and tried to accelerate quickly and the car responded sluggishly and smelled of gas or something. When I got back I tried backing it up and succesfully got back into the lot. Rob and I talked for a couple of minutes and I decided I would take it and see what happened after he called his boss and came down to 900 dollars to meet my price (Under 1,000). Paid for the car and drove it back to the HI and then I walked to the bank and signed up for insurance for vehicle liability.
The system here is different than the US- when you register the car it also pays for all the liability you need if you injure a person. That is automatic. But it does not cover property damage at all. At the bank the clerk put in all the info about my car and accepted my answers about my driving record and I found out that my full property liability insurance was only $22.80 a month and they could automatically deduct it from my account- sweet! Now as an insured driver I went back to the Holiday Inn and looked at the mess litterally (MSPI) that I got myself into. I pulled some junk out and found about $3.00 in change in the car. To clean it was going to take a shop vac, 1,000 gallons of soap and water and about 6 hours I figured.
But I was a new car owner again for the first time in 4 years! Fun or no Fun only time will tell!
written by  Mike_Veine on September 1, 2012 from Darwin, Australia
from the travel blog: Mike's Top Gear Challenge

Day 4 in Ho Chi Minh City and trip begins tomorrow!
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Greetings Top Gear Fans! It is time for me to start my homage to Top Gear's Viet Nam Adventure.
I am on Day 4 of my visit in Ho Chi Minh City and I have had a wonderful
time here so far. I like my little guesthouse where I have a huge double room for about $17 a night (expensive here) and the people who run it and their relatives have been very helpful.
The first couple of days I walked all over District 1 where I'm staying. It is like a big downtown area and the backpacker hotels are all pretty much near me with the skyscrapers about 2 kilometers away and all of the fancy hotels there. I visited a Palace and several museums including the War Rememberance Museum which was very affecting. I also went to the Ho Chi Minh Museum where they were preparing for a special anniversary on June 6th and I was interviewed by Viet Nam State Television. I never saw it on TV so not sure how that came out....
Day three I test rode motorbikes owned by backpackers who rode them from Hanoi. I tested a Suzuki GN125 and a Chinese Honda copy called the Win which comes in a 100cc or 110 cc flavor. The Suzuki is a bigger bike and good for someone my size. It also has more power and pickup for passing and hauling. The downside of this one was that it was beat. Turn lights broken and not working, electric start not working, speedometer not working and would not go into neutral! Plus it just looked bad and poorly maintained. The owner was a nice enough Aussie bloke, but he did nothing to improve the bike. Just rode the hell out of it! The answer when you point out problems like this is either- no one uses that, or, there all broken over here (speedometers), or, they can fix that cheap! (if that's the case,why didn't you fix it?). I liked the size of the bike and the seating, but that was it and the guy wanted $450 for it although I could have bought it for 400 or maybe even 350.
I thanked the Aussie and passed on the bike and waited for my next bike to turn up, the Win.
The Win over here is easily the most common motorcycle of the clutch/non scooter variety. To be noticed on one of these it would have to be on fire at a gas station! So perfect for basic transportation with a broad support network of parts and mechanics. Suzuki would probably be much harder to get parts for even if it was a much better engine than the Chinese Honda copy.
The Win I tested was a 100 cc variety and the seat was coming off on one side! Typically the speedo was busted (no on uses it!) and lights were broken and the engine did not seem really as strong as it should be even at a lower horsepower rating. It was really filthy too.
I am test riding on the road I will take out of town so I can familiarize myself with the area and so I can run each bike at highway speed and check the performance. I let the owner drive me out a bit and then switch off and drive myself back into town. It's fun mixing with the traffic, but you have to always stay alert. They have set aside a seperated area on the right side for motorbikes to keep them from mixing with cars close to the city on the major highways, but outside of town you need to be ready to yield to cars and buses. Not too much different from the road train situation on the Cairns to Darwin Bike ride. They honk (alot) to let you know! That is another important part on the bike- the horn!
The Win I tested was in such bad shape that I had the guy drop me off down the street from my guesthouse and walked, but it was good experience for me for checking out the bike I had my eye on- A very clean Win 100 for sale by the guesthouse across the streets owners. My guesthouse owner, a girl named 'Bic', told them I was looking for a bike and they showed it to me, but it was getting late in the day and rush hour traffic was starting which I wanted to avoid and i was raining so I asked if I could test it first thing the next day. "No problem " was the response so as soon as I was done with breakfast I walked over and got th keys and a borrowed helmet and off I went. What do you know? The speedometer worked! and so did the lights. and turn signals (though the left rear needs some duct tape lol). The engine seemed strong as well- good sound and pickup. These bikes are pretty light so unfortunately you have to deal with a lot of vibration, but this bike smoothed out a bit on the open road. I drove it around 15 minutes in town and out on the highway for 20 minutes and I was sold.
I bought it for 6,090,000 Dong which is about $290. The owner had a nice helmet for me with a clear face shield that fit like a glove for only 70,000 D ( about $6) and she had me follow her 4 blocks to a man that put a larger luggage rack for my big duffle bag for $5. Back at the guest house they arranged tie down straps and got me gas all for under 100,000 D. Later the woman brought me back 20,000 D because her husband told her she had charged me too much for the petrol! I loved that!!
After cooling off I walked to an area that had book shops and bought a nicely bound road atlas very much like the one my buddy Carl uses in Australia with cross referenced map locations on each page and extremely detailed road info. Of course, it is in a foriegn language, but that should spur me to learn a little more and will help when I question locals.
Tonight is devoted to packing and studying the maps for an early departure tomorrow! Wish me luck, Gear Heads! Some pics will be posted for your pleasure soon! Cheers!!!!
written by  Mike_Veine on June 7, 2013 from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
from the travel blog: Top Gear Adventure 2- Vietnam Boogaloo!

My Third Week in Hanoi 7-18-13
Hanoi, Vietnam
Hi Family and Friends- It has been a long time since my last blog entry and I have been absorbing the sights and sounds of daily life in Hanoi since then. After I arrived here I stayed two nights at the Sheraton Hotel and celebrated the end of the Top Gear Challenge of successfully riding a small motorbike from Ho Chi Minh City in the South to Ha Long Bay in the North and then to Hanoi. I lived large soaking and sunning at the pool and enjoying the complimentary breakfast buffet and the nightly cocktail and hors de voures reception and eating steak and pizza with nice red wines! Tough living!!! My goal was to find an apartment and live here in Hanoi for a month and take lessons in the Vietnamese language and Iam happy to say I have succeeded on the apartment front, but unfortunately I have not had any success in enrolling in language lessons that would help me. I signed up for one class and anticipated it all weekend only to have them cancel on me and return my deposit on Monday when I showed up for my first class and this put me a little off of the whole thing sadly.
I live on the fourth floor of a seven story hotel called the Lotus in an area that is near the big lake and close to the Sheraton hotel, but still fairly far from the backpacker/ tourist center of Old Hanoi so there are very few westerners around me. My apartment is one room with a bath and a kitchen sink, hot plate, electric kettle, microwave/oven combo and wifi and cable TV. Also A/C and a wall mounted oscillating fan. All utilities except electric are covered and the apartment is cleaned for me three times a week and fresh bed linens provided. My view is mostly the blank wall of a six story building next door and some surrounding buildings that are smaller and the sky where there are lightning storms almost every night! The windows are very large and open so I can hear the thunder and feel the temperture change as the rains come if I want to. My apartment is very new- all new tile and all the appliances still have their stickers on them so I may be one of the first occupants!
Parking is on the first floor and is a locked garage and the lobby is one level up and seems to usually have someone on duty all the time. They have a small bar area and a cooler with drinks you can buy and a menu for delivery pizza I have yet to use.
I am on a large and busy street, but off the street are tiny alleys with residences and shops and market stalls where I buy food and vegetables from street vendors and haggle over the price of cabbage and how many tomatoes I can get for 5,000 Dong. Fun. I am still the curiosity even after three weeks and there is good natured laughter and banter as I shop and mostly smiles- not bad.
I've been cooking much of the time and eating in and my appetite has been very suppressed probably because of the heat. I rarely eat the street food and sometimes buy prepared meat like BBQ Pork chop and cut it up into my rice or other things I prepare. I've been craving western food and have tried Vietnamese Mexican at one place that was not Mexican at all and a hamburger at another that was highly recommended but not as good as a Burger King Whopper! My best meal I cooked was rice/beef stuffed cabbage rolls in a stewed tomato sauce with onion, garlic and basil that I made from scratch with mashed potatos. Some basic things are tough to find here at least where I shop- like butter, milk that is not sweetened, and ketchup or tobasco sauce. Just not in their diet here.
I try to walk ten kilometers every day and most of the time walk part of the way around the large lake and combine this with a taxi ride either out to a sight to see or back home. Cabs are pretty cheap and I pay about 5 bucks per ride including tip so very worth it to me to avoid the traffic/parking and navigation problems of the big city and when combined with my walk gets me some of the exercise I need.
The lake is very cool with little cafes and coffee shops all around it and you can watch fishermen toss their lines in reel up their catch. There is a nice breeze in the evenings and it is quieter there than the other more hustley-bustley areas of the city. Sights I have seen include the Ho Chi Minh Museum, Hoa Lo Prison (Hanoi Hilton), the Women's Museum, Peace Park, Lenin's Park and the National Fine Arts Museum. Still on my list are the Military Museum and Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum where Uncle Ho lies mummified. That closes really early so I've missed it so far. I will be in Hanoi until July 31st so there's no real hurry!
I've been to the main tourist/backpacker area at night once and it was amazing to see all of the Westerners! More than I've seen in a month in one night!!! My area is very quiet at night and I like it and the more local feeling I get there. There is a KFC near that area and I guess I will go there when I want fried chicken sometime and I just heard on the Asian news that Mc Donalds will be coming to Vietnam next year so the West continues to assimilate this culture slowly...
Some of the very cool things near me are a farm right off the main street where rice and vegetables are grown and fish raised and at night there are small bats all over that area eating the little flies and bugs. I've seen women harvesting herbs from the smallest areas that look like weeds, but are actually carefully planted- these people are industrious and waste not- want not oriented.
Overall I am having a vry good stay here and getting fit and resting up at the same time. After Hanoi I will travel North to Sapa near the Chinese border and try to climb the largest peak in Vietnam, Mount Fansifan- 3143 meters and a bit of a hike as well. That trip will be guided and I hope to see some ethnic minority villages there as well. Then I will drive South along the Ho Chi Minh Trail which is the inland North-South artery and will be all new scenery for me since I came up the coast on Highway 1.
Then out of Vietnam and into Laos.
More on Hanoi living next time....Peace, Out!
written by  Mike_Veine on July 18, 2013 from Hanoi, Vietnam
from the travel blog: Hanoi and Vietnam- Living Day to Day

1st Post
Portland, United States
Hi all, this is my first post in my travel blog for my friends and family and it has been a great day to stay inside!
Today I worked on ordering the beer for my Bon Voyage Party on May 11th, I am getting a cornelius keg from Upright Brewing of their #5 beer which is an IPA.
The weather outside sucks...wind is howling and it looks pretty wet. I will be moving from rainy 50+ degrees Farenheit to rainy 10+ degrees Celcius so not much change except Summer is coming here and winter is deepening in Melbourne, AU...damn.
In mid July I should be in Cairns, AU near The Great Barrier Reef and in the Tropic of Capricorn which will be much warmer and drier.
That' s all for now....more when I have my party.
written by  Mike_Veine on May 3, 2012 from Portland, United States
from the travel blog: Mike's Magical Mystery Tour

The Flood!
Vientiane, Laos
In Kong Lon caves area
Arrived here by a 7 hour bus ride from Vientiane yesterday and it started raining when we arrived and still hasn't stopped for 22 hours.
I came to see the cave and ride a boat 6.5 k thru them, but the water is too high and fast so the caves are closed. My guesthouse is about a kilometer from the park where the cave is and on my way to check it out I ran into most of the other westerners playing cards at a coffee place and they told me the bad news. My guesthouse loaned me an umbrella and a flashlight optimistically, but I think they knew there was no chance of going into the cave.
I had coffee and played Blackjack with Sonya from my hostel in Vientiane and a German guy she knew and a Belgian couple who had come from Cambodia and were leaving for a beach town there. They were all catching an 11 am bus out of town to a main road where they could get a bus back to Vientiane.
After playing awhile it was time for a walk and I headed down the tarmac road to the Park entrance and into the park. It was completely deserted! Many tarp covered areas, but no one in attendance. I walked to the boat launch and other was almost completely underwater and the boats were jammed together at the top of the banks of the full river. I hiked up some old stone stairs, but they petered put at the river again going nowhere.
I hung out under one of the tarp areas on a plastic chair and enjoyed the solitude there, it truly is a beautiful place, green and lush like Portland with different plants and temperature!
When I left to return to my guesthouse i passed a porch/store with a couple of men sitting at a table having a beer. The woman proprietor called to me, " Beer Lao?" and motioned me to come over. At first I said,."No", and made a show of checking my watch because I thought it was too early to have a beer, but I saw it was 1:10 pm and realized that a beer would be fine! Time to socialize!
I sat at the table and was quickly given a glass and one of the men poured from the bottle and we all toasted each other and clinked glasses and drank up. When that bottle ran dry the shorter man ordered another and poured that off. Their generosity was touching and I thought snacks were in order so I bought two bags of chips and opened them for the table. Now we were starting to draw a crowd as three women with various aged toddlers sat down and I ordered beer and glasses for everyone and pretty soon we were all toasting and laughing and drinking up. Then a truck pulled up with three buddies of the guys and the owners husband and I ordered more 2 more beers and now ten people were drinking these off. It was becoming a blowout in the middle of nowhere Laos! PARTY!!!
But everything was.very cool, only one guy ( the shortest of course) got a little obnoxious to my eyes with one of his buddies, but I don't know the relationships, so who am I to judge. The women had a large loom there and I asked them to show me the work and it was so great, brilliant colors of peacock feathers were being woven together in a basic pattern with even brighter versions of some of the colors as inserts in the pattern, very cool.
After buying a whole 4 beers and creating a party for 1/2 the neighborhood I headed back to my guesthouse for a well deserved nap.
About 6 pm the power went out. It was still raining very hard at times and I went downstairs for a candle, with the continuous rain it was kind of gloomy and I thought the candle would brighten my mood. The guesthouse owner told me the power had been shut off due to flooding and the bus could not reach the village any more. He said he would try to drive me to the road a 6:30 am so I could catch the 7 am bus. I thanked him because I felt this,was a very generous offer! Off to bed and an early night's sleep to the sound of the rain drumming on the roof.
The next morning I was downstairs early anticipating an eventful day and I was not wrong! When we tried to drive to the main road we ran through many areas where the road was underwater and we drove slowly and picked our way around potholes my driver knew. He owned an SUV so our clearance was good. We also had to slow and stop for livestock that were all over the road. When the area floods the people drive their cattle and pigs onto the road for safety so many times the path was blocked by cattle or goats and we slalommed past them continuing down the road until we reached a place where it was too deep. You couldn't even tell a road was there, it was water as far as the eye could see!
We turned around and headed back to the guesthouse and my host booked a fast boat which would leave in two hours and take us 30 k by the river to a place where the bus could pick us up and take me to the main road for a bus back to Vientiane. He said it was 500,000 kip to get the boat and we would split it 4 ways since he was bringing his wife and little boy as well as a bunch of bags of food that would spoil without refrigeration. I had breakfast and found a travel book about Thailand and dug in for the wait.
An hour and a half later we loaded into the SUV and drove down the tarmac road towards the Park, but we turned off onto a dirt road that led into a more residential area with stilt houses and people fishing with drop nets that are mesh squares a little over a meter on a side supported by a light bamboo framework and attached to a bamboo pole by a line so the user could dip the net under the water and then pull it up trapping whatever swam or crawled over it. I was told they catch small fish that are crushed and mixed with chilis, garlic and herbs to make a pungent fish sauce for cooking and occasionally they get frogs or bigger fish to eat.
After about 10 minutes of winding through the houses we came to the riverside and our boat. The boat looked like a dugout canoe to me even though it was plank construction, about 5 meters long and maybe a meter and a quarter at the widest point in the middle. It had a 10 horsepower Honda motor with the prop at the end of a 3 meter pole that acted as a power tiller as well. No rudder. There are five 1 x 4 planks for seats that are rigged canoe style with an open area in the middle for cargo. The boat was painted a bright blue, but the sun and other elements had begun stripping the paint and dulling its luster so the wood beneath showed through the paint in long strips.
Our boat pilot was a leathery looking local with a gold tooth and a pirate's grin who looked like he had lived on this river his entire life (which he probably had). I felt pretty confident in his skills to get us where we need to be and could easily imagine him carting big pigs to market in his boat, so how hard would I be to haul around?
It was still raining as we pulled away from the riverbank.and I had a raincoat on and a plastic poncho pulled over me and my pack was wrapped in a plastic garbage bag for protection. The boatman provided PFD's which I wore over the poncho. The PFD had a whistle attached which he demonstrated practically in my left ear and which worked very well! So, partially deaf I met the full brunt of the flooded river.
The river was the exact color of milk chocolate and I was reminded of the movie, 'Willie Wonka'- I was being motored upstream by a Laotian Umppa Loompa pirate on the Chocolate River!
One of the exciting things on the ride was ducking under the wires that had been strung across the river and we're now either in it or hanging very low above it.
I was in the back of the boat facing the pilot in the stern so I could not see what was coming. I got to where I understood it was time to duck by watching the pilot- when he slowed and started weaving in the channel I knew it was time to get at least as low as he was. He was wearing a motorcycle helmet for any rogue wire encounters and he grinned and showed off that gold tooth and pointed at the helmet when we passed under a very low wire letting me know he was prepared of anyone was!
On my right side we passed spectacular limestone cliffs covered in trees and plants and averaging between 300 and 350 mmeters high. Some area looked like rock climbers might enjoy them while others were so covered in bush you would have a very hard time finding a safe route. On the left side were trees and occasional open areas where the flooded river was all you could see to the horizon, it was a huge amount of water and this would be headline news in the US, but here they are pretty well prepared for it with the houses on stilts and crops,that depend on a lot of water. Even rice can be flooded though so I hope that my new Laos drinking buddies come through this unscathed.
We were over two hours on that river and pur pilot knew it well; I was reminded of my favorite Mark Twain book, 'Life on the Mississippi' where Twain describes the Mississippi as a living thing always changing and how a river pilot must learn to recognize the channels of the river at all stages from low to flood. I was sure our pilot had that kind of knowledge and confidence as he took us along the dark waters.
Finally we came to a place where you could see some tarmac with water and we tied up to a guardrail and started to offload the boat wading into the lukewarm water with the rain still pelting us. After 10 minutes a covered pickup bus came for us and we loaded on. The driver hauled us about 15 k and then we transferred to another pickup bus for a 40 minute ride to a town on the main highway. There was a German couple on this bus when I got on and we were all heading to Vientiane. The girl part of the couple went to find a restroom and before she could return a double decker sleeper bus pulled up to get us. All told I paid about 250,000 kip to get back to Vientiane. I took a berth on the upper deck sharing with a local man. The seats are like lounge seats that you can raise the head of but the feet are always straight out in front . In this way I rode through the evening home to my hostel.
written by  Mike_Veine on August 25, 2013 from Vientiane, Laos
from the travel blog: Laos, Thailand and Beyond!

Last Night in Hanoi 7/31/13
Hanoi, Vietnam
My Last Night in Hanoi
I have not really bloggd much here because I am just living day to day- watching TV, sleeping in, taking long walks around my neighborhood.In short, Hanoi is just like anywhere else when you live there!
There are cultual and language differences, but nothing insurmountable and with so many people here, especially so many Expatriots and Westen business people you have many oppotunities for good connections.
Highlights for me include my neighborhood market owner who always invites me to have a cup of coffee with her, a German burrsinessman who shared a ton of his friends wih me and opened up some doors and an English woman working on her Masters Degree who is changing the World in a great way!
The weather has been hot and humid mostly so my Aircon is essential, but there have been some wild thunderstorms and gulley washer rainstorms as well and it is now cooling off in the nighttime.
For enertainment and food you have the choices of any national capitol city, all styles and choices are represented with some outstanding restaurants and first run movies in the theaters. I did not find a motor racing scene, but the way they drive everyday is close!!
I liked my modern apartment and the included cleaning service very much- if I were livng here the kitchen would be too small though! And it might be nice to liive with a roommate or two for the company :)
Like many places you live you look past some of the negetives and focus on what's in front of you at the time- as they say in Hanoi- if it's snake eating time you eat snake! (Disclosure: I am not sure if ANYONE here actually says that, but I do!)
I may be back here someday, they pay well for English teachers and I have enjoyed my visit so definitely keep Hanoi on a list of Places to See if you come to SE Asia!
written by  Mike_Veine on July 31, 2013 from Hanoi, Vietnam
from the travel blog: Hanoi and Vietnam- Living Day to Day

On Thee Road- Days 1 and 2
Da Lat, Vietnam
Hello, Gear Heads!
Well, the adventure has truly begun as I pulled out of Ho Chi Minh City at 9 AM yesterday. My Guesthouse hostess 'Bic' gave me big hug goodbye and her mother helped me tighten the load down with my new bungies. Bic tod me to call her if I had any trouble and little did I know how soon that would be! I am heading to the town of Da Lat situated about 350 kilometers North and a little East from HCMC. This will be a two day trip to the destination.
Traffic was moderate on the streets around the Backpacker area so it was easy going. My habit is to find someone who is driving well and follow what they do- which has been working very well so far. Onto the highway and th divided motorbike are and out into a much more industrial area on the other side of the river. After an hour on the I hit an area where the car and truck traffic was completely stalled across all the lanes and motor bikes were forced into a construction area where we slowly made our way towards a narrow break in a chain link fence with only enough room for 1 1/2 bikes so naturally they were trying to cram two in! When my turn came I had to downshift all the way into 1st gear to negotiate the tight and rough terrain. As soon as I exited I upshifted and the bike went into neutral. Keep in mind that I had been trying to find Neutral unsuccessfully for and then it found me!
Back down to 1st and try to go up to 2nd and still in neutral. I rode over to an onramp area where there was some space kept trying, but no go. The bike hd broken in ONE HOUR! I looked around for a mechanic and as luck would have it there was a HONDA sign beside a stall across the onramp from me. I rode the bike in 1st gear over through traffic and honking horns (did I say they like their horns?) to the shop and hit the language barrier. I quickly got my problem across, but had trouble with some of the things he was telling me so phone call to Bic to the rescue! Bic talked to him and then he handed th phone to me. Bic told me that it would take one whole day and cost 1,200,000 VND, about $56 US. She offered to bring me back to the guesthoue, but I did not want to put her out and told her I would find something nearby. I ended up just hanging out at the shop in some chairs for customers and decided to get an ice tea from the tea stand beside me. I asked th mechanic if he wanted one (did I mention it is very hot here?) and he nodded 'yes'. I gave it to him and settled down to study the traffic for anything that could help keep me alive and after about fifteen minutes the mechanic came over and told me the bike would be ready in two hours! I like to think my small gesture of kindness was reiprocated and indeed, by noon the bike was ready to go!
Back on it- I find it is hard to ride for much over an hour and a half at a time because of the hard seat, the vibration on most of the rough roads and the simple stress of the constant focus you need to watch for all the traffic variables. At any one time you're tracking known threats (Buses and Trucks and cars, bad road surface), possible threats (other bikes, pedestrians and tractors, construction equipment and workers) and stuff that comes from nowhere (like water buffalos and small dogs). Also it is dusty so it is great to take a 20 minute break or so with a cool drink. You get your road focus back and you can check the map and GPS to be sure you're headed the right way.
After a couple more hours I made a turn off of Highway 1 onto a two lane rod and finally broke into the countryside- it is very green with hills, neatly cultivted fields, and trees planted in long rows (possibly rubber trees, don't know yet). It was so great to be out of the city!!!! And the traffic was lighter for a while and I got to enjoy the fun of riding for the first time. You get the smells and sights like I did on the bicycle ride in Australia even if you miss some of the sounds because of the engine noise. Fun, fun...then through another area with market stalls, people, buses and cars and back comes the stress.
I hadn't eaten since a light breakfast and it as 4pm, so I stopped at a Pho sho and had the delicious Vietnamese soup! It has a beef or chicken base and tofu and a meat and very good rice noodles. With the soup you also get assorted greens like basil, or leafs of cabbage along with hot peppers you can add to the soup. There is also sweet sauce and plum sauce (I think). You eat it with chopsticks and a spoon. Very refreshing and tasty, especially the fresh greens.
After dinner I deicided I wanted to end the day soon- I have a rule that I will not drive after dark so I started looking for a guesthouse. I asked the woman wh made the soup and she just pointed down the road and so down he road I went. After a bit I saw a sign with the english word 'HOTEL' and pulled in to find two very aggresive and yappy little dogs- the burgler alarms, no doubt, and the owner, a middle aged woman. I smiled and asked for a room and she seemed confused so I got my language book out and we figured it out. I paid her and started to unload the bike. The room had no A/C and very little in the way of running water and it was not very clean. I wouldn't use the sheets or pillows that night! Sleep came hard even though I went to bed early, but finally out. I had been heading to Da Lat in the mountains 350 kilometers from HCMC and I had made it a little less thn 1/2 way...Day 2 I will make it.
written by  Mike_Veine on June 9, 2013 from Da Lat, Vietnam
from the travel blog: Top Gear Adventure 2- Vietnam Boogaloo!

Second and Third Days
Katherine, Australia
Mike's Top Gear Challenge continued....
To recap day 1 I purchased the dirtiest car I have ever seen for $900 from "Cheap as Chips Cars"
and I have returned to my hotel to see what I have.
Here's what I found in the car that I kept-
$3.00 in change
Service Log Book with original purchaser name which was the City of Waverly in Melbourne of all places!
The Magna Owners Manual
1 Ballpoint pen
1 Nice Art Paint Brush
A toothbrush for cleaning in the cracks
A China Plate
A Large Paper Clamp
Various broken trim pieces and odd bolts and fasteners (you never know when these will come in handy)
My vehicle assessment turned up the fact that a slip of a receipt slid into a crack on the steering wheel was the only thing keeping the horn from continuously blaring so that would have to be dealt with. The whole front of the steering wheel was taped on with clear plastic tape so some odd disaster must have occurred in the distant past by the look of the tape's condition....hmmmm
The only other time I spent on the car the first day was reading the owners manual and seeing if all the dash warning lights worked- they did.
On Day 2 my friends, Elizabeth and Peter were meeting me for lunch and relocating me to their house in Humpty Doo about 45 K South of Darwin CBD. Peter kindly offered his mechanics experience to take a look the car to help me get down the road.
I was a bit embarrassed by the condition of the car and that they had easily picked it out in the lot! Peter drives a late model Holden that looks like a Mercedes "S"Class and is a Beaut. All of his vehicles are impeccably maintained.
Following him to our luncheon spot was a challenge since his car had way more pickup than mine, but I kept close as I could. It was an experience getting the car over 80-100 KPH and seeing how she ran. At about 1900-2200 on the tach the engine shook quite a bit and I had a couple of backfires as well when stepping on the gas.
We did safely arrive at the restaurant and had a light lunch and iced coffees. Elizabeth ran into a friend in the parking lot who was too polite to ask who the fool with the shit car was who was with them.
Driving to their place I got up to even higher speeds following Peter and the car kept chugging- I was encouraged that the temperature gauge read in the middle and never approached the top even when I was hard on the gas.
Elizabeth had a riding lesson so when she left Pete and I dug into the car. I popped the hood and he started checking things out and found that I had new plug wires and spark plugs, a fairly new radiator and power steering fluid holder, Oil that was so clean it was hard to see on the dip stick and that I was a little low on coolant so he added some.
He checked the CV joints on the wheels and when I mentioned the timing belt that I thought all Japanese cars have and that I worried about its' condition he showed me that I had timing chain and would probably never have to replace it.
"Bloody hell", Pete said, "you've got the best $900 car ever here. The tires are brand new and worth $400 and the registration has 10 months left and that's $500 right there without the rest of the car!".
So just maybe I have been lucky here.
The next day was set aside for the cleaning project and buying the other things Pete suggested were necessary considering where I was traveling. This includes:
2 10 Liter Fuel Jerry Cans
1 10 Liter Water Jerry Can
5 Liters of Oil
A full bottle of coolant
1 replacement belt for the Water pump and 1 replacement belt for the Alternator
AFT Fluid
I added a cooler to the list for food and drinks. This all added up to about $200 worth of stuff.
Pete generously shared his cleaning supplies and Armor All and when we got done with the shopping the cleaning commenced in earnest.
Pete brought out the shop vac and I spent two hours vacuuming everything that was not nailed down out of the car. This was a job and a half, but results showed up pretty quickly and it made a huge difference in my desire to be in the car at all.
After the vacuum came the Armor Alling---I think I used over half a large bottle going over the dash and every plastic piece on the car. Again, the results were amazing and the color and shine of the materials came back. Not too shabby. Next was interior window cleaning and last was a complete heavy rinse and 45 minutes with a sponge and soap on every exterior surface with full on scrubbing with the sponge. The another heavy rinse and Walah! The Blue ? was habitable and no longer a rolling filth magnet. Pete thought it looked looked like a $1200 car at least now!
All this work created an appetite and when I took them to dinner at the Humpty Doo Pub and Hotel/Casino there was a Man vs. Food challenge:
Eat a rack of Pork Ribs in twenty minutes and you got them for 1/2 price!
Elizabeth dared me to try and I was forced to defend America's reputation for overconsumption and accepted. When the waitress brought a huge plate of ribs out I said-"Well it's a lot, but it looks doable". The waitress smiled and said, "No, this isn't yours hun, this is her 1/2 order of ribs".
My plate was a monster, but since this was a Fathers Day Promotion I took out Aubrey's picture from my wallet and said, "This one is or you, kid." and dug in. The record that day was 7 minutes an 40 seconds and I reckoned I could do it in 12. My first 1/2 was done in just under 7 and I worked my way through the second slowed up by some small bones on the end of some of  the ribs. Finally I was finished with a time of exactly 14 minutes...Man Defeats Food!!!!!
The restaurant gave me a 10% off coupon on my next dinner which I presented to Elizabeth and a laminated certificate which I have used my large paper clamp to attach to my Driver Side sun visor in the car.
Of course I was an appalling mess- good thing I had a bib on!
Anyway that was the end of that day. Tomorrow the Blue ? and I hit the road in earnest for Lichfield National Park and ending up at the Katherine Gorge.
Let the fun commence!
Pete checking out the Blue ? for me
written by  Mike_Veine on September 2, 2012 from Katherine, Australia
from the travel blog: Mike's Top Gear Challenge

Days 4
Katherine, Australia
Hi Gear Heads- Adventure is well and truly on its' way now with two days of road work under my belt in the cheap car.
When I left Peter's house his advice to me was "Start slow and break her in and drive your temperature gauge", wise words, indeed!
My goal today was to find a dirt road backway into the Litchfield National Park which is an area of waterfalls and natural swimming holes. I first went to the gas station and filled up the car and both of the 10L jerry cans and then to the store for drinks, snack and ice for the cooler. Finally on the road.
The cars performance was ok- still a little sluggish on the pickup but once I got to speed the temperature was nominal, right in the middle and she ran well. One thing I noticed though was that between 1900-2300 on the tach if any kind of hill came along the engine began to shake like a rumblely seizure hit it under the load. Since I was going up quite a bit this was uncomfortable to say the least and a little disconcerting.
But I put up with it for now since everything seemed fine otherwise.
Unfortunately I did not read the map well (I blame the shakey engine) and even though I was on the correct road I missed my turnoff for the dirt road and lost out on that portion of the challenge- 0 points for dirt driving. Eventually I came to the in and out route into Litchfield thru the town of Batchelor and drove 34 K into the park. The first sight I came to was the Magnetic Termite Mounds. These termites are different than the ones I have been seeing forever on the bike- they build their mounds in direct alignment with magnetic North and South, a natural compass!
The mounds look like oddly angled toombstones stretching off into the distance both directions I can see- for all I know they go on to infinity. The tallest look like they are about 6 feet tall or so and they are narrow on the East/West axis and stretched out North and South. Pics are on this blog.
Also at this location is the largest termite mound. It is at least 40 feet tall and wide as 4 men across at the bottom. If the termite invasion begins this will be the HQ!
Moving on from the insect world I drove to a place in the park called the Buley Rockholes- I had no idea what I would find there but I found a slice of paradise.
The Buley Rockholes are natural pools that are interconnected by a river so that the river flows from one to the next in small cascades. Some of the pools are over 12 feet deep and 40 feet across. I could see people at one in the sun jumping off rocks into it but I was attracted to a quieter pool mostly in the shade below the crowded sunny pool.
When I first drove into the parking area I met a backpacker who was returning to his camp and I asked him "what was going on here?" and he said, "swimming and you can get a free massage." I could see what he meant about the massage- the small cascade creating the pool was flowing like a giant whirlpool jet and if you could sit in its' flow it would pound your shoulders and back with watery delight. And you know what- there was a natural seat right in the middle of it!
I jumped in after stripping to my Ex Officio Boxer Briefs and dove to the bottom of my pool. The temperature was perfect- refreshing, but not cold because the water flows over so much hot land before going into the pools and the sun warms it. I found the seat in the flow and what a release of tension as the water caressesd my shoulders and back and neck....mmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Sweet.
Spent about 20 minutes in the earth jaccuzzi and then swam over to where I left an iced coffee drink which I slowly sipped while floating and drifting in my own private paradise pool (pics on this blog).
Two boys were coming down the trail when I was ready to leave and I got one of them to hold my towl in front of me while I got the briefs off and into my shorts again. Then a short hike back to the car and off to the water falls. Now the falls can be swum at also, but I only tried to get a picture and the viewing area was closed for "Urgently Needed Repairs"- since it hung over a 400 foot drop I did not bypass the the warning signs and go out on it anyway.
Back to the car and out of Litchfield and now on to the Katherine Gorge approximately 300 K away. When I hit the highway the speed limits here go from 60 kph to 80 kph then to 100 kph and finally on the open road to 130 kph! Because the temperature was holding well and I had a long way to go I cautiously began to up my speed over 100 kph to 110 first and I noticed that as I went faster the car ran smoother! So soon I was buzzzing along at 130 kph and 3,000 on the tach which the Blue ? really seemed keen on. I thought that maybe this car had not seen a lot of highway driving and this will be something she will take to like a duck to water.
I filled up again about an hour after Litchfield and calculated the mileage as about 9 kilometers per litre of petrol. At about $1.70 per litre average cost this was going to be expensive, but the mileage is comparable to about 23 miles to the gallon or a little better by my rough and possibly inaccurate calculations- we all believe what we want to and if you want to do the math it was 45 litres for 407 Kilometers.
I arrived at Katherine without incident about 3:30 pm and filled up with gas again then went to Mc Donalds to use the free wireless and get a snack. Then back in the car for the short drive to my next destination- The Katherine Gorge! I will camp there tonight and see the Gorge in the morning.
written by  Mike_Veine on September 3, 2012 from Katherine, Australia
from the travel blog: Mike's Top Gear Challenge

Top Gear Adventure- Thailand Edition, 'Driving Miss Pahka'
Bangkok, Thailand
A Taxi from Bangkok Airport 6:30 pm taking me to a guesthouse hopefully....
Today was an unusual day even by Travel Standards.
It started the day before when I heard my landlord in Kalasin was going to Bangkok to the Family Home- I wanted to get to Bangkok on Friday on the bus, but if I could get a ride with her in her Mercedes I felt that would be quicker and more comfortable.
I went downstairs to see if I could wrangle a ride. " No ", she said, " I not drive, I take the bus. I do not drive outside of town."
So I offered to chauffeur her to Bangkok in her car. " It will be fun, Pahka, I will pay for gas and drive us and it will be much more comfortable than the bus! " I convinced her and she agreed as long as she could get her son to drive her back on Sunday, he agreed so it was settled, I would have a new Top Gear Challenge, Thailand Edition- ' Driving Miss Pahka'.
7:30 AM and we hit the road to the temple taking flowers and water for the monks. I always enjoy the atmosphere of community at Temple when the offerings are given. The women all lined up and bowed as they presented their rice to the monks putting a small amount into the bowl. The monks chanted prayers and it is such a beautiful energy of peace.
After the blessings we went back to the car and a young man got into the backseat to ride with us. I don't know his name, he was never introduced to me, but now I had another soul to keep safe as I piloted the Merc 400 kilometers to Bangkok.
It was raining a deluge as we pulled out of the Temple and back on the highway with me at the wheel. This is my first time driving.a Mercedes and I was surprised that it only had one large windshield wiper. It was not keeping up with the rain and visibility was bad. I took it slow, under 60 kph at first as I got used to the handling and braking. It was an automatic and had no pickup in 2nd gear at all! I was surprised, but later I realized it had some kind of fuel saver governor on it that restricted the power output...so not going to dodge trouble, best to avoid. We would pass two bad accidents today, one with a truck that dumped nitrogen tanks all over the highway and another multiple car accident probably due to the wet conditions. The only problem I had was on my second parking I pulled too close to a high curb and broke some plastic off the bumper under the front license plate. Pahka made wounded noises and was concerned which was fine, but this part of the bumper had seen a lot of earlier damage including a 24 inch section on the left side where it had been completely chipped off and two large sections by each of the front quarter panels with visible damage! My thought was " oh well, stuff Happens", but she was talking about me paying 30% for an entire new bumper! Keep in mind that this is purely cosmetic damage and the bumper was untouched!
There was a palpable tension in the car the rest of the trip because of this which was sad. We ended up agreeing.on 2,000 Baht, but I still feel that it should have been chalked up to just bad luck since I was paying.for this whole trip.
My bad luck was not over yet as I gradually began to feel quite queasy and sick to my stomach. I just made it to a rest stop and as soon as I got out of the car I threw up my KFC lunch all over my shirt and pants. This forced me to change and clean up in a toilet with only a water dipper. Fortunately I had my nylon shorts and shirt that I sleep in with me in my daypack to put on and I did the best I could, but it was very unpleasant to say the least and embarrassing as well.
As I drove again Pahka sniffed on some lip balm because I guess I still smelled bad! Yuck!!!
It was almost 8 hours when we got to the suburb her house is in and she dropped me near a bus station where I got a cab for a 45 minute ride in evening traffic to the,area my guesthouse was supposed to be in. I wandered for half an hour up and down and just couldn't find it and to make matters just a little worse my left flipflop picked this time to break so I was kind of walking on it and dragging it at the same time. I am sure I looked pathetic. I found a place with a room and booked in for one night. When I got in my room I washed my clothes in the sink with shampoo and hung them to dry. After a shower I changed into clean clothes and went out to explore the night and listen to music and people watch my Top Gear adventure complete!
written by  Mike_Veine on September 23, 2013 from Bangkok, Thailand
from the travel blog: Laos, Thailand and Beyond!

Day 2
Da Lat, Vietnam
Day 2 brought rain into the riding equation. It really isn't too bad a rain, fairly light and warm, in fact it takes the heat off of the day quite a bit. I was awake at 6 and on the road by 7:30 wearing my bike rain pants and a raincoat. It was surprisingly comfortable!
The little bike stated right up and I got the headlight on with no hassles- great when things work! No time like the present so off on the road again...
The naigation today would be much easier because most of the trip was on one road- Hwy 20. Hwy 20 passes through a couple of medium size and one large town before reaching Da Lat and I had 190 Kilometers of it to cover.
I continued my practice of following sane drivers when I could and I felt much more comfortable and even more vigilant than yesterday. Experience is the best teacher and I expect to improve each day. After riding for about 45 minutes I decided to stop for coffee and gas at a very neat and tidy gas station/restaurant with several grinning kids playing with a couple of dogs. Somehow I ended up ordering coffee and a pot of tea, which was fine- you just can't get enough fluids here! A full tank of gas cost me 130,000 VND which may be a little steep, but it was a nice station with good gas and locals were using it. Back to the road! Construction is going on constantly all around but at a low level- 3 guys working on a house or one backhoe on a road project. No mass, 100 man project like you see in the States and Austrlia. Almost looks improvised although I am sure there is patronage and central control in the mix. I haven't seen many military or police around so the impact of the government is hidden from me in that sense.
Now the terrain was changing and I made my way up a steeper winding road with some great views that I had to mostly ignore while I watched the buses and cars come at me on my side of the road when they passed slower vehicles. But it was pretty and cooler and the rain had stopped.
There are old red and white painted stone signs with the distance to the next major town and I finally saw Da Lat 88 K on one. There in a couple of hours and after a lunch of more Pho I passed through another large town, Di Linh, where I saw the first obvious backpackers on motorbikes. They had big packs with raincovers on the back and were riding Minsks, a Russian two-stroke bike that Richard Hammond rode in Top Gear's VN Adventure.They were riding a little more aggressively through town then I was comfortable with so I never caught up to see where they were from, but they are the first I've encountered.
Mostly, the motorbike traffic is slow and local and they keep to the right. The speed limit in town is 40 k and outside 60 or whatever. I ride in 3rd gear in town and outside of town if the traffic is heavy. The engine brakes the bike pretty quickly to help in tricky situations. Outside of town in the open areas I can get a little Top Gear action in 4th and let the bike unwind. I keep to between 50-60 when everything is PERFECT only or I ride at a lttle over 40 so 200 kilometers takes awhile. And I am climbing to 5,000 feet which makes me shift to 3rd so the little bike can carry me and the gear up the steep sections.
On one stop I had a very pleasant visit with a family while I drank a coke. Grandad and two grandaughters wanted to chat and play respectively. Grandad took my language book and we used it to practice his English and my Vietnamese- a fair trade. One of the GD's was only three and cute as could be and she sa next to me and poked me every once in awhile and I would poke at her back and we would laugh and laugh. I gave her a guitar pic and the whole family ha fun pretending we were Rock Stars! A bellyfull of laughs from that one!!! You make a small investment of yourself and you get a huge return of joy and connection- awesome.
I was well and truly in the mountains now and the sun came out revealing the green all around me. Even though the trees are different it reminds me of home and Melbourne with the green hills. Beautiful.
I finally came to the main road into Da Lat- only about 25 k to go. The road divided into a Tollway for cars only and a narrow, old road for motorbikes and anyone too cheap to pay the toll (which is ALL the buses, taxis and some cars!). But the big vehicle are on their best behavior for once and drive sanely. I guess they figure the hassle of an accident here would delay them more than sharing the road!
Coming into Da Lat there are very stately old archetecture hotels with pefect lls and gates and all about are manicured lawns and flowers. Flags are clean and everything looks very tidy. I hit a traffic circle and randomly picked "Left" and slowly picked my way down the street looking for the lower rent district. I saw a sign pointing down a much smaller street and turned in to find a brand new hotel called the 'Hotel Kim'. The owner, named 'Mai' was very proud to show me around the rooms and made sure I had good wifi access (so I can report to you all) and the room was clean with A/C, HOTWATER and a western style toliet WITH toilet paper! JACKPOT!!!!We negoiated a price and helped me arrange a Guide to take me to a mountain to climb tomorrow. The Guide, Mr. Chen, says it is a 3 hour trip up and back a well defined trail so I will get a Vietnamese summit in! More Motorbike adventures in 3 days when I head for Nha Trang on the coast- about 130 K. Til then, My friends and family!
written by  Mike_Veine on June 9, 2013 from Da Lat, Vietnam
from the travel blog: Top Gear Adventure 2- Vietnam Boogaloo!

Climbing Mt Fansipan 8/10
Sa Pa, Vietnam
A Climbing Mt. Fansipan
Up at 2:30 am, fell asleep at 9:30 last night and I need to pack for the climb of 3400 meter Mt. Fanispan and pack up my room to store my excess gear at my hotel.
The hotel staff arranged the climb which is costing me 1,400,000 Dong inclusive of meals, guide/porter, transportation, and sleeping gear. The climb is a 2 day affair where we begin at around 1600 m and climb to.a high camp at 2800 m overnight in a steel shed then summit run early am weather permitting and back to Sa Pa.
The bus picks me up at 8 am and it is jammed with Vietnamese climbers- as the foreigner on the trip they kindly give me the shotgun seat while they pack them in like sardines behind me.
We have a short ride to the National Park that Fanispan is in, but I still almost get car sick from the way the driver throws the bus through the corners of the,winding mountain road- nice way to start a climb!
Mt. Fansipan requires a permit to climb it and it is very difficult to get permission to go without a guide, maybe impossible even, and as I leave bus I am introduced to my guide, Mr. Xing (pronounced sing). Mr Xing will carry my group gear and food and cook for me and make sure I make it in one piece out and back. As,with any climb you can't guarantee a summit since fitness and weather play a huge roll in your success.
Mr Xing is about 5' 2" and probably 100 lbs soaking wet. He carries the,gear in a woven basket with thin nylon straps to go over his shoulders. He is wearing calf length black cotton pants, a black mid sleeve synthetic t shirt and plastic shower sandals. I estimate the weight of his basket at 30 lbs easy, maybe more.
Mr Xing and I set out ahead of everyone else and of course instead of going up we begin to go down on rocks and mud to a stream. Mr Xing casually trots down a slick 30 degree rock section while I carefully watch where he puts his feet and slowly move down it. I realize I am in for a wild ride!
The trail is very wet and muddy and st times we are literally climbing up waterfalls and walking in running streambeds and it will almost surely rain some more today.It is a tree enclosed jungle we hike through with bamboo and sticker bushes on either side for some stretches. You will come to a steep scrambling section that climbs 100 meters and then hit a ridge and descend and lose 75 and that is the hlike to snack camp in a nutshell.
At snack camp I sat in a large tarp shelter that could accommodate 20- 30 climbers, because we left first I had it all to myself! Mr Xing brought a tray with sliced tomato and cucumber, two baguettes and two fried eggs for my "lunch" and while I was eating a trio of French trekers arrived and behind them a gaggle of Vietnamese climbers of assorted aged men and women.
Mr Xing and I left before the French, but they caught us on the second steep climb and went ahead. Right after they passed me a Mountain Goat walked onto the trail! He was black and grey and had curling horns like a ram should. He was fairly small, but much stockier than a billy goat and had a big chest. He eyed me for about 4 seconds and then walked off the path and back into the brush. We also found a two foot long earthworm on the trail who was a centimeter across at the middle with a pinkish-purple band around his otherwise grey body at precisely his mid point. Did not touch him, but was tempted....the only other animal encounters were dogs, puppies and a very friendly cat at the snack camp.
The climb to high camp was very steep proceeding up and over a series of progressively larger peaks with short descents between each peak. There would have been spectacular views, but we were shrouded in clouds with drizzle and occasionally raindrops as our companions.
After two hours of climbing we reached the High Camp just as the skies opened up with a torrential rain that would last all night and well into the next day.
Our high camp shelter was a metal shed with a wooden plank floor and raised platforms on either side of s central aisle.
There were lines strung over the center to hang set clothes onto and I quickly shed my raincoat and shirt.and t-shirt and hung them over my corner spot where Mr Xing had my gear.it was dark inside the shelter and the steady beat of the rain accompanied the tapping of my keyboard as I made notes. I was still feeling very cold despite changing so I asked the girl who maintained the hut if she would make me some hot tea. For 30,000 Dong she made me a glass of hot tea and promised one hot water refill as well which was good because I managed to knock the glass over when it was still half full as I took off my soaking wet socks! My boots were thoroughly drenched- sopping wet in fact. The tea warmed me up and by the second cup I had my sleeping bag pulled over my legs and my music player going and headphones on and I relaxed and watched the soaked stragglers wander into camp. Inspite of my poor condition I had beaten the majority of climbers to camp by a wide margin, so I guess they had a party on the trail and didn't invite me!
It was pitch black inside the shelter when the guides started bringing our dinners in. Each party seemed to be getting different foods with some getting fried foods and others (like me) getting sticky rice, cooked chicken and boiled greens. It was delicious as only camp food can be and the guides lit candles to provide a bit of atmosphere and light for the occasion.
Mr Xing sat with me and filled my bowl first and then I would gesture for him to fill his bowl or he would not eat; he had brought a bottle of ice tea drink that he poured into glasses for us and I was very happy because I was basically out of water (they only supply one bottle a day) and was very thirsty. Imagine my surprise when the 'tea' turned out to be rice alcohol! Mr Xing smiled and toasted and we drank it down, but all I really wanted was water! There was way too much food so I ate my fill and dinner ended with Mr Xing carting the tray out and me watching a movie on my phone before trying to sleep.
Sleep was tough to come by with 25 other people crammed in with you and my provided sleeping pad was flat and leaked- not comfortable- I tossed and turned all night sleeping maybe three hours.
As the night went on the storm only got stronger and by sunup it was a full on monsoon with wind and lashing rain. It was not ideal conditions for sumiting in fact pretty dangerous just to climb down, and I had let Mr Xing know the night before that if it was storming I would not climb up and he could take me down early. By 7 am we were ready to go and for the next four hours we made pur way down trails that were now rivers and rocky descents that were kin to waterfalls. I made use of every hand hold I could find which in many places was bamboo that would dump water on my head when I grabbed it in retaliation! Finally with muscles aching and completely and utterly soaked to the bone I made it back to the park headquarters! I thanked Mr Xing for getting me down safely and tipped him discretely since I was unsure of the cultural aspects of that. I left Mt Fansipan satisfied I had done my best and ready for a nap!
written by  Mike_Veine on August 14, 2013 from Sa Pa, Vietnam
from the travel blog: Hanoi and Vietnam- Living Day to Day

Going away Party and Packing
Portland, United States
Time to write again...well, I had my going away party on May 11th and since Mother's Day was on May 13th several friends brought their Mom's which was a really nice touch.
I had a keg from Upright Brewing and my roommate Rob made Mojito's which were a huge hit. Menu included Sturgeon with sour cream, capers and red onion on crackers; Vegetarian Jambalya with cooked shrimp or Andoullie Sausage on the side for carnivores to add in; and slow cooked BBQ'ed Brisket. Homemade Pecan Pie and a Chocolate Fudge cake rounded out the desserts with some cheesecake my friend Diane brought and RJ brought chips and a veggie tray. So no one went hungry!
Thanks to everyone who came out to help me celebrate!
Now on the 16th I have completed some big things to prepare for the move. I have my Australian Bank account setup which was a pain and today I boxed my bike. Unfortunately I could not get as much in the box with it as I had hoped so more sorting and thinning. Tomorrow a non-profit group my friend Louisa turned me on to will come and pick up a donation of camping gear and other stuff that I have which will help reduce the pile in the garage. Now that the bike is done I hope to get another big bag packed soon. My date to leave, June 5th, is still aways off but I like to have things together so I can slack off. That's all for now!
written by  Mike_Veine on May 16, 2012 from Portland, United States
from the travel blog: Mike's Magical Mystery Tour

Da Lat Day 3- Mountain Challenge and Sightseeing
Da Lat, Vietnam
Hi Family and Friends! No driving for the next two days but adventure just the same! Today I have a guide taking me to Lang Biang, a pair of mountains about 40 K north of Da Lat. They are famous in history as representing a Romeo and Juliet story where two kids from different tribes fell in love and married which was forbiden. They hid out on the mountain until the girl, Lang, became ill and the husband, Biang, had to go the the village for help where they kille him and the wife died of her illness. The headman of the villages was griefstricken by this and so the tribes gathered and agreed to intertribal marriage so it would never happen again. Legend has it that the spirits of the starcrossed lovers live on in their respective mountains.
Most tourists take jeeps that are for hire at the entrance to the park. The jeeps take them to the top of Lang, over 1,900 meters high. Today I was going to the top of Biang which is 2,160 meters and a trail hike. My guide knew of a connecting trail I could take so I would not have to walk on the road for 2 k and he showed me on a large map approximately where it was. He wa staying behind since he is a touris guide and not a climbing guide. So off I went. After about 20 minutes walking up the road I saw a small trail to my right that made its way down on a slight descent to cross a meadow area. Then it was into a steady climb with some switchbacks and sometimed petered out which left me scoutin and guessing at the route, but I had a compass and knew the direction to go. I actually started hearing birdsong here for the first time in the country and it was very green, but hot and muggy. Clouds and the shade on the trail helped and after an hour I came to the road again and beside it was a kiosk and another trail which was the true trailhead on the climb.
The young man at the trailhead was tribal Han and he said the mountains were his peoples and they were conserving them and the entrance fees went to that purpose. Very cool! I paid and thanked him and started off- wide trail with some very slippery clay which caused me to slip on my ass once. The trail soon changed to a much narrower and wetter area and started descending. I hate losing elevation on a climb! After 1/2 hour it began to climb again. Much of my hiking was in pine forest- did not know that would be the case. All of the needles on the ground and the smells reminded me of home; but when the trail got wetter the pines disappeared and jungle plants and vines and some kind of hardwoods prevailed. After an hour of climbing with some views to my right I hit a signpost that said the summit was 650 meters ahead and the trail changed to a very steep embanked staircase.
The heat and elevation were taking a toll on me by this time so it was slow going up the stairs with rests and drinks frequent! Finally I made it to the open summit after 3 hours total from the bottom. It was beautiful with views all around and blue skies. Butterflies of several types were cavorting all over the summit- Amazing! Took a long sit and several drinks and pictures and time to head down!
After I reconnected with my guide, Mr. Chen, he took me to lunch where I was hoping to get some good veggies, but no such luck- not easy to find such a thing here for some reason. I settled for tuna and rice which included three very thin slices of tomato and three equally slim slices of cucumber buried under the rice as the "veggies". For some reason the restaurant made me sit in an upstairs area away from the main downstairs dining room and I could definitely feel the stares as I went up the stairs! Sometimes you feel like a cat at a dog convention here!!!! But it was a meal.
After lunch, Mr. Chen took me on a sightseeing tour I had not really asked for, but what the hey...First stop wa The Crazy House which is kind of the Vietnamese answer to The Winchester House in the US (Google it!). The house is, indeed, very unusual in that there are no straight lines and it looks more like sculpture than a living space. Winding staircases indoors and out take you to towers and lookouts and the w all around the house is topped with jagged glass. I guess it is a functioning hotel, but I never saw the guestroom area. After photos it was time to move on. Next stop- Buddhist medatation center!
The Meditation Center had beautifully manicured grounds (which is the norm around Da Lat) and flowers and bonsai. Also a temple with a nice Buddha inside and another smaller temple with a wild looking green Buddha in it. Many people were dressed up and on bus tours with the family so I felt pretty underdressed in my grubby, dirty and sweaty cl imbing clothes so I really wanted to skip the next stop on the tour. which was a waterfall. Mr Chen assured me we would "drive right up to it", so I thought, "O.K., that will be easy and quick, so why pass on a waterfall?". Off we go into a modrate- light rain/drizzle...this was only a harbinger of the storm to come!
When we arrived at the waterfall area it was like an amusement park- pay your admission and go through the gate, only when I got through- no waterfall! There was, however, the strangest amusement ride I have ever seen! It was a rollercoaster that consisted of small, two person cars that had individual brake for the riders to stop and slow it. Mr Chen said that was the way to get to the waterfall, so another 45,000 VND ticket and into the line. Being huge compared to most of the Vietnamese I received my own car and I was behind two high school age girls. The cars are on very sturdy and very well kept rails and there is really no way anything could go wong, but the girls ahead would scream and jam on their brakes everytime the thing really got going so I had to jam on my brakes as well to keep from plowing into them- like being on the motorbike all over again! At bottom there is no graceful way to exit the little cars so I kind of rolled and stumbled out. The waterfall was not very high but it as roaring and 15-20 meters across. Now it was starting to really rain though and I was beat and just wanted to go home. Looking around I saw another set of rollercars that were being towed up a cable to bring you back to the start. I smiled as I handed the attendent my ticket at the head of the line, but he expressed a view that I needed to purchase another ticket to get out. Now I am sure there is a way to walk out of there for no charge, but I had done enough climbing for one day, so I bought the ticket and got into my little car just when the skies completely opened and let a deluge, gulley washer, flash flood of a storm loose. So I sat in the open car being pulled straight into the teeth of it. By the time I got back to the top I had no dry spot left on my body and my socks and hiking boots were soaked through. I stood under a table umbrella and knew there was no sense in going on th bike no- we would drown!
The storm went on for about 45 minutes and then showed signs of let up. I found Mr Chen had kept dry in a restaurant nearby the bike's parking spot and off we went to my hotel. End of long and tiring day (and this long blog post!
written by  Mike_Veine on June 11, 2013 from Da Lat, Vietnam

Day 5
Tennant Creek, Australia
Hi Gear Heads---off on day five of the challenge and today we will detour from cars into the realm of boats and then go about 500 k down the road in an afternoon rush to the Banka Banka Outback Station for a good night rest!
I camped in the Katherine Gorge last night and today I found out they have cheap backpacking sites ($3.50) and no permit required- pity I don't have my pack!
Yesterday I booked a two hour, two Gorge tour on a boat that leaves at 9 am. I woke up early enough to have coffee and break camp and even had time to call my folks in Idaho before boarding the boat.
The Katherine Gorge is made up of 33 different Gorges that are roughly in the shape of a snake as drawn by the Native Peoples. Our guide says the Gorges are seperated by rocks in the dry season and resemble a hershey bar with each little segment being another gorge. In the wet season though it is one raging river with the water levels rising over 30 meters (100 feet approx)!
We are on a 70 passenger flat bottom boat and it is not quite full. At $79 a head though they are doing all right and there will be 4 other trips today on this boat alone.
As we head into the Gorge our Guide explains about the crocodiles and how salt water crocs (the dangerous ones) will get in when the water levels are higher than they are now and he shows us a trap they set for them. "Salties" as they are called here, can grow to 6 meters or more and easily eat you. But we don't have to worry because of the time of year, water level and the precautions the park service takes.
The walls of the Gorge are about 100- 200 feet high around us and occasionally we come across some sandy beaches. They are marked for 'No Entry' and our guide says they are the nesting grounds for the Fresh water crocodiles- "Freshies" and if they are disturbed the fines are thousands of dollars! he showed us drag marks where the crocs had come on the beach to check the sand temperature to see if it was right for incubation. According to the Guide, the temperature determines if the hatchlings will be male or female!
We move on through the first Gorge and take lots of pictures- there are some day kayakers paddling on the glassy water and it looks delightful. We see a small freshie and stop so everyone can try to get pictures, he got bored and swam away, but I think I got one of him (pic on blog).
Then we reached the end of the Gorge and transfered to another boat in the second Gorge. After a short walk we boarded and set out passing a famous cliff that was used in a movie that was the first Australian movie featuring an all indigenous cast in a story about the indigenous people. In the movie two characters leap from the cliff. Actually two dummies were used to make the splash at bottom.
We move past several side gorges including one you reach by a day hike that ends with a small beach and swimming! Nice.
Then we see the main Gorge and line up for an iconic photo showing the river running between high rockwalls as far as the eye can see. Cool. A little more cruising and we start back.
By the time I get to the car it is after noon and I head to McDonalds again for a snack and the WiFi then to the Woolworths store to get more ice and dinner supplies.
Then the road- today I will bash the old car and drive with the A/C on and check the mileage. The A/C is blowing beautifully cold as I start out and for about 1/2 an hour is awesome. BUT- as soon as I got out of the city and accelerated to 130 kph it stopped working....could not feel cold air at all. I think the belt might just be slipping but I just soldiered on without the air for now- if I find someone in a caravan park who knows their stuff maybe they can take a look for me.
They car ran all day at 130 kph and handles like a whale---roll into the corner, roll out of the corner- big time oversteer. But she runs! 2 fill ups and 500k later and we are at Banka Banka camp before sunset.
After dinner I visited at the bonfire with the owner and his family. They had helped me out with a bolt when my downtube clamp bolt had broken so they knew about the bike ride. We chatted and drank a beer and then I went to bed for a good nights sleep before Day 6 - On To Alice Springs!!!! Enjoy the Photos and please send me comments or emails!
written by  Mike_Veine on September 4, 2012 from Tennant Creek, Australia

Traveling in Thailand to Ayuttaya, and Lop Buri the Monkey City
Lop Buri, Thailand
A Mike in Sukothai after Ayuttaya and Lop Buri
I've been on the road since Bangkok traveling by rail north, first on a commuter train and then on the National Railways.
Transportation in Bangkok was by Taxi and Motorbike Taxi and walking. I never made it to a Sky Train station or took a city bus. Sad but true true. The motorbike taxi was an awesome ride often at breakneck speed weaving thru Bangkok traffic like a drunken cyclist!
First up was Ayutthaia, an ancient Imperial Palace city with amazing ruins- all of the ruins make me feel like I am in an Indiana Jones movie with the ancient bricks with plants growing over them and old cracked and headless Buddhas forever in their Lotus position. I've even learned the stories about the Buddha's positions in meditation and teaching like the " Subduing Mara' position with Buddha's right hand pointing at the ground to call upon Mother Earth as the witness of his worthy deeds thru his many lives.
Each image has peace and gentle wisdom within and you can feel the power of many of them given by the people who have viewed and prayed and meditated before them for centuries and make a connection of peace.
Ayutthaia is an island because of a moat that was dug around it hundreds of years ago and you take a small ferry across it for 4 Baht ( about 20 cents). I stayed at a guesthouse for 350 a night (no aircon) as it was cooling off at night because of the storms. The guesthouse had a small restaurant that the owner's wife cooked for and the tables were on a covered deck overlooking the river and the ferry stops so you could sit and have a beer and watch the boats go by. The food was authentic Thai and the best and cheapest outside of a street stall that I have had here. So I ate my fill and watched the tugboats haul cargo barges and the ferry haul passengers and the party boats with karaoke float and power by me.
My plan is to rent a bicycle tomorrow and ride around the island so I was up early and on a bike I rented by 8. Riding in morning traffic was just like being on the motorcycle in Vietnam- weave and watch and keep to the shoulder, only here they drive on the left side, like in Australia.
I passed through the busy downtown and found my first ruin with Chedis (tall, bell shaped spires) and Buddha statues. As I passed around the island and saw the scale and scope of the old city it impressed me; what an effort was required without modern machinery just to clear the land! This is a jungle and stuff grows fast here and tries to fill every crack with foliage.
Many amazing ruins later my chain broke on the bicycle and left me pushing it. I called the number of the rental agent and just got a recording o couldn't understand so I just walked and scooted the bike to the next stop- a large open park with lakes and moats and elephants! I did not ride an elephant at this time, but I hope that lies in my future. It was fun to watch the mahouts walk the gentle giants with two to three tourists on palanquins riding each elephant decked out in red and gold blankets and costumes for the drivers. The palanquins had gold fringed shade covers over the seats and under the covers were the amazed or bored faces of people from all over the world. One western man with a camera with a huge lens walked beside and patted an elephant's flank which I thought was a little too bold, but the elephant did not seem to notice him. I was thinking of a famous 'Mary Tyler Moore' TV show where Chuckles the Clown was killed while dressed as a peanut in a parade by an elephant that " tried to shell him", according to Lou Grant. I gave the elephants a wide berth!
My phone rang and it was the bike owner who saw my number on his missed calls. I gave my phone to a Tuk Tuk driver who gave the owner directions so he could come to me.
The weather was very hot with a partly cloudy blue sky and I found a shady spot to sit, eat an ice cream and wait for a new bike. It took an hour, but the owner rode up on a tandem!!! which he gave to me to ride around solo. For awhile I tried this, but it was just too much bike and I rode back to the rental shop to exchange it for another single- one problem, no owner was there and the shop wad closed. O waited and waited for over an hour and he never showed up. Besides not getting another bike so I could continue my ride he had a 500 baht deposit I wanted back. A woman at a food booth next door tried calling him and just shook her head with disgust and said he does this all the time.
My room wa close, so I went back there and took a shower to cool off, had a beer and a snack and went back in the early evening to gety deposit. To add insult to injury he wanted to chargee for a lock he hadn't provided and I had to show him all the bikes that had no lock to assure him that mine had no lock when he sente out. This he finally accepted and I got my full 500 back.
I walked around town to a favorite bakery and purchased some snacks at a little store nearby and watched TV that night and went to bed early to leave Ayutthaia for Lop Buri and the Monkey Temple early the next morning.
Lop Buri turns out to be interesting in an Archeological sense with a nice museum and easily accessible ruins, some of which are quite well preserved for 500- 300 year-old temples and statues. The town itself is forgettable and the monkeys are kind of cute and kind of scary. I witnessed a young Dutch girl getting attacked by a mother when she tried to innocently take a picture of a baby and it was scary. The girl lead scratched, but fortunately not bitten or rabies shots may have been necessary!
I caught the next train out of town after that.
written by  Mike_Veine on October 22, 2013 from Lop Buri, Thailand
from the travel blog: Laos, Thailand and Beyond!

Day 6 in the bag!
Alice Springs, Australia
Mike's Top Gear Challenge
Day 6
Today I woke up early at the Banka Banka Camp and quickly packed up. I checked the fluid levels on the car and the coolant was full and the oil level was correct though the oil is much darker now.
Today will be another 500 k plus day- it is amazing to go so far so fast after the bike journey. And today I will see areas I haven't been to and finish up in the famous outback town of Alice Springs.
First I drove 100k to Tennant Creek and back to the motel I'd stayed in my last time through. I bought a coffee and spent almost two hours updating my blog and loading and captioning pictures of the Litchfield and Katherine Gorge Parks. I am working hard to keep this blog more up to date with the car taking me to places with computers or wireless connections nearly every day.
Then it was driving and driving and driving. The car ran well at 130 kph all day and never got hot. There are some noises at the end of the day that are a bit different from the start, but we will see.
Today I saw an area they call the Devil's Marbles where there are boulders stacked on top of each other and some are eerily almost perfectly round. It is a small area and before I got there I saw a cyclist who I knew had a bad rear hub. I passed him and went back after seeing the Marbles and offered him my rear wheel. His name is Henrik and he is riding around the world on his bike.
Henrik has ordered a hub to Alice Springs so after we found that my wheel would work I offered to take his wheel with me to the bike shop and he could ride my wheel in and leave it at the shop for me to pick up. I will go see Ulurru and the Kings Canyon over the next two days while he rides in and then I will come back to Alice Springs for my wheel. It means that I have to backtrack 159k one day, but a lot of people helped me so I need to give that back.
I gave him a cold tangerine and an icy diet coke as well....little things that mean a lot in the hot sun on a bike.
I left Henrik and continued down the road. It looks more deserty here...dry dry dry. Before I forget I want to mention that everyday I have seen big bush fires right by the road. Yesterday it was flaming on the opposite side of the highway for about 1/4 mile and you could feel the heat of the flames as they devoured the dry trees. No one was firefighting they just let it burn. So much empty space to scorch. I saw a burned out car that looked to be the ignition source for the fire. Even "Cheap as Chips" wouldn't take that one!
I also played with the radio trying to get a station in and occasionally did, but my antenna is busted and that hinders my reception significantly.
I stopped for gas because I had dropped below 1/2 a tank about 200 k north of AS and they wanted a $1.93 a liter! I had discussed with Peter how foolish it was to shop around for cheap gas, but this was highway robbery- even in Daly Waters I only paid $1.83. I put in $ 15.00 wortht o be on the safe side and took off.
As the fuel gauge crept down I remembered that some cars' gauges drop faster after the first 1/2 tank so I watched it like a hawk. Now I was never in danger of being stranded because I had 20 liters of gas in cans in the car, but I could run out or get it so low that crap in the bottom of the tank might cause problems. I was convinced that if I hit the 80k marker to AS before the gauge read 1/4 I would be ok. At 1/4 exactly 80 k sign appeared. The car went really low towards 'E' but the low fuel warning light never came on (if it works!).
So far everything but the A/C is working well, but I do hate the drivers seat. The last guy must have had a fat ass and rode it on his left hip because the left side of the seat is beating up my left kidney. I shift around and the pain comes back whenever I settle in. I need to try more seat adjustments. I can go forward or back, up or down or tilt it. There is a lumbar adjust but I have that off because it just pokes at me.
Other than that the car is doing really well.
I got into Alice Springs just after 4pm and dropped off the wheel. gassed up and found a caravan park on the south side of town for a quick departure tomorrow to The Rock.
More tomorrow on Day 7 of Mike's Top Gear Challenge.
written by  Mike_Veine on September 5, 2012 from Alice Springs, Australia

Leaving Bangkok- the Journey now!
Bangkok, Thailand
A October 9th.
Train from Khon Koen to Bangkok
This trip has changed again.
Now it is becoming about the peacefulness of the Thai countryside rolling by my window and the dragonflies and butterflies floating on the breeze beside me.
I have just started to Cambodia after visiting with my friend, Louisa in Kalasin, Thailand, a small agricultural town in the Isean Region of Northeastern Thailand. A big shout out to my friend for hosting me and sharing het friends and her knowledge of where to go and what to see on my recent trip sourh- you are a true exploring spirit!!! Thank you!!!!
It is sunny and hot, but the humidity has dropped and we have had no rain in four days. Everything around is still lush , wet and green. There are neatly planted fields of corn and crops I don't recognize, some of them small broadleaf bushes and of course there are long stretches of rice paddies. The odor of burning crops sometimes fills the air as the slash and burn style is practiced here, but most of the time the air is sweet with the smell of grasses or sometimes rice.
The train goes slow over areas with the track under repair.and workers look at me from under their wide brimmed straw hats, eyes peeking over or thru facemasks. The sky is blue and the land is green and I am so very relaxed and content now - not looking forward or backward. The wind comes through my wide open window and with my barefeet up on the seat across from me I watch other travelers gently dozing and who knows what their dreams are?
I think this trip is now about me finding my new dreams and listening to the wisdom around me from friends, poets and madmen. We should always dare to live our dreams and to people who say this is 'fun', i will only say, " not always". Some of the discoveries are painful, frightening or just unpleasant. These lessons can be about the people and places around you or even yourself. And you never know when the lessons come.
Sorry, more philosophical than usual, but that is where my head is at.
More posting from Cambodia soon
written by  Mike_Veine on October 27, 2013 from Bangkok, Thailand

Da Lat Day 4- Walking aound town and doing chores
Much shorter post for today (I promise)....I forgot to mention that yesterday my inkeeper, Miss Chi, let me know that the bike was leaking oil. I could see where it was coming from- a seam where the
oil sump meets the transmission (I think). I wanted to know how much it was losing so I resolved to wash the bike today and put a clean piece of paper under it to check the size of the leak. Before that I wanted to see the town on foot so I set off to walk around some of Da Lat. After wandering for about 40 minutes I saw a large lake probably 5 k around with a green space all around it. I strolled along enjoying the green and the views and the traffic and came to a large garden park with tour buses all over and people taking pictures of each other in front of the 20 meter tall gate. A ticket was only 20,000 VND- about 50 cents - so why not?
Inside were many interesting sights- dragon, giraffe and other animal topiaries, a covered rose garden, walkways with fountains and statues, a cactus garden and many different flower beds. Also there were men with horse carts and pony photo ops which the aduls seemed to enjoy as much as the kids. Many muligenerational families with the grandmas all dressed up and the kids in their shorts and sneakers, but all very neat and tidy. Today I had prepared by wearin my nicest dress shirt and clean slacks to explore so I wouldn't feel so out of place.
After awhile I found some small sack stalls and bought an ice cream cone and I felt very at ease and relaxed. A beautiful experience watching the families and seeing how we are all the same when it comes to sharing the joy! Cool...
Leaving the garden I continued around the lake finally coming to downtown area with highrise shops and some modern looking storefronts. I had three shopping goals today- 1) get snacks for the room, which I accomplished by buying chips at the garden's little snack area. The bags are unusual in that they are puffed up like a balloon and taut. I don't know if that is because of the manufacturing process or to show the consumer they really are sealed!
2) check on a new sim card for the phone; I had made a mistake when I got my sim card and only purchased 60 megs of data when I could have had unlimited for pennies more, really, and I wanted to dump my card and start with a new one or pay a little more an upgrade. Somehow I never found a Mobiphone place and the Vietphone people did not understand that I wanted to change plans and just kept pointing across the street or somewhere and saying "Mobiphone".
I never did find where the pointed area was. So failure!
3) Buy oil for the bike- found it and bought .8 liters, kind of expensive at 70,000 VND, but it was a posted price so I know I was paying what the locals do. Nice little family ran the shop. The had an empty birdage in front which had obviously had a bird at some point, but no bird now.
On my travels I found a restaurant that served pizza so I figured I'd go there for dinner. Found another one at the main traffic circle in town and was delighted to get a menu with pictures and prices! They had a fruit plate that looked awesome in the picture and they had glass of milk on the menu which sounded really good. Placed my order and settled in to watch the traffic circle ballet.
These guys can carry anything on motorbike! The wildest thing I saw today was a chest of drawers that was being balanced on the seat between the rider and the passenger!! Just fun to observe.
Fruit plate came and it was good but competely different from the picture. It included avocado though which was great and salty and hot spice you could dip the fruit- hot peppers so needed to go sparingly, but quite good.
After getting home, changing and cooling off I put the bike across the street and using a wash basin borrowed from the guesthouse I started washing it. I think everyone within four blocks came by to see me do this. They may even have called their relatives! I think they get used to backpackers having dirty bikes or paying someone to wash it so I was an abnormality. My Landlady had a small coniption when she came out and checke on me and saw how dirty her washbasin was getting. I had carefully explained it was for washing the Mowtow, but I felt bad anyway. She brought me a five gallon bucket and some soap powder though and asked me politely if I ould clean the buckets with the soap when I was done. No problem. Took an hour to give the bike its first wash and clean up then back into the hotel with a fresh piece of paper and a new rag fromthe landlady under it to check the leak. After 5 hours it was less than a teaspoon so I will just add oil every couple of days and keep an eye on it inbetween. When something else breaks I will see about getting it tightened up, but little bikes like this are probably going to leak now and then.
For dinner I walked back to the pizza place, but apparently they are only open for lunch! It was pouring again and I was in my full rainsuit and OR Seattle Sombrero for the trek. I saw a very fancy place and went in for a really expensive dinner intead- french cuisine- and my first glass of wine in Asia- a delicious French Cabernet Saugvinon and m Chicken in Rosemary reduction sauce with Mashed Potatos and mixed vegetables (steamed carrot, broccoli, and cauliflower) was very good- especially the rosemary sauce! Topped off with Creme Caramel and black coffee mmmmmm...but expensive- first time I ever spent a million on a meal! Still, in USD it wa only about 60 bucks for a fine french meal including a Ceasar Salad (with anchovies, Dad), so no complaints from me, plus it was the FIRST place to take my check card! Hurrah!!!
Back home stuffed and now done with my writing I will check out tomorrow and flip a coin to see what direction I go- Heads, the Beach- tails, the Hills!

Last Day in USA
Portland, United States
Today is the day I leave...I am nervous, but excited as well and I know that this adventure will help me grow and change to be a better and wiser man.
Thanks to all my friends who have met up, partied, helped me get rid of stuff and in general made my life transition easier this past month; I will miss you all.
My life's possessions are now whittled down to a bike box, two large suitcases and two carry on size suitcases (which still seems like a lot of stuff).
I will try to take a picture of the stuff at the curb before I load it and put it with this post later so I can remember the effort it took.
Next Post from Downunder and sharing the new living situation with you!
Cheers for now, Mike
written by  Mike_Veine on June 5, 2012 from Portland, United States
from the travel blog: Mike's Magical Mystery Tour

Leaving Vietnam for Laos and New Adventure
Vientiane, Laos
The border
They won't let me cross with bike!!!!!
Think it is driving across, not a technical problem with ownership- they don't let any bikes across hete!
Maybe I could hire a truck to take it and me across?
That didn't work out. Went back to guesthouse and sold the bike to the innkeeper. Got 150 bucks and a free night for it. He also called a bus company for me and booked me on a bus to Laos. Originally I thought I would leave at 1 am but it became 6 am instead. That's the pattern here , things take time and schedules are flexible. The innkeeper's family invited me for dinner and so my last meal in Vietnam was homecooked, we had roast pork that was sliced with boiled onions and cucumber, tofu that was fried with some hot spices, a very spicy fried fish, soup with greens, and sticky rice. They also gave me a beer, but I was the only one with any kind of beverage so that felt weird.
Up to bed for a few hours sleep and in the morning when I went downstairs the innkeeper was crashed out on the,small sofa in the sitting room/lobby. I shook him awake and he went to his phone and texted someone then made a phone call and after that he said we would wait for a phone call and then go. Around 7 am the call came in and he gave me a lift on his scooter to a main corner on the town and waited with me until the bus came. The bus was a 20 passenger model that they were cramming 30 or more into and cost 150,000 Dong for the trip unto Laos. When I paid I thought this was pretty cheap to go all the way to Vientiane, Laos capitol city about 450 k away and they had saved me a one person seat on the right side of the bus so for a little while I had my own space. Away we went stopping in smaller hamlets along the way to drop off or pick up passengers and once for a short breakfast stop. After that we began the trip up into the mountains that line the border here and the air began to cool off and the hamlets fell behind as we climbed higher and higher. You first know you are at the border when you see a cobbled together shack flying a large Vietnamese flag. The actual border immigration control building is more modern. We filed off the bus and there was a mad rush to the 'DEPARTURES' area where you slid your passport across a counter and under a glass partition to a guard who watched another guard process it. When they took mine the guard said " No Moto", and I assured him that I was on "xe buyt" not on a motorcycle. It was pretty busy at the counter with people cramming in behind and around me shoving their passports,under and speaking to the guard. I saw,my bus drive through a checkpoint behind me and got just a little worried about being left behind, but there was a whole other process to go through on the Laotian side so I relaxed and let it all unfold.
Eventually the one guy who was working the computer got to my passport, ran it through the computer, squinted at it a couple of times and stamped and returned it to me.
After that I walked through a border checkpoint and showed my processed passport and left Vietnam.
It was a short .5 k walk past my bus, which was waiting to be checked in to Laos, to the Laos Visa on Arrival Office. I was the only one in this line happily and got the forms I needed from an unsmiling young bureaucrat. They required a passport sized photo and fortunately I had purchased some in Australia, after a short delay they issued my 1 month Visa for 38 US dollars.
Next stop was the Currency Exchange where I converted all my Vietnamese Dong to Laos Lip and got what I think was about $300 and left there for a little store by the roadside where I bought a Coke for 5,000 Kip and waited for my bus which I could see in line at the Laos border checkpoint.
Back on the bus and the two fellows next to me laughed and tried to start a conversation and one of the whistled a tune so I thought, "why not sing some bus songs"? and started with " the wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round" which cracked up half of the bus because I think they know this song! The other half looked at me like I was nuts and possibly dangerous, so I switched to " 99 bottles of beer on the wall" but that didn't take off like I had hoped, but my seatmates were amused and pleased all the same.
Now the bus seemed to have climbed to a plateau and there was a beautiful clear river running beside us on my side of the bus. This area looks much poorer than Vietnam, but maybe that is the Bordertown nature of it. We drive on to very small villages and one by one my fellow travelers exit the bus to family and friends.
I believed that the bus was going to Vientiane, the Captiol of Laos, but I was mistaken and the bus dropped me off at a local bus stop still 400 k short of my destination.
The bus stop was a roofed over concrete pad about 30 by 30 meters with rough wooden benches and a little snack area run by three girls who were BBQing meat skewers over a small open flame. There were about 20 people waiting in the area and every so often a small pickup with benches in back and covers over the bed would back up to the pad and people would jam in and load packages of various kinds, mostly old rice sacks filled with ????? on top of the roof cover. Often the driver would throw a tarp over the "luggage" before driving off. As the people jammed in they would also bring parcels and suitcases in the back and try to fit them amongst their co-riders. The impression I had many times were that I was seeing large families traveling together so they were fine with the crowding.
I found a blackboard that had departures listed and I could see that the bus to,Vientiane didn't leave until 5:30 pm and it was 11:30 am now, so I had a long wait ahead. I spent the 6 hours walking around and buying snacks occasionally and just watching the scene.
Finaly 5:30 rolled around and I was on the bus with a row to myself. I soon figured out a way to stretch my legs across the aisle and caught a nap that way. The bus stopped for a quick dinner in a town that had bonfires burning in the street, very Mad Max-ish! They sell incredible BBQ meat on a stick! They had a whole pork chop on a stick even! I bought some BBQ that was on a kind of bamboo string in loops. Very tasty.
Back on the bus for a total of 6 hours and finally getting into Vientiane at 11:30. The Tuk Tuk driver wanted 100,000 kip jut to run me downtown and since it only cost 85,000 to come over 400 k I said "No thanks" and he, like a smartass pointed at the bus benches in the station. That was,fine with me and I explored the station and realized they had a roach motel there so I got a room for 60,000 kip (no aircon or hygiene in particular) giving me the last laugh obtuse Tuk Tuk driver!
The next morning I set out for downtown with my monster sized pack on my back and my small pack in my hands. At 8 am it was 90 degrees with 90 % humidity so after 2 k I was rethinking my plan in a bit of distress when a bus pulled up next to me and the driver motioned me in. For 3,000 kip I got my ride downtown in an airconditioned bus full of women going to work. I was kind of a mess since the motel bathroom had no shower or sanitation to speak of so I felt sorry for the girl in high heels and makeup next to me who probably was wondering how this had happened to her. Extra offerings to the commuter God probably followed the next day!
Now I was downtown but I still had no idea where the backpacker area was and even the Tuk Tuk drivers didn't understand what I wanted, so I ducked into a place for breakfast and eventually, after a couple of tries, found something on the menu they would make for me (scrambled eggs) and kicked back with an iced coffee. The coffee here is nowhere near as good as Vietnamese coffee. I guess they just don't appreciate it as much. After eating I once again threw all my stuff on my back and set out into the inferno.
I walked one block and coming towards me was a Western girl with a map and I immediately glommed onto her like a long lost twin.her name,as 'Amanda' and she was in Vientiane getting her Thai working Visa for her job teaching English in Chang Mai. She was heading to a hostel and she let me tag along. It was a long walk, but worth it and I was able to get a single room and they even have a pool and BBQ's a couple of times a week for cheap. Awesome!!
On that note I will leave you wanting and tease you with the title of my next post-
THE FLOOD!!!! A
written by  Mike_Veine on August 23, 2013 from Vientiane, Laos

Day 7 Camels!
Alice Springs, Australia
Mike's Top Gear Challenge Day 7
Morning and another day begins on my challenge to get home in a  $900 car. So far I have covered over 1400 kilometers and made it from Darwin to Alice Springs. Today I will try for Uluru also known as Ayers Rock which is about 440 k away.
After packing up I carefully checked all the fluid levels on the car- all good. I started her up to warm up and she started on the first hit of the key. I have a starter issue where sometimes the bendix doesn't catch the first time and I need to start it a couple of times to get it to catch. Not a big deal.
As the car warmed up I put the last things away and on my walk around I noticed that the rear license plate was falling off! The metal was so worn around the rusty screws it was breaking and the left side was dangling. I loosened the screw and reset the plate, then knuckled the screw back down as tight as I could. We'll see if it holds.
Then the car died.
It had never done this before- Pete had set the idle and the car had always run smoothly.
I restarted and she died again!
I restarted and gave her gas to keep the idle up. I was ready to go so I backed out of my space and she died again....oh no.
I started up again and revved the idle, hit into gear from neutral and slammed forward keeping the RPMs high and rolled onto the highway. And then there was no problem. I drove to the store for ice and snacks and left town heading for The Rock.
It was quiet on the highway and soon I was rolling along at 130 kph . It is cooler here the farther south you go unlike the US because I am getting closer to the South Pole! Yesterday I passed out of the Tropic of Capricorn so the temperature should start going down more and more.
I passed two more fires on the way and I got to The Resort by the Rock about 1:30. I had a nice lunch with wine and calamari and I heard that they had Sunset Camel Rides every night. This sounded interesting as I have never been on a camel before. After lunch I booked the camel ride and got a campsite in their campground. Nice and grassy and shady. I had time for a shower and some reading before the camel tour bus would pick me up.
The sunshine here is addictive, so warm and bright blue skies everyday! I walked over to the bus pickup and I met a family of four from Tasmania who were also on the ride. The bus arrived and our Cameleer drove us to the Camel Farm (as they call it) and we joined a group of other camel adventurers. We received safety briefings- basically don't fall off- and some instruction before boarding our beast. It was two to a camel so I was paired up with a flight attendant from Colorado who had extensive camel riding experience in Morocco and Africa. Maybe I would make it through this if I listen to her?
When you get on the camel you have to lean way back in the saddle so when he "launches" you won't be thrown off forward. It was fun watching my fellow travelers rise up on their camels. Some startled looks on faces since the camel shoots up pretty quickly! Then when we were all up we were off and walking, each camel hooked to the other by a rope and a line through their noses.
A photographer took pictures and so did all of us. Did you know that a camel only has fat in their hump and not water? Or that a camel can drink salt water? Or that a pregnant camel can delay birth up to 17 months if drought conditions are bad? Wow! Pretty amazing animals.
The Cameleer uses voice commands in Arabic to tell the lead camel what to do. He said the camels respond well to the sounds and are as smart as an 8 year old child. Pretty cool.
We rode for over an hour and watched the sunset then headed back to the ranch for a beer and wine and snack reception. I bought a photo from the photographer as a keepsake andthen back to camp and bed.
Tomorrow I will go into the park and to the Rock for a close inspection and then I am off to an area called Kings Canyon which is supposed to be very beautiful as well as a good place to hike.
More tomorrow! Bye Gear Heads.
written by  Mike_Veine on September 6, 2012 from Alice Springs, Australia

Day 5 Da Lat to Nha Trang
Nha Trang, Vietnam
Hello All! Welcome to another day of traveling by a small motorbike in Vietnam. On today's route we will go from the mountains of Da Lat over a pass and then have a long, winding descent to a valley then to ocean. Heading ENE today.
After paying the inkeeper, Miss Chi, I took the bike out and checked the oil- I have a leak of about a teaspoon every 12 hours. It was on the bottom of the stick which is ok, but add terrritory. Last night I cut up a water bottle to make a funnel so I could neatly and easily oil up and today it worked like a charm as I added about .2 liters. Checked it again (yes I am on level ground with the bike level) and vowed to recheck after about 40 minutes on the road. I waved Goodbye to Miss Chi and hit the starter button- nothing happened. I figured the battery was probably dead from something I had left on so I kickstarted the bike. After remembering to turn the key on I kickstarted again and it immeadiately fired up and so did the wiring under the speedometer!!!
The wires were shorting out with smoke and the nasty smell of tortured insulation. I turned the key off and the smoke stopped. Inspectin the damage I could see where a black tapped wrapped bundle was the culprit. Miss Chi brought me a coffee cn of tools and I used some scissors to cut away the melted tap, Bare copper in some places and two wires with open ends, not attached to anything were discovered within.
Using my head I took a screw driver to the battery cover and removed the Positive terminal cable so I wouldn't shock myself, then I removed all of the tape and isolated the 5 wires inside. I bought electrical tape from Miss Chi and carefully wrapped each wire until there was no exposed cable and then wrapped a loose bundle to secure it.
Putting the battery cover back on I busted off part of the brittle plastic on the bottom of the securing bolt hole so I will need a washer down the road to make sure it stays secure.
Ok- good to go. Fired up the bike- of course I now have no horn. lights,turn signals, or electrical start, but who needs that stuff. I will get it fixed in Nha Trang. Off down the road to the gas station and then out of town and running into the usual road construction at the edge of a city. Just taking it slowly, and after about 40 minutes I pulled over and rechecked the oil- all good. Neat, small family houses were around and look much like Australian bush blocks, very self sufficent with tin roofs and simple, sturdy consruction of wood. The sun was out now, but there were dark clouds on the horizon- I have decided to ride in my rain pants all the time when I am on the road to keep my pants clean as well as dry, so I just had to pull on my jacket. As I climbed a winding mountain road I was downshifting all the way down to 2nd at times to cruise up the steep sections and then a light rain started followed by a downpour. I saw a sign for a village in 7 K and decided to get out of the rain there. What I found was barely a wide spot in the road with a small house and a covered front porch that held a small store and a table with four low plastic chairs and a teapot and cups. A youngish woman smiled at me and and I asked for "please a cup of coffee" apparently well enough for her to understand. One of the very cool, but strange things here is that when you order coffee they also pour you a cup of tea! It is very good green tea usually (I understand the best comes from the north) and I sipped my tea and dried off watching the dark skies dump. Very relaxing. So far today has been a good ride with my comfort level increasing all the time, but no drop in caution or awareness. There s no much traffic other than me headed in my direction so way fewer buses and trucks, which makes the riding fun.
While I was drinking tea I could hear and see the owners inside the house entertaining friends with their kids. One boy, about 4, poked his head out for a long look at me and when I smiled at him he turned and ran back to Mom. An older woman with a beautiful lined face and extremely relaxed composure sat with me. She was probably Grandma to the little boy and was dressed in a typical style of matching silk pants and top. She poured herelf a cup of tea and we sat in a peaceful ssilence and looked at the rain, which was stopping. When she finished her cupa she turned it upside down and set it on the tea tray. I decided it was time to get going and finished my tea and also turned my cup over onto the tray and I was rewarded with a smile and a nod. Wonderful communication!
Back on the bike I soon hit the top of the pass and after a short time the road opened up into an incredible vista of green pointy mountains wih cascades pouring off from hundreds of meters above me and turning into wa pterfalls. And deep below me was a valley that looked like it could have been "The Lost World" so riotously lush I could belive dinosaurs would thrive there!
The road turned into long sections of gentle descending curves and long straights which let me safely open the bike up and really get a cruising experience- so fun, worth the small troubles right there. I got to the valley floor too soon, but the rain had started again and it was ahalf hour to the next village where I stopped for lunch. At a table in front of the covered porch of one section were 6 teenage boys joking with the owners teenage daughter. The daughter saw me and as is typical, seated me 20 meters away in a different covered area where I was by myself. One of the boys must have teased the girl because they all started laughing and one boy was pointing at another as if to say, "he said it, not me". The teenage girl made a face back that only a teenage girl can make to express her displeasure and the boys just laughed harder. I ordered Pho soup, my go to meal, and a coke and while I waited a small, black bitch, maybe a terrier mix, who had just whelped came over and lay beside me. Kids and the dog! When I washed up before lunch I could see a couple of houses out back that were made out of cunningly interlaced thin slats of wood maybe 6 inches across woven like a basket. Never seen that before, it looked good!
Soup came and it was packed with noodles and some reddish mystery meat and a very good, rich broth. It is esy to enjoy soup on a rainy day when you're drenched so it was just right.
After lunch I had another 50k to my destination and it poured buckets the entire way. The road was very good, but I kept the speed down anyway and I had studied the route into town carefully at lunch so the only surprise was flooding as I got into the city. I was part of a line of cars, bike and buses making our way through water that hit the top of my footpeg and a little more at times. I was worried about stalling , but used the experience to practice the low speed handling skills you need in these cities. Still, it felt more like being in a motorboat than a bike sometimes with the wakes of the other riders washing over my feet. Boots and socks officially full of water!
I haad no idea of a place to stay so I rode the main highway in until I thought I was close to the beach and turnded down a side road looking for a guesthouse. I saw a nice high rise with lots of marble and a covered underground parking and went inside to check availability and as embarrased because of the water streaming off of me onto their nice marble floors- someone was going to need a mop! Three women of assorted ages greeted me at the desk. We quickly figured out this place was over my budget- they wanted 400,000 VND a night and didn't want to negotiate and I was back in the rain. I hah trouble getting the bike into Neutral when I had stopped and found it difficult to divide my attention from the road hazards while looking for hotels at the roadside so I decided to push the bike instead of riding it. The sight of a oriegner pushing a Honda Win must be typical in this popular beach town because other than a few honks, no one really paid anymore attention to me than usual. 15 minutes later I came to the the Hotel Ankhang and got a very nice 250,000 a night single with a very comfortable bed and A/C, cable TV, and western style toliet. Luxury!!!
Good WiFi as well. The owner made me a map to show me where the mechanic she recommended was and I turned in early beat to the bones. Tomorow is another day!
written by  Mike_Veine on June 12, 2013 from Nha Trang, Vietnam

I am in Melbourne!
Melbourne, Australia
I arrived on June 7th Australia date and everything went smoothly with my baggage and bike getting through quarantine and surviving the flight.
My friend, Carl, was at the Airport waiting for me with his UTE which is a small flatbed truck with a cage on the back. We loaded my stuff in the cage and put a homemade cover over it to keep the rain out. It is winter here and cold and wet and dark. Very much like Portland in the Fall. Gets dark at 6pm.
I am living in a 40x25x10 corrugated shed with a wood stove and electricty. It is on the property of Carl's friends- Mike and Haike. Carl has a fold out couch he sleeps on and I have a futon mat on the floor. I have not really had a problem with jet lag.
The area we are in now is not very bike friendly with no shoulders and I need to acclimate to riding on the Left side of the road so it will be awhile before I am on the bike again. They do have some bike lanes in other areas, but spotty. The suburb we are in is called Belgrave. There are over 150 named suburbs of Melbourne which really surprised me! Belgrave is about an hour East of downtown Melbourne.
I was delighted to see the beautiful birds they have here. Cockatoos are wild and so are some very striking scarlet and blue parrots. Haike says the parrots will eat out of Mike's hand so I may try this.
I will add some pictures of the area later and now I will post pics of the UTE and Shed.
We will be moving to another friends House where I can sleep in the House on Monday which is a Holiday for the Queen's Birthday. Hopefully we can get a two bedroom place later in the week, but it is a pain here like anywhere applying for rentals.
I have a phone number for contact now and will share it if you email me and ask.
That's it for now, Cheers to all!
written by  Mike_Veine on June 9, 2012 from Melbourne, Australia

Days 8 & 9
Coober Pedy, Australia
Mike's Top Gear Challenge Days 8 & 9
Sorry to post so late- I was tired and did not feel like typing the last two days. On day 8 I went to Uluru, The Rock, which dominates the horizon from many kilometers away.
When I got up I checked all of the fluid levels and the oil was about 1/2 way to the add line so pretty good oil burn for over 2400 kilometers. Today I will officially drive more kilometers than I rode on the bike and in only 5 days of driving.
The Rock is sacred to the local tribes of aboriginals and they do not want people climbing it because of this and the fact that the water at the base has a very low replenishment rate so any urine or other waste that comes from above goes into the water below and contaminates it. So sacred reasons and practical reasons not to climb. So I won't.
I went on a ranger guided trip they call the Mala Walk and the local man in charge of that area came as well. He spoke some English and some of a native dialect. He said he spoke 11 different dialects because many of the indigenous tribes have different dialects. He walked us to different sections of the rock and explained the significance of each to us. Some ares related to creation stories and some areas are related to child to adult rituals and teaching. Men and women have segregated areas that are taboo for the other sex to enter or even look at! It was great to get the info from him and see the passion he had for the land and the teaching.
After the walk I drove around The Rock and left for the Kings Canyon. This meant driving 200 k back  towards the Stuart Highway and then 179 k northwest to the canyon. I got in there so late I decided to set up camp and go to the canyon in the morning. There was an overlook in the camp where you could view the rockwalls of the canyon from a distance and watch the colors change as the sun went down. The lodge sent a girl down with beer and wine you could purchase so I had a glass of shiraz while I watched. After I went to the BBQ Diner and had a nice rib eye with salad. Very good.
It is getting much colder a night and I was all the way in the sleeping bag deep with the hood up as well. Up early the next day to hike!
After breaking down camp and checking the fluids I hit the road and drove 10k to the canyon. There was a 7.5 k rim walk you could do with a steep climb at the start so I did that to burn off last night's steak. My camera's batteries were dead so I got as many pics as I could before she quit. I will post all the photos when I get home- no computer to load them on on the road unfortunately.
The walk was beautiful and it as cool, sunny and windy weaherwise. About 1/2 way through there I came to a viewpoint with breathtaking views of the surrounding area and then a gradual descent into an area they call "The Garden of Eden", where it is wet and green and there are lots of birds and frogs. I saw one of the little frogs on a tree limb- it looked just like the tree!
I walked out and left the canyon driving to the Stuart Highway again. Gas was sooooo expensive out here- I paid $2.33 a liter and $1.98 a liter twice on 3/4 fill ups- ouch!
Instead of going 200+ k out of my way to go back to Alice Springs to pick up my wheel I called the bike shop and arranged for them to mail it to me- much cheaper than the gas back and forth and my time was too valuable as well. So off South again to the opal mining town of Coober Pedy 300k away. The land is much more dry and vegetation more sparse out here- oh and I forgot to mention the wild camels!
I was following a car with a trailer when he hit his brakes and three wild camels broke out of the bush and on to the road! They were running flat out and disappeared in seconds. Cool.
OK- got to Coober Pedy and stayed in a motel room tonight because I wanted to clean up and stay warm tonight. The car ran a bit rough at the end of a long day of driving. It has gone over 3300 k now without much of a complaint but....we shall see.
Tomorrow I will explore CP and head to Adelaide. Maybe just two more days to go on the road.
written by  Mike_Veine on September 7, 2012 from Coober Pedy, Australia

Day 6 Nha Trang & Day 7 to Song Cao
Hoi An, Vietnam
TGC Day 6 & 7
Day 6 Nha Tranh
Up early found coffee and bread by hotel
Walked around neighborhood & farmers market.
Went to Honda. Dealer, would not work on bike. Drove around looking for mechanics.
Asked some men at a garage, one led me on his bike to a shop. Met Mr T, owner & chatted. Biked fixed in 1 hour. New ignition installed. Put washer on battery cover! Cost 7 bucks.
Rode around town and by beach just to get feel. Back to hotel and walk to beach. Many Russians here on package tours?
Hot, walked with feet in surf down to end of the beach about 3 k.
Late lunch are a very nice place which would not have been out of place in Maui. Green curry veg. And rice, French fries. Fruit and ice cream dessert.
Back to hotel late afternoon stayed in.
Tried to watch replay of Canadian Grande Prix but electrical storm knocked out power for the whole race.
Day 7 Nha Tranh to Song Cao
Tried to get an early start but out at 9.
Found route out of town to Hwy 1. Today about mileage . Riding conditions vary so always on my toes. Two stops, one for coke and one for lunch. Tried to eat a lot because missing dinners. By about 3:30 I had covered 186 k and I was tired. I found Hotel Laura in Song Cao fishing village. So beautiful. Room overlooked the bay and could watch all the little boats and the families go to beach for evening swim. Love it here but back on the road North early tomorrow.
written by  Mike_Veine on June 15, 2013 from Hoi An, Vietnam

Whoo Hoo got a House and a Guitar on the same day!
Melbourne, Australia
Today was a really cool day...signed the papers on a three bedroom duplex and randomly found a beautiful Fender Acoustic Guitar in a small music shop.
The house is in Bayswater which is an Eastern suburb of Melbourne about an hour from the CBD (Central Business District) which is what they call Downtown. We will be able to move in on 6/23 so still staying with Carl's friend Shane until then in the little village of Sassafrass.
Shane's place is a small two bedroom house that he calls a cabin. The funny thing about it is it is a prefab that was made in OREGON so, I am walking around on Douglas Fir floors right now! Small world, huh? Shane works as a gardner on some of the expensive estates in this area. We are living in a mecca for hikers and outdoor enthusisasts in Melbourne and for tourists looking for a little country life. It is very beautiful here. The village of Sassafrass is basically a tourist attraction with antique shops, tea shops, little restaurants, and trinket shops.
We moved here from Mike and Heike's on Sunday night and spent Tues., Wed. and Thurs. house hunting. Most places were not so great, but the one we liked best for being newest, most spacious and in the best neighborhood is the one we were accepted for. I will post pics of it when we move in. Friends will loan some furniture and I am looking for deals on Gumtree.com.au which is like Craigslist in the states.
The move in date keeps me on schedule for leaving on my trip North in the middle or last week on July depending on how quickly I get my act together. So that is good.
Finding the guitar was pure serendipity, Carl has a problem with viral conjunctivitis in his left eye since before I arrived and he wanted to go to his Doctor and get it looked at and while he did that I wandered into a tiny music shop. I started looking at guitars and the brands were all unfamiliar and then I saw a Fender six string acoustic sitting on a rack away from the "For Sale" guitars on the wall.
The man who owned the store is named "Heinz" and he is from Austria originally, nice guy a little older than me. He said the guitar was a resale they had just inspected and done a little work on and it was not even priced yet. I picked it up and it felt and sounded just right for me...love at first string! Heinz and I made a deal and I got what looks like a Crocodile leather hardcase for it included with the guitar. I will take a pic and post it when I can get it out in the daylight for a good shot.
You cannot imagine how happy I am to have found it and to make a little music over here. So all in all a very nice day!
Tonight I've got the cabin all to myself, Shane and Carl are both out on dates so a little peace and quiet is nice. i will post some pics of the area around Sassafrass and of Carl's creepy eye for your amusement and amazement.
Remember, you can post comments here for me to see if you want instead of sending me emails about the blog! Cheers!
written by  Mike_Veine on June 15, 2012 from Melbourne, Australia

Adelaide, Australia
Mike's Top Gear Challenge Day 10
Adventures of the $900 car.
Today I checked the fluid levels and added oil and ATF fluid. The car has been driven hard the last two days and today will be the hardest day- 8 hours of driving.
I went to an opal mine museum and looked at the machines and heard the Story of how the mines were created. Did not know about opal mines before. Opals are in veins like gold and need to be carefully chipped out when they are discovered. The mines were mostly dug by hand by individual owners and started in the early 1900's with thousands and thousands of dollars being dug out of the ground.
I never knew there could be so many colors of opals- the most expensive are black with red colors in it. Cheapest are the whites and blues.
After the mine I gassed up and hit the road- long day of driving and not enough rest areas. When I got close to Adelaide the speed limit dropped to 90 and the car hated that. Ran so rough and backfired ....clunk clunk clunk.....I decided I had to stop for the night and booked a room in a caravan park just North of Adelaide. The car did start again when I moved it to park, but it sounds like crap. I will check it out tomorrow and hopefully make it the last 722 k to home. Wish me luck that my $900 car gets to the front door in Bayswater!
written by  Mike_Veine on September 9, 2012 from Adelaide, Australia

Day 11 HOME
Melbourne, Australia
Today I woke up and quickly got ready to pull out for the 765 Kilometer trip to Melbourne and home in Bayswater. I was ready to be home. I decided not to try for the wine country this trip and just to drive 8-10 hours straight through with minimal stops.
The car had run really badly coming into Adelaide the night before so I was praying that it would hold together to get me home.
I checked the fluids first and added power steering fluid, oil and ATF today first thing. The ATF is the hardest to know how much, but I did not have much left in the container Pete had given me so I just put it all in.
Off we go....full tank of gas and iced coffee ready to drink and hit the road.
I used my iphone gps to find my way around Adelaide so I could avoid the CBD by going East then South to the highway that runs straight to Melbourne. This worked really well and gave me confidence that I could do the same thing to find the house in Bayswater when I got to Melbourne.
The country outside of Adelaide is some of the most beautiful I have ever seen anywhere. Rolling green hills covered with fields of two different green grasses and seperated by fields of brillant yellow flowers dominated the scenery with unsusual multibranched trees that are hard to describe, but quite symetrical and beautiful and green.
Mixed in for good measure were pastures with huge herds of grazing sheep and little lambs all shorn of their curly fur...close cropped haircuts were the style.
It was so picturesque and bucolic, like an advert for the most pastoral setting ever.
Even though this is a main highway with a 110 k speed limit it is, like most highways on this continent apparently, only two lanes. And it runs through many small towns where you have to decelerate to 80- then 60- and then 40 kph sometimes for school zones.
So... not a high speed run home.
Close to the big cities the road is a divided highway with two lanes heading each direction, but that is the exception.
The car was running fine by the gauges- temp well within tolerance, but it still shook and struggled with the climbing loads and the tach setting from 2,000 to 2,500. I found that I could coast below 2,000 and then accelerate to a speed and hold it by backing way off the throttle and avoid the shaking sometimes, but that took a lot of concentration and effort. Pain in the Butt.
I only hoped we would make it home and gradually the kilometers diminished, At 1:30 PM I was only 328 k away and I stopped for lunch in a cute little town that started with a 'K'- I think it was called Kaloona or something like that. After gassing up the road took me through the center of town and near a park. I stopped and went to a little diner I saw and ordered nachos for lunch of all things off of their "Lighter fare" menu. It was a small bowl with cheese, chips, sour cream and guacamole with red enchilada sauce (I think). No meat, beans, onion or anything else so I guess that was what made it "Lighter fare".
After lunch it was back to abusing the poor Magna for another 300 k til we were at the outskirts of Melbourne with the sun going down and rush hour still in effect.
The Iphone gps had given me a course to run and I tried to memorize it because I never knew when I might hit a wrong button and wipe it out (this had happened several times before...) and because my battery was getting low... I never bought a cigarette lighter charger- in fact I still don't know if the cigarette lighter even works, I forget it everytime I think about checking it next time I get in the car!
All of a sudden I was diving into a tunnel with five or six lanes of traffic around me. I knew I was on the right road and the signs named suburbs I knew, but I had no idea I'd be underground- of course the Iphone wouldn't update underground either.
After what seemed a long time I emerged and could get a postion. I was coming near to the street I wanted to get off on that would take me East towards my suburb. There was still a huge line of cars from the tail end of rush hour (it was 6:30 pm) backed up at the stoplight for my left turn and the car had been running really, really rough the last 20 k or so. I put it in Neutral to idle and then I would forget that and try to drive off when I could go- stupid, but I am really tired by now too.
This street had an 80 kph speed limit and I made good time. I put the address of the house in the search of the gps and also hit the directions button and the good old Iphone gave a six page list of directions. I scanned through pages 1- 4 quickly in case the battery died as it was giving a 'low battery' warning. I memorized all the moves up to the last two leading to my street thinking, "when I get close I will recognize landmarks!".
Sure enough, with about 3 k to go before my first major turn I hit something on the phone and lost my directions! Sh*t!
I followed what I had memorized and everything was going great- then I found myself on a dark road which I thought I recognized but could not be sure. After going a couple of Kilometers I lost my confidence and pulled into a residential area to try and reboot the gps. But the battery was kaput. In desperation and exhaustion I called Carl hoping he could locate me on a street directory he has and come and lead me home. I was exhausted beyond belief and needed a friend's help to make it home.
He was home and got the guide and said, "Wow, you are really close- I'll be there in a couple of minutes!".
About 5 minutes later Carl pulled up and I gave him a big hug and thanks for coming to save me. The Magna Exec Wagon started again (thank God) and I followed Carl for about four blocks and then I recognized our IGA and realized I was only about 2.5 K's from home when I had stopped.
Carl let me have the driveway to park in and I stumbled out of the car shellshocked with relief- the Journey was over and I had won the Top Gear Challenge...
I pulled a few things from the car and collapsed in a chair in MY living room and Carl shoved a beer in my hand and heated up some Bachelor's Nightmare goulash for me.
Tonight I would sleep in my own bed and for the first time in almost two months I would be still the next day.
Finis
written by  Mike_Veine on September 11, 2012 from Melbourne, Australia

Day 8- Song Cao to Hoi An
Hoi An, Vietnam
Quick notes day 8
You might ask "What do you see along the road?" There are bicycles and motorbikes beside rice fields, people harvesting and planting, practicing aquaculture - harvesting clams, crabs, even lobsters.
Water buffulo of all sizes grazing by roadside or herded along the road helping out with the weed control Many women in the fields wearing lightweight two piece matching garb some plain and roughspun some with patterns or the basic black, kids & dogs playing together. People sitting having coffee in thatched patios,green hills, small fishing boats and canoes, smells of garlic sauteed, fishy sea odors, such beauty.
2 hours out of Song Cao it started raining so time for a coffee break. The coffee is served with a metal drip container over a drinking glass that has swee milk at the bottom. You also get a bowl of ice and a cup of tea. While the coffee drips (it take a couple of minutes) I drink the tea and empty the glass, then I carefully over the dripper over the tea cup so I can stir and drink my coffee and get the rest that drips more slowly into he empty cup to transfer when it is finally done. Add ice to the coffee glass after stirring the sweet milk and coffee mixture and you have basic Vietnamese coffee.
For lunch I bought a banana leaf wrapped something of deliciousness from a gas station I filled up at. I have seen these square banana leaf packages thayt people would buy at the open market so I figured it had something good to eat in it and man does it ever! I was only about 20 cents and th size of a hamburger or about 1/2 of a King Burrito for my Portland friends, and is made up of seasoned rice cloely compacted around what looked like spiced, cooked egg and a sweet and tasty piece of pork. Definitely their version of a burrito and very filling, oould not have eaten two! Great eats for really cheap.
Today was the longest riding day I will do over 360 k. I rode a two hour session, then a three hour session and then another 3 hours or a little more. I kept going when I saw I was only 60 k from Hoi An of Top Gear Vietnam Adventure fame. Rode the extra hour it was rough. Passed the off ramp 2x it looked like a goat path! and unmarked. Then wandered around on the bike looking for the Hoi An Beach Resort that the Top Gear guys stayed at for 45 min. Finally gave up.Found a hotel and soaked in tub. Saddlesore :(.
Tomorrow: Exploring the Old City of Hoi An
written by  Mike_Veine on June 15, 2013 from Hoi An, Vietnam

Moving Weekend and Earthquake
This is going to be an exciting and difficult weekend. Tonight I am picking up the keys to the new House and starting to move in.
It has been raining hard pretty much non stop for three days now with no let up in sight so much like moving in Portland!
Carl and I are scrounging furniture from friends and I bought a futon and a washing machine and should get a dryer (that most exotic of beasts) today hopefully. So tonight I may be sleeping in my own place finally.
Heike has also convinced me to make a Thanksgiving style Turkey dinner for the 4th of July which sounds fun. I will cook the turkey at her House and we will have her family and a German couple that are cousins and an Indian foreign exchange student.
Wednesday night we had an earthquake that was a 5.5 with an epiCenter only about 60 Miles from here. Shane's cabin started shaking and the noise was so extreme and the shaking so violent that I thought we were having a landslide because of all the rain and the hills around this place. I ran to the Center of the room expecting mud to come shooting through some window at any time. Carl had been in Christchurch, NZ for the big earthquakes they had so he was less affected, but it was kind of scary.
So I have at least three days of moving in the rain to look forward to...yuk.
written by  Mike_Veine on June 21, 2012 from Melbourne, Australia

Days 9 & 10 Exploring Hoi An & Hoi An to Hue
Hue, Vietnam
Today I checked out a hotel bike which I rode around Hoi An to the Old City. So many dress and tailor shops one after other, this town is famous for its cheap tailored clothing. I easily found the old city which is a 15th century trading port that has been missed by time and looks very much like it would have looked 500 years ago. The buildings now house restaurants and tourist shops instead of the warehouses and whorehouses that are common to all ports. The old city was divided by the water with the Japanese on one side across a bridge called reasonably enough, the Japanese bridge. The bridge is ornate with gilded dragons and other decorations.
There are some very good places to eat here so I had lunch in sections at three different restaurants. I had roast duck at one of them on one side of the water than rode the bike over the Japanese bridge to a place famous for its fish cooked in banana leaves which was very good and then went to another place for a dish called The White Rose which Hoi An is famous for inventing. The White Rose is a shrimp dumpling made with translucent rice,dough that is crumpled like a rose. The locals called it 'wrose' and it was the French who called it white rose. Delicious. For drinks I had local beer and finished with coffee.
After the I just spent the day riding the bike and relaxing, going along rice paddies and the water and down narrow streets where the locals live just cruising. Easy day. Tomorrow I head to Hue the old Imperial City 156 k away up the coast. A good distance for a days ride. In bed early for an early start in the morning.
Up at 6:30 to be out and on the bike by 8. Studied Google Maps for the best way out of town. When I finish riding today I will have covered over 1,000 k on the bike and have 700 k more to Hanoi. I added oil and decided to get an oil change in Hue.
It was a clear and hot day but cool when moving on the road. The bike has some rattles that seem new so need to check that out. Riding is getting easier as I gain experience and I feel much safer, but still very wary and watching everything. I gor lost once and took a 40 k detour- good thing for Google Maps! After a couple of hours I came to a section that led to a tunnel and they would not let me ride the bike through. A man nicely turned me around and I was at a loss what to do next. I saw a covered area with motorbikes parked around a central trench with flatbed trucks and realized it was a land ferry! You buy a ticket for you and your bike and a bus takes you through the tunnel while the bike rides the flatbed.
The tunnel was very long, took us about 15 -20 minutes to get through it and then we drove to an offload area with a sign that said 'Hue 63 K'. After carefully repacking the bike I set off following the signs until I rejoined Hwy 1. Hue is another big city and a tourist city. I found a beautiful 4 star hotel with a 4th floor infinity pool for $30 a night including breakfast buffet which seemed like a good deal. After having a swim and cleaning up I took the bike to a Honda place to get an oil change and see if they could check the oil leak. It was a busy sales and service garage that they hotel had recommended. Mechanics all in spotless uniforms. They sneered at my bike! " no parts " they said. They made me pay in advance for the oil change, first time that has appened and I left it to pick up tomorrow. Back to hotel for a couple of drinks and dinner in the 12th floor lounge and then reading and relaxing in the room. Tomorrow I will tour the Citidal that contains the Vietnamese Forbidden City! V
written by  Mike_Veine on June 18, 2013 from Hue, Vietnam

Postscript- End of A $900 Car
The Blue ?, a faithful and brave $900 car, gave its' all to get me home from a friends House late at night on 9/12/2012.
It was running very rough all the way back on the freeway and I felt lucky to get home; when I went out in the morning to start it the car cranked over a couple of times and then was dead.
I believe the starter finally failed, but the repair book says that the symptoms of the failure indicated a seized engine- RIP. 1996-2012.
Rather than calling a Mobile mechanic and throwing money at the car (which had a known crack in the head gasket) I decided to call around and let a wrecker pay me for it as scrap. I wished for a better end for the Blue ?, but that is the way it went down.
I received $150 for the car and she was hauled away (pics on this site).
A noble car gets you HOME before it dies and my car did. Thank you Blue ?, you were part of my adventure of a lifetime and I will always think fondly of you!
The End of the $900 Car- Hook Up
The End of the $900 Car- RIP
written by  Mike_Veine on December 16, 2012 from Melbourne, Australia

Day 11 Exploring Hue and getting Repairs
Hue, Vietnam
A Day 11 Exploring Hue
I had my best nights sleep on the best mattress I've seen in Vietnam- most are rock hard! My included breakfast was a buffet and had many interesting Chinese foods as well as Western style foods and juice and coffee so I figured I would chow down now and have a light lunch.
After breakfast and cleaning up I decided to pick the bike up from the Honda Dealer, work before play after all...when I got there the bike was on the sidewalk out front and the right side battery cover was gone! The people there said it wasn't on when they got it but I'm sure it was and we went round and round for a bit. Another man about my age pulled up on his motorbike and he spoke English better and helped plead my case and translate and when it was clear Honda was not going to give an inch, he told me he could take me to a mechanic who would have the part for under 5 bucks. His name is Mr. Tigh and he was a guide. I hired him on the spot to help me get the bike sorted and to show me around Hue and the tourist sights.
I followed him on my bike to an area over the Perfume river where there were parts stores and mechanics and the first two places couldn't help me, but the third one was an expert on my type of bike. He had the part and test rode and inspected the bike and recommended some parts replacement and quoted me a price including labor to fix the oil leak and do the repairs which seemed very fair. I left him the bike and Mr. Tigh and I toured.
First we went to a Buddihist monastery with a 300 year old Pagoda then to an Emperors tomb complex. Everything is made of stone and wood with tile floors and roofs. There is a manmade lake the Emperor designed as well as temples and tombs for wives and consorts so very much a family affair.
Next we went to the Hue Ancient Coloseum, 300-400 years old it is a 30 foot high walled circle about 300 feet across with seating on top of the walls. There are two gates to enter, but I couldn't get in as it is blocked off as a archeological research site. My guide says the Emperor staged animal fights here including declawed.tigers fighting elephants. You can easily imagine the royalty in their colorful silks and their attendants on these ancient walls cheering the fighters on and the roars and bellows of the animals fighting for their lives.
One more stop down very narrow roads and alleys at a battlefield where American GI`s fought off attacking VC during the Tet Offensive in 1968. You can still see bullet holes in some places. It is on a beautiful hill covered with young pine trees and a view of a bend in the Perfume River. The Perfume runs thru Hue and was named by the French during their colonial era for the lovely scent of the flowers, herbs and trees that grow along it. Very cool.
After this it was time for a light lunch. I asked Mr. Tigh to take me somewhere he liked and we drove about 25 minutes to a neighborhood outdoor cafe where you sat under shade trees with the river close below you. Not fancy. We had Bun Bo which is noodle soup with a light chicken broth and some pork chop in it. No way to get vegetables around here. We also had two beers each of the local brew called 'hadu' and made from the water of the Perfume River. Their beer here is pretty hoppy and refreshing. We had a relaxing lunch and spoke of family. He has two sons, 25 and 30 and the eldest is a master wood carver like Mr Tigh's Father was.
Nice to chat about.
After finishing lunch we set out for me to do some shopping and then to The Citidel which was the official home for all of the Vietnamese Emperors and included their version of the Forbidden City, like China's, the personal residence area for the Emperor and family. Unfortunately much of it was destroyed during the war so most everything is restorations which made me really glad I went to the other sites which were all original. Without Mr Tigh I would've missed them.
After an hour or so wandering the many acres of the Citadel I met up with Mr Tigh to go see if the bike was done. It was and Mr Thien showed me the parts he replaced:
Internal oil seal that was leaking oil into the piston
Rear brake pad
Rear bearing
Rear Sprocket and new chain
New left rear turn signal
Cost me 700,000 VND, under 40 bucks. He gave me his card to call if I needed more help or for referrals and it was a pleasure to do business with a pro. Back to the hotel and thanked and settled up with Mr Tigh and back to my room to clean up for cocktails and dinner at the rooftop bar- retired life is really tough!!!!
Tomorrow I am riding 176 k to Doan Hoi on the beach. See you then, Gearheads.
written by  Mike_Veine on June 19, 2013 from Hue, Vietnam

Turkey Dinner and Trip Prep!
Today is a big day...I booked the first stage of my travel to Cairns to start my bicycle trip from Cairns to Darwin. I will be leaving by Greyhound Bus from Melbourne to Brisbane on July 20th for a 25 hour bus trip! Should be a hoot!!
Since blogging last I have been busy moving in, purchasing used furniture and outfitting the house to make it livable for the next year. That is all pretty much done now so to celebrate my first month in Australia I made another "ethnic" American dinner for my friends Mike and Haike.
I wanted to make a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner for the 4th of July (which would have been the 5th here), but I had not counted on the general inavailability of turkeys in this country. Apparently turkeys are only eaten for Christmas Dinner and not all the time so you cannot just go to a market and buy one. I ordered one special from the Belgrave butcher and even though I ordered a week early they couldn't get one until the 4th in the afternoon...so that changed the timetable and I picked Saturday since it was my one month anniversary in Australia.
When I picked up my Turkey on Thursday it weighed in at a whopping 3.76 Kilos or a little over 8 lbs. It looked like a large chicken. It cost $64.00 so it was the smallest, most expensive turkey ever! The upside is that it would cook in only about three hours so I did not have to start early to make it.
The menu for Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner was:
Turkey with Southern Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing
Mashed Potatos and Homemade Turkey Giblet Gravy
Green Bean Cassarole
Cranberry Sauce
Dinner Rolls
Dessert-
Scratch Made Pumpkin Pies with Vanilla Ice Cream
Since they do not have canned pumpkin here either I had to steam fresh pumpkin and make a puree and drain the excess water to get the Pumpkin part. That was fun and made a really great flavor so I think I will always do this.
The 7th was also Mike's Mother's birthday so his Mom and Dad came to dinner and we celebrated that too. It was a very special, fun dinner and Haike contributed some delicious wine. And even though the turkey was small there were leftovers for other dinners and sandwiches.
So, to get back to the begining of the post...I will leave Melbourne on the 20th by bus to Brisbane and I am booking a sleeper on the Sunlander Express leaving Brisbane on Sunday, 22 July arriving 31 hours later in Cairns. I will start booking rooms and other stuff now that I have a timetable to work with spending 5-7 days in Cairns and on the coast camping before setting out on The Ride.
I have a riding plan that a private tour group uses with mileages and overnight stops and activities for each day and I will use it as a guide. If you would like to see it I can send it to your email in a PDF so let me know in comments here or please email me!
It looks like I will spend 30-35 days on the road, maybe longer if I take multiple rest days in one place because I like it. The route takes me East out of Cairns and then South and East to Mount Issa then North to Darwin.
From Darwin I will take The Ghan outback train to Alice Springs and a bus to The Rock in Uluru. After that I will take the train from Alice Springs to Adelaide and either take a bus from there or have Carl meet me for a road trip.
So more before leaving and then more from the road soon.
Thanks for reading! Pics of the Little Turkey added as well.
written by  Mike_Veine on July 10, 2012 from Melbourne, Australia

Day 12 Hue to Dong Hoi, June 19
Dong Hoi, Vietnam
Dateline June 19th, South China Sea. VN
Day 12 Hue to Dong Hoi 176 k
Today is sunny and hot. The road is dry and in fairly good condition especially along the shoulder where the little motorbikes ride. I left Hue City just after 8 for a 176 k ride to Dong Hoi which is a beach town with a small harbor.
After I clear the city I find myself riding with open fields on my left side leading to layers of hills with mountains with sharp peaks behind. The fields are bright green and the mountains in the distance are bkue-grey. To my right are palm trees and occasionally sand dunes that are 60 feet tall and have ground cover and scrub growing on them.
The kilometers roll past uneventfully through towns, roadside villages, and open areas. The sun is pretty relentless and I am glad to have a long sleeve sunshirt and sunscreen on my hands and face.
Today there is a head wind with a bit if a left front quarter component that's stiff enough to move the little bike. Definitely more wind noise and when passed or passing on the right you feel the winds blast when you come out of the shadow of the vehicle on the left ( truck or bus). It gives you something to think about.
Rougher road equals more need for a break so I stop for a tea break after 1 1\2 hours and again for a leg stretch with about 33 k left on the day.
When I pull in to Dong Hoi I can quickly see that there are many hotels and I choose one about 1 k from the beach that has a view of a picturesque canal that leads to the harbor. My room looks South along the canal which has quaint streetlights along the right bank stretching for 500 meters or so. There are hotels, coffee shops and restaurants lining both sides of the canal. Not so bad a view. Later I walked to the beach and watched the fishing boats going out to sea for some night work. Back to the hotel with some supplies purchased from a local market and watching soccer on TV before turning in early for another day's riding. Easy life.
Tomorrow to Vinh, 196 k.
written by  Mike_Veine on June 19, 2013 from Dong Hoi, Vietnam

Leaving Melbourne Tomorrow
Hi All...Well, organizing and getting gear for my bike ride from Cairns to Darwin is done and all that is left to do is pack up and catch the bus tomorrow evening. Spent the past two days chasing last minute stuff and seeing if it will all fit. Everything seems good.
I will spend two days in Brisbane now because my train doesn't leave until Monday evening arriving Cairns on Tuesday evening. While I am in Brisbane I will probably go to the Art Museum and maybe catch a movie. I am staying in hostels in Brisbane and Cairns but I have a private room in Cairns for two nights and maybe three. I will check out the diving and snorkeling boat trips before heading North of Cairns for a couple of camping nights somewhere near the beach hopefully, crocodiles permiting!
Then the Ride begins and I estimate 28- 30 days of riding and 5-8 rest days depending on where I am and what there is to see. I considered taking the less improved and more isolated Northern Route (which is 600-700 K shorter), but one look at Google Earth convinced me that the Southern Route on sealed roads is adventurous and isolated enough!
The main climbing is on the second day at the end and is moderate but long and then it is a short descent and a fairly flat ride across the desert. The temperature today in Mt. Isa which is deep in the desert middle of nowhere and my approximate Halfway point was a low of 10.9C/ 51f and a high of 22.3C/ 70.9F, with light to moderate winds (22- 30Kph) from the S-SE so no big deal. I should be there before August 14th maybe as early as the 10th so still time for plenty of weather changes.
i am posting a pic of me and the guitar (which I will miss) and one of my gear piled up so you can see what I am carrying.
From now on any posts will be made from my IPhone or an Internet cafe.
I will try to update every 4 days or so and post pics when I can as well.
Wish you were here!
written by  Mike_Veine on July 19, 2012 from Melbourne, Australia

Day 13 June 20
Vinh, Vietnam
A Day 13. June 20
Very much a 13th day with several incidents of bad luck and unfunny stuff happening.
This morning I left Dong Hoi at 6:30 am. I was up early and never unloaded the bike at the hotel so I just had to pack my toiletries and get dressed and out the door. I rode for an hour and stopped for coffee at a very busy sidewalk shop which was between a Honda Dealership and a Yamaha Dealership. It looked like the salesmen and a few mechanics from both shops were swapping gossip before work. When I arrived I was the center of attention. It is hard to get used to the stares, but they seemed friendly enough and there were smiles as well. I heard someone say My which means American.
I ordered coffee and an older gentleman at a table near the back gestured that I could sit with him. At first I thought he might be the owner because he was sitting with the young man who worked there so I thanked him and sat and he poured me some tea from the pot on the table. We didn't chat, just sipped our tea and after my coffee was served he paid for his drink and shook my hand warmly and gave a "good morning" greeting and left. I shifted chairs to sit with a view towards the street and I saw a man from the front table by my bike and then the bike was over on its side and the man was gesturing to me. I picked it back up while he sat down with his buddies and watched. The clutch handle was hanging off broken at the stem. I shoved it back into place and there was enough stem on it so the clutch cable tension kept it in place and working. Also the left turn signal housing was damaged.
It was clear that I wasn't going to have someone step up and be responsible so I smiled and went back to my coffee. You can bet that if I knocked over a bike there would be hell to pay!
I paid and left soon after with a bit of a sour taste in my mouth and not from the coffee which was excellent- too bad.
Then it was back to the ride, still 150 kilometers to go! Riding consists of three speeds mostly: third gear thru town and traffic, sometimes second briefly around road construction and bad congestion. I was also in second while I was part of a kilometer long parade of bikes with everyone flying a Vietnamese flag. A Police car with lights flashing led that, no clue what it was about!
Most of the time you are in fourth, Top Gear, either cruising at around 50 kph when cars or trucks are close or running almost flat out, up to 70 plus kph in the wide open areas with light traffic. The bike is very responsive and decelerates quickly when you back off the throttle or downshift to engine brake. Because of the wide areas for bikes on the shoulder you can pass slow traffic on the right or the left making sure to leave yourself a reasonable out left or right. So you ride with traffic, pass traffic or are being passed 75% of the time. You also need to watch for the traffic passing in the oncoming direction especially around bottlenecks like construction zones and hills. So you are too busy on the bike to take good looks at the scenery and you really appreciate the times when it is wide open and you can take a look around. The rhythm of the drive can be fun as well with the weaving and mixing with the traffic, but you need a break every couple of hours at least.
At my next break I pulled over to an umbrella shaded area where a sugar drink machine was. They use the machine to press the slim canes and mix in juice as well. The young man who made it set it on the small plastic table while I was walking around stretching my legs and when I went to sit down I kicked the table and most of my drink went to the concrete! More 13th day woes!! I tried to ask for another, but sadly couldn't get my point across, so I sipped the quarter cup that was left and ate the ice. A young man at another table chatted with me briefly before his friends joined him. I sat for awhile just getting my focus back and then headed to the bike. I pushed the electric start and it turned over but wouldn't start. I tried this a couple of times and then checked the gas tank- it was empty! I thought I had at least another 50 k left but the bike had other ideas I guess. The young man I had spoken with was leaving so I asked him if he knew where the nearest gas station was. He kindly pushed my bike with his and took me down the road out of his way I am sure to help me out! Finally a good omen. Filled up for 200,000 VND and back on the road with 80 k remaining. The rest of the trip was uneventful but very dusty and dirty with approximately 30 k of road construction passed through today so I was glad I wore the surgical mask.
Made it to the town of Vinh by noon and done for the day!
I will hunker down inside today and let Day 14 get me a little closer to the Top Gear Challenge end in Hao Lon Bay!
written by  Mike_Veine on June 20, 2013 from Vinh, Vietnam

Day 14 June 21, The Accident
Quang Phong, Vietnam
Day14 Vinh to Quang Phon
Up at 5:30 for breakfast just after 6.
On road just after 7. So much construction creating dirt, confusion and snails pace on the highway so I will take what comes today. Filled up with gas trying not to make the same mistakes twice. Stopped after 2 hours for coffee break. It looks like I could maybe make Ha Long bay tomorrow at the end of the day which would be awesome.
For coffee I found a place where the kids are watching cartoons- way more interesting than me so no stares for once. Seems like a very nice place and shady and cool. Already 90° out here.
At about 11 am I had an accident in Quang Phon. A taxi made a left turn in front of me and stopped in the road. Not enough time to dodge him, I was probaby doing 30 kph and I hit the rear brake and turned left I think. The rear tire slid out and I was on my right side sliding along the road with the bike trapping my right leg under it. I slid about 15 feet, did not hit the taxi. He drove away and several bystanders ran to me and lifted the bike off. At first I could not move, just wanted to lie there but I recognized this as shock so I let them help me to the side of the road. A man examined my scraps and put mercuricrom on them. I had a rip in my pants over the right kneecap and a large abrasion under that. Both heels of my hands had abrasions as well. I got one of the people to hand me my drink bottle and took a long drink to help clear my head.
The accident happened right in front of the Honda Dealership and one of the mechanics came out to assess the damage to the bike. The clutch lever and left mirror were sheared and hanging from the clutch cable. My left wrist is sore, but nothing seems broken. Gradually I got myself together enough to go into Honda and find the sinks to wash up in. They had good soap for the mechanics so I used that and slowly cleaned each wound taking care to get all of the dirt and grit out. The I got my large bag off the bike with the first aid kit in it and the iodine. I cleaned the wounds again with antibacterial wet wipes and then took the iodine outside and burned out each wound. Stung a lot. Sterile gauze over the knee and bandaids on both hands. Now clean and dressed I drank some more water and recovered. The mechanic said 2 hours for the repair. He was replacing the whole clutch housing with the light switches and all. After a half hour I was feeling a little better and went across the street for lunch- Chicken noodle soup, funny enough, I guess it can cure anything!
I decided to rent a room here, wherever here was and recuperate from my injuries a bit. When the bike was ready the very nice mechanic showed me what he had done and said it would be, " much better".
He advised me to take it slow at first, good advice. The repair cost came to 13 dollars. I started riding just as it started to rain and I saw a hotel sign across the boulevard and decided to pack it in.
Lesson learned, once bit, twice cautious.
I will practice some emergency stop scenarios tomorrow before I leave and get it automatic so I'm not surprised by this again!
Please don't worry too much, it was what it was and I am sore, but will heal. Thanks for your well wishes!
Mike
written by  Mike_Veine on June 21, 2013 from Quang Phong, Vietnam

Traveling notes
Brisbane, Australia
Day on bus memories
Lots of flat ranch land like going from PDX to Salem but with different trees and cactus by the roadside. I saw emus sheep and cattle and lots of birds. Two memorable sights- a tiny church graveyard with a young blond woman kneeling in the middle of it and an extremely shaggy white pony loping down a hill. Bus was not too bad got 4-5 hours of sleep but it gets monotonous.
Brisbane notes
Reminds me of Portland with a River and Bridges and an esplanade with runners and cyclists. Good weather. Uncomfortable room share with 3 Irish girls on a 7 week holiday and top bunk in dirty hostel. Cockroach city.
Met two girls named Carherine at breakfast. They had been fitness walking and we ended up eating at the same west end sidewalk cafe. One of the Catherines was going to a food and wine festival in the Southbank which is like Portland's waterfront park so I met up with her and and friend for walking and wine and cheese. Later she took me to the oldest hotel in Brisbane which was famous for their steaks and I had a good dinner.
I went to two art museums. One had a show of women artists of Australia and the other had a traveling collection from The Prado, a Spanish museum that has the art collection of the kings of Spain going back to the 15th Century. This show was only exhibiting paintings.
I enjoyed the women's art more probably because it was more varied in type of works and more contemporary.
Then leaving Brisbane onto the Tilt train to Cairns. Saw a Joey for the first time right after I woke up on the train. We left Brisbane at 6:25pm for a 24 hour trip. Lots of fields of sugar cane some hills and saw the Ocean in the distance.
written by  Mike_Veine on July 23, 2012 from Brisbane, Australia

Day 15 & 16, Stuck in Thanh Hoa June 23
Thanh Hoa, Vietnam
A Days 15 &,16 Stuck in Tanh Hoa June 23
Well I am on my third day in Thanh How now. Originally I planned to leave this AM after recuperating from my injuries a bit, but a Tropical Depression was scheduled to hit right where I was heading today with high winds,rain and a possible storm surge I decided to just spend another day.
I don't feel much like exploring unfortunately and there really is not much to do in this town. I found a coffee house nearby yesterday and went back today and was invited to sit with the owner and his,wife while the daughter waited tables. It is Sunday here and business was definitely slower than yesterday.
We chatted for an hour with me mostly explaining where I had been and,where I was going. We all laughed when I said I was not going to China and the owner shook my hand,like I was making a very wise,decision. Funny! We talked about kids and the crazy drivers and somehow we understood each other about 70% of the time. It was fun just to hang out with them for awhile.
After that I went to a street food vendor and bought two oh her delicious steamed dumplings with egg and mystery ingredients. Very tasty, I had one yesterday and bought an extra one today to put in the fridge for lunch. We are on the edge of the storm zone so it was rainy and windy here off and on all day.
I read and relaxed, then tried to work on my language skills with my book. Also watched children's TV where they sing songs with the words printed below so I can get an ear for the pronunciation.
Not doing too well though, ordered roast chicken for dinner and they brought fried anyway. I sent it back. They brought out my rice and a bowl with greens in a broth and I was not sure if it was soup or a rice topping, I decided soup and ate some that way and it turns out it was. After a bit I was served a roast chicken leg and thigh and some sliced tomatoes and cooked garlic. Pretty good. You can tell the chicken is free range, skinny legs that were probably running around the yard this morning. Meat is very fresh here.
I made sure thank them profusely for the chicken, they could have easily pleaded my poor communication skills as the problem, but we all saved face on this one I think.
Packing up tonight and I will leave Thanh How tomorrow finally and see if I can get 100 k down the road or so. Modest goals and humbled traveler.
written by  Mike_Veine on June 23, 2013 from Thanh Hoa, Vietnam

Day 17 Back on the Road Again, June 24
Nam Binh (1), Vietnam
A Day 17 Back on the Road Again
Hi Gearheads!
Wounds healing and Typhoon wrung out it is now time for me to leave Thanh Hoa and get a few k's under my belt. I went for coffee at my usual place and joked around with the owner. We practiced my pronunciation of several words. Funny. It was raining all morning so I had my raincoat on as I walked back to my room. I decided to check on the bike before going up to pack and I found I had a flat front tire. I knew from my travels around the neighborhood exactly where to go, so I packed my bags, but left them in the room and then I walked the bike across the street to get the tire fixed.
A young Vietnamese man named 'Viet' actually, was having his tire fixed as well and wanted to practice his English so we went to coffee and chatted. Viet was studying to be a CPA and his wife is a teacher. After we spent 45 minutes over coffee he invited me to have lunch at his house. I thought about it for about 10 seconds and said, "sounds great!". He waited while I checked out of the hotel and we drove our bikes with the newly fixed tires over to his apartment, about 10 minutes away.
His apartment was two rooms and a bath and it was very nice. His wife, Tin, was very sweet and understanding, she spoke some English as well, and their son was 8. They both looked in their early 20's.
I visited with Viet while Tin prepared lunch and he gave me a gift of a mounted medal with a portrait of Ho Chi Minh on one side and scales on the other. He said he got it when he was working for the Department of Justice. I gave him a pair of Smith sunglasses and he seemed to like them, they had a nice leather case and are aviators style. Then he showed me his English language books including his Accounting and Business Textbooks and for fun he reads Mark Twain and Sherlock Holmes stories which I also enjoy very much.
Lunch was served on a large platter with serving bowls on a woven mat on the floor. We sat cross legged and they put rice in my bowl first and then some slices from a delicious duck egg omelet Tin had,made. There was also cucumber soup served hot and fried fish. Everything was very good and whenever I got close to finishing my serving Viet would put more of something in it! Finally I was able to politely decline more food, the rice was,very filling and I loved the eggs especially.
We took some pictures and we exchanged contact information and talked about some other stops ahead of me and then it was time to drive again.
By now the sun had come out and the roads had dried up and it was smooth sailing out of town. I am keeping it in third gear in town now being one of the little fish and learning my lessons in schooling.
I had a very modest goal of 63 k today to get to Nam Binh, the first large city down the road. Still seeing lots of construction in progress, but no workers at most of the sites. Very dusty and I've misplaced my face mask so I will need to buy one soon.
I found a Hotel just inside of town and they had a mechanics shop so I am getting the bikes oil changed according to Mr. Thien's instruction, around every 500 miles. Up to my room and kicked back for the night.
Quick note about traffic cops- they wear tan uniforms and stand by the roadside on the outskirts of a town and wave a nightstick to signal trucks and bikes over to them to check papers or whatever. Last week I was waved over and before I could even get at my papers the cop saw I was foreign and laughed and waved me out! He didn't even want the hassle of dealing with me!!! Funny, funny.
Tomorrow it is either towards Ha Long Bay or Hanoi, not sure yet, I will sleep on it and decide tomorrow.
written by  Mike_Veine on June 24, 2013 from Nam Binh (1), Vietnam

Last post before the ride
Cairns, Australia
Hi All,
I'm using notepad on my iPhone and my rubber keyboard to make this posting. This will be my way on the trip and it actually works pretty well!
I am in Cairns now (pronounced CANS) and I have a large private room at a hostel for only 39 a night! Better than Motel 6.
I slept really well after the 24 hour train ride and even woke up at 4:30 AM which will be about the time I get up on the ride every morning. Today I booked a diving and snorkeling excursion to the Reef for tomorrow and it will last pretty much all day. When I get back I will load up all my panniers and plan to start just after sunup for the first leg.
I have everything I need now and even purchased another phone from a company that has better reception in the Outback.
I got the bike all put back together and test rode it and she is fine.
I was up so early today that I even wrote a short Story I've been meaning to do and I am considering putting a second "trip" on this site just for my short stories. For now please just email me at mveine7@gmail.com or comment in the comments section of the blog.
The 27th is GO Day and my first stop will be a town called Mareeba a short 60k but with climbing out of the coast through a coastal range so I should still get a good workout for the first day.
More from the road in two or three days if I have service.
written by  Mike_Veine on July 24, 2012 from Cairns, Australia

Top Gear Challenge Completed, Mike in Ha Long
Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
A Top Gear Vietnam Challenge Complete-
Mike in Ha Long!!!!!
Well, my friends, I've made it to Ha Long Bay, a World Heritage Site and amazingly beautful place in our world.
I got here at 2:00 PM and chose a hotel on Cat Ba. the largest island in the archipelagos and also the home of a National Park where I intend to go hiking tomorrow.
According to Google Maps the most direct route to my currrent location is 1816 kilometers, but I did not take the most direct route so I am abititrarily adding 300 k for a total of 2210 kilometers or if you figure in miles, over 1300 miles thereabouts. I calculate I had 13 driving days for an average mileage of 170 kilometers or 100 miles a day.
That may sound easy with all day to do it, but sometimes the miles came hard, paid for with tension, sweat and blood!
Right now I am sitting in a retaurant across the street from my hotel watching the lights of the fishing boats on the water, the only sound carrying is the sound of a single piston engine working hard to put to sea. It reminds me of Croatia and the Aegean Sea and the family boat I went calamari fishing on- same engine, same lights, and reminds me that we are all knit together by our shared experiences. Fishermen are Fishermen wherever they are and the tools of the trade share more similarities than differences.
I notice this when I am rewarded with a smile when I turn a cup upside down or share my language book with the people I meet and we share a laugh at how I say the words, and they help me. I have been lucky to mostly meet people who don't mind a stranger who travels in a respectful way and wants to learn from them.
Like all good adventures, this one is just begining and changing at the same time. After chilling out in Ha Long for a few days and maybe a short cruise it will be off to Hanoi, another big city to put down some roots for maybe a month and take some real language lessons. Not sure why, but I think it is the challenge to be a better communicator and a better guest and host to the people I meet and the new friends I make that drives this desire.
There will be more beautiful places down the road and I will also try traveling by train and bus as well for the experience.
Thanks for sharing this trip with me and please check the blog for updates and I wil continue to share photos by email with you unless you sic your SPAM filter on
me.
So, on that bombshell, I say "goodnight to all of you, until next week!"
written by  Mike_Veine on June 25, 2013 from Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

One More for the Road
Cairns, Australia
Well i am doing one more post before leaving.
Just put EVERYTHING on the bike for the first time
and I think it weighs 100 lbs. That is with only one MSR
Drom Bag full.
But it all fits and is super well balanced so far so we will
see. I spent the day on the Great Barrier Reef and it was
fun.
But that is another Story so now to bed and get an early start
to Mareeba tomorrow. Thanks to all of you reading and please
wish me good luck and fair winds!
written by  Mike_Veine on July 26, 2012 from Cairns, Australia

Update to the Third Day starting
Atherton, Australia
Using my little keyboard on the floor of the tent to write this. On my second day of biking and I haven't gotten as far as planned. The first day leaving Cairns had a large climb to get over and it was steep enough that controlling the heavy bike in low gear on the very narrow road was too dicey. I ended up walking the bike about 4K to get over and ended up really tired. Made about 50k only and stayed with a very nice couple, Arlene and Ian who treated me like a king. You know the old saying, "always be kind to fools and madmen" and I probably seem like a little bit of both to them.
They fed me and offered a spare bed, but I slept in an open shed overlooking their creek. Very sweet and I could see the stars and hear things that go bump in the night. Off early the next morning and had a very hard time with a headwind and still not recovered from the day before. Stopped a little short of Atherton with another 50k day at only noon to rest and recover more. I found a free campsite at a War Memorial Park with many Caravan Campers (Trailers in the US).
I will turn in early and see if I can do better tomorrow. I hope to get to Ravenshoe or even a little farther, but I am really trying to listen to my body and not risk an injury that would end the trip.
The country around me looks kind of like Idaho around Emmett and there is a large River called the Atherton that I passed over today. Arlene said that many of the landmarks are named for early explorers and that name sounds familiar, but I don't know the history...one more thing I should have done! Oh well, it is what it is. I am happy and seeing cool things. I will post some pics when I get to an internet cafe.
Quick add on... I'm in Atherton now having a nice breakfast and feeling better this am. Still hard riding because it is constant long but not steep climbing with very few flats and no descents to speak of. I am getting tired of the small chain ring lol.
written by  Mike_Veine on July 28, 2012 from Atherton, Australia

August 1
Mount Surprise, Australia
I am staying over a day in Mt Surprise today, been riding for five days so now I will take one off.
Yesterday was the first day I actually got into The Outback and the riding is definitely easier  now with more gentle rolling hills. Long ride- I finally topped 100K with a 112k ride.
It seems to be cattle country out here with large ranches. Ian told me that there were two ranches larger than the entire state of Texas!
This is Savannah Land with stunted trees and long grasses predominant. I've only seen birds and cattle out here alive, but many dead kangaroos or wallabies on the side of the road victims of collisions with road trains.
I've been passed by many road trains now and the drivers are very professional and honk sometimes when overtaking me. I hear the cars and trucks behind me from very far away and it is no problem getting over for them.
I left at sunup to get a jump on the heat and took a 1/2 hour nap at noon after eating and hydrating before continuing on. This and the easier terrain made the afternoon ride better than the day before. Once when I felt too hot I just dumped a water bottle out over my head to cool off and rested in some roadside shade for 10 minutes and then back at it.
When I was riding at about 4pm the sun angle lit up the tall grasses around me and I could see the grassheads reflecting pinks and purples as they waved in a gentle breeze. A small herd of cattle all turned their heads together to watch me ride by- guess they'd never seen a bike before!
I heard from several local residents that there is a woman ahead of me who is walking to Darwin. She is from Siberia and started walking around the world when she was 17 and she is now 42- pretty amazing! I hope I will catch up with her around Croydon a couple of days and hear her Story.
Resting, reading and eating today, catch you all later!
written by  Mike_Veine on July 31, 2012 from Mount Surprise, Australia

Just for the Map

Just for the map

3 am August 4th
Gilbert River, Australia
3AM Aug. 4th
Sleeping by the banks of the Gilbert River tonight and on to Croyden or past tomorrow.
A lot to catch up on since my last post; rest day turned into two rest days when the Road construction workers and truck drivers advised me to not ride from Mt Surprise on the highway due to 45k of roadwork in progress. They said I would not be able to keep up with the cars they pass thru and would probably have to walk.
Julie, the woman who runs the Mt Surprise Hotel, suggested that I avoid the construction by taking a tourist train called the Savannahlander that runs from Cairns to the little town of Forsayth (pop. 43) which is 40k south of Georgetown on a quiet and mostly paved road.
I slept on that and in the end voted for the safety of the train practicing at listening and taking the advice of the people I meet.
The train was a two car affair with the engine and first car being one and the same. Seemed like a big streetcar to me. Pictures of it are already posted to the blog when I had a brief period to use a computer on Georgetown.
Riding on the train we got away from the road and deeper into the backcountry and I finally saw some kangaroos. Mostly the grey kangaroos but we saw a couple of what are called Big Reds who are larger and more aggressive.
The train left at about 12:30 and had one stop at the Ensleigh River before heading to Foesayth just after 5pm. Because it was so late I couldn't begin the ride to Georgetown and spent the night camping behind the hotel/pub in Forsayth.
Forsayth reminded me of all of the small towns in Idaho that have ranches and farmers around who come to the pub or organize the community events. This weekend was a big festival and fundraiser for them with bands and competitions and I wish I could have stayed for it, but two rest days are one too many so back on the road at sunup.
The 40k ride to Georgetown was going really well- I am stronger in the saddle now and my endurance is improving- until I hit a 15k stretch of gravel and sand where the old paving had died.
Very tricky riding the heavy bike in the softer stuff and a lot more effort. It made me really glad I invested I'm the Schwabe Mondial hybrid tires because they handled the soft stuff really well.
I took a long break in Georgetown to check email and post a quick note to my blog and put up some of the pictures using their Library computers.
Riding today has been the first day I have spooked kangaroos.
It is so cool to see them hopping along beside you on the bike.
The cattle are all over the road as well- they breed Brahmans here that are genetically superior for drought conditions and disease and they will stand in the middle of the road until I get close and scatter at the last minute running to the side. I just hope I don't run into a bull! Not much chance of that since the breeding bulls are probably tens of thousands of dollars and very well cared for.
I spent the night by the Gilbert River and it had a little water left in it so I was able to fill my water bags with water I treated and have plenty of water for dinner.
I turned in early to get an early start and the light of the full moon awoke me so I am writing this up.
Hopefully I will be able to post it in Croyden but we will see, there seems to be no Vodafone access out here and very little WiFi.
written by  Mike_Veine on August 6, 2012 from Gilbert River, Australia

August 4th and 5th
Croydon, Australia
Aug 4, 5
Woke up to two flat tires today so changing tubes before I can get on the road.
Saw a bunch of kangaroos all day hopping from the roadside when I would ride up. I was able to get pretty close if they had their backs to me.
I met a French couple on touring bikes headed the opposite direction from me. Jean and Keely were riding around the world and have been on the road since 2006. They started in Darwin and intend to be in Melbourne in December. I invited them to stay with us there and they invited me to ride Tasmania with them if I want.
I rode from the Gilbert River to Croyden today and found a caravan park with a swimming pool, much appreciated!
I will get up early tomorrow and ride to Black Bull about halfway to Normanton.
Aug 5
Up late. Slept in because it was windy when my alarm went off at 5:45 and I wanted see what it was going to do so up at 6:45 instead. The wind died a bit and I took my time getting ready and did not leave town until about 8:30.
No kangaroos today, but I did meet up with a brahma bull!
He was standing by the roadway minding his own business and he was huge and had big horns that looked sharp- a very fierce fellow.
His head was down as I was approaching so I rode to the middle of the road and coasted quietly by. He noticed me after I passed and looked up and snorted. I avoided eye contact and kept riding hoping he would not chase me- he didnt! Yea!
It is easier riding now; mostly flat and the wind blew all over but lightly. Black Bull station turned out to be way too close so I rode all day. I couldn't quite make it the 158k to Normanton
but I did about 130 which is my longest and with a late start that is pretty good.
Camped in the bush with some trees screening me from the road and the sun has just gone down. If is quite the chorus out here with cicadas, other bugs and birds all going off at once. Oh well, I am so tired I should sleep well no matter.
No fire for stove tonight as there is too much dry grass and I don't want to cook by the highway so it is dried fruit for dinner with a water bottle chaser. That's ok, I had pizza and beer last night!
written by  Mike_Veine on August 7, 2012 from Croydon, Australia

August 6
Normanton, Australia
Aug. 6
Woke up at 4 with the bright moonlight in my eyes. Very quiet and peaceful out here. It is cool at night and I am in the sleeping bag and wearing a long sleeve shirt to keep the chill off.
I have a very short ride to Normanton today where I mailed a supply package with food and goodies and I will sleep in a caravan park with a pool tonight.
Hopefully they have WiFi somewhere and I can post all of the last week to the blog. If you are reading this I was successful.
No wifi I may buy a Telstra sim card for the phone in Cloncurry just to post my blog .
I met the New Zealand National Bronco Riding Champion in the pub tonight- very nice young man with the Champion belt buckle. His name is Paul and he has been to Oregon and Idaho and Cali working on ranches. You meet so many interesting people on the road. Alas, I will never meet up with the Siberian woman- apparently she is going one way and I am traveling another. C'set la vie.
Had a nice day at the pool and picked up my package, hurrah! Power foods again!
Will leave Normanton behind tomorrow and head for Bang Bang. Shout out to NASA for a successful Mars landing today. Awesome!
written by  Mike_Veine on August 8, 2012 from Normanton, Australia

August 8 Nomanton to Bang Bang Camp
Normanton, Australia
August 7
Today I rode from Normanton to a campsite (no water) called Bang Bang about 107k away. I had a great morning ride and covered 60k in the first 3 hours easily. I stopped by a large River for lunch after crossing a narrow bridge. The cool thing is there was no place a car could have stopped- no pullouts and a very narrow two lane road, but it was no problem for the bike!
In the River were three huge storks or cranes swimming along. Each must have been easily 6 feet tall with stilt legs. Two took off while I watched them and they were slow and very graceful for the biggest birds I have ever seen flying.
After lunch the riding was much much tougher with 30 k of single lane road with just red dirt beside it when cars came. Also there was a large gravel section that was tricky riding and slow and to top it off my tailwind turned into a headwind and really wore me out!
Today was gradual climbing and the land changed again. All of a sudden the trees disappeared and it was open fields of grasses with very few trees! It looked like the pictures of the African plains. This is the real Savannah Country now.
Every day holds surprises, some good and some just a bother but I am under the stars tonight and content to be still.
Tomorrow on to Burke and Wills Roadhouse 100 k away.
written by  Mike_Veine on August 9, 2012 from Normanton, Australia

Animals and Birds
Cloncurry, Australia
Before I forget birds and animals
I've seen huge beautiful cranes or Storks our here several times. Today it was 6 foot tall stilt legged birds with Stork like beaks. The beaks were yellow like a goose's and their feathers were mostly white with some black and grey on the wings and about the face.
They are so big when they fly but graceful in a languorous way with their long legs dragging behind them.
The other type I've seen is all black with only Circle of white on the wings. Black heads and black long beaks and looked to be 7 feet tall or taller! They were standing in a small lake fishing.
Other cool birds I've seen are hawks hunting and a bird with powder blue feathers on it's wings. Tonight at bang bang camp I saw three birds that may have been parrots with pinkish red underwings flying at sunset.
There are some crows or ravens and some mockingbirds with black and white wings that are very noisy in the morning.
Other animal notes
Kangaroos- I've seen Grey and Red. They look very much like the termite mounds which are everywhere when they stand still
and the termite mounds are grey in some areas and red in others where the dirt is red. Isn't evolution amazing!
I've seen dead wild pigs by the road but never a live one. They are black and the biggest was about 6 feet long.
Today I saw feral cats two grey tabbies.
And what about termites anyway? Their mounds are so many here- just where I can see they are every 10 feet or so apart as far as I can see! How many billions of billions of them must there be out here?
written by  Mike_Veine on August 13, 2012 from Cloncurry, Australia

August 8 Nightime
Cloncurry, Australia
Aug 8
Up at 5:45 and on the road by 7:15. Made the 90 k from Bang Bang to Burke & Wills by 12:30 with some rest stops.
Today I saw a flock of parakeets flying together- maybe 60 to 80 all turning together and making beautiful patterns. They were bright green with almost neon green underwings and when they flapped their wings it looked like bright green strobe lights in the early morning low angle sun. They flew by me and in front of me a couple of minutes because on the bike were at the same speed. In a car I would probably have missed the whole thing.
Even as cool as the trip is I am having doubtful moments and getting tired of being on the bike so many days. I will think hard about this over the next few days to [[Australia/Mount-Isa]] and I may decide I am done. We shall see.
Burke & Wills is nice enough but busy and noisy, tomorrow night I will have to sleep in the bush so it should be quieter. Adding more water every day to see how the weight is on the bike.
written by  Mike_Veine on August 10, 2012 from Cloncurry, Australia

Cloncurry, Australia
Mike's folly and a brutal day.
Today I learned a valuable lesson.
The day started off well- I have loaded two days plus reserve water on the bike to see what riding with all that weight is like and I left Burke & Wills camp on  time at about 7:15. The bike felt heavy, but balanced, and I was slower than yesterday out of the gate.
A helicopter pilot named Dale that I met the night before told me to expect some climbs today and he did not lie- it seemed like the whole day was a very gradual long climb.
I decided to experiment today since I have had so much trouble making mileage in the afternoon and to take a long rest during the hottest part of the day. I would pick a shady spot, put down the ground sheet and inflate my air mattress to have a comfy nest against the sun. I would also change out of my road  shorts and air them and take the  bike shoes off and rest my feet.
I did this for two hours between 11:30 and 1:30 and I felt very smart. The problem that developed while a rested was a 8-10 mile an hour headwind! That was when I remembered the Tortoise and The Hare Story and realized I was the stupid Hare and the Tortoise was kicking my ass!
When I got back on the bike I was in good shape but an hour of long climbs directly into the wind on the heavy bike soon fixed that. My average speed plummeted from 20 kph to 15 or even 13! I was back in the little chain ring again spinning for all I was worth and my feet and seat started to ache and complain seriously.
The day broke my spirit once and left me humbled at how fortunate I've been so far. I go only as far as Australia lets me and she can cut me off at anytime.
I very fortunately found a camping/ picnic area to bed down in for the night so I didn't have o sleep in the bushes and I could make some hot soup and tea!
I feel very low now and looking forward to sleeping tonight. Hopefully things will be brighter tomorrow.
written by  Mike_Veine on August 11, 2012 from Cloncurry, Australia

Headwind to Cloncurry
Very hard day only 80k but all into a headwind with climbing and some descents but the wind stole the fun out of them.
Made it to Cloncurry finally but so very tired...will take a rest day here tomorrow.
Burned out!

Aug 12
Mount Isa, Australia
Long 120k ride to Mt Isa from Cloncurry today through a small Mountain range that took 5 hours to ge thru. At least the winds were fair and I finally got some good descents including a fast 5k at the end that took me almost all the way into town!
There is a Mc Donalds here so I used the WiFI to update this blog thru the 9th of August and I used an Inet Cafe to add some pictures. Getting lonely and a little tired of riding but my friends buoy my spirits and so off again after another rest day to the real savannah lands and due west!
Mt Isa post service is incompetent and could not locate my food drop so I will miss my special power foods and have to substitute heavier alternatives.
Off to Cammoweal(pop.300) or rather the bush east of Cammoweal because it is 198 k away from Mt Isa. I will find a bush camp 100k down the road or so and sleep there for the night of the 14th.
written by  Mike_Veine on August 14, 2012 from Mount Isa, Australia

Cammoweal
Camooweal, Australia
Rode into town today just after noon- very favorable winds and making 22-25 kph and sometimes over 30 in the big chain ring! Fun to move more quickly in the flats. Nice night in the bush at a wide spot in the road by a big tree. Stars are amazing out here now that the moon is waned and it is still very cold in the morning. Maybe 4 celcius? Definitely need the jacket when the sun goes down and the fly on the tent for wamth at night. Harder to get going in the AM as well.
I am camping behind the pub tonight and will probably have a drink or two- thenext 4 days will be difficult with a 120 and 140k day respectively and I may ignore the campsites on my plan and ride 130 and 130 instead or some other combination.
Wish me luck and don't expect to hear from me for awhile! Email Carl if you need to send me a message please!
written by  Mike_Veine on August 15, 2012 from Camooweal, Australia

Awesome Ride and On to the Final Phase
Tennant Creek, Australia
Well I am now in Tennant Creek and waiting to go to the Post Office tomorrow to see if some packages have arrived for me. Mt Isa managed to lose my food drop so I have been scavanging snickers bars and tangerines to supplement my soup since snack items or prepared foods are all I could find some days.
I just had two great riding days- one of 150k and one which would have been 160 with the wind at my back on pretty flat terrain. FUN!
Yesterday near the end of my ride I had a mechanical failure that forced me to get a ride about 90k to Tennant Creek- my seatpost clamp bolt and nut stripped and I could not control seat height or right to left movement so pretty much the bike was unrideable. I did not bring anything suitable as a spare and I am not a bright enough mechanic to kludge something up on the road so I stuck out my thumb!
The funny thing is, I was picked up by a guy I'd met 90k back the road at the Barkley Homestead when I had a late breakfast. He had no intention of going my way originally but some transportation issues forced him to drive to Tennant Creek and he said he was looking for me along the way. He was surprised to find me 90k down the road flagging him down for assistance just as I was surprised to actually have someone I knew helping me!!! Small world.
He gave me ride to Tennant Creek and it was too late to go to the hardware store to fix the bike so I got a motel room and took my new friend out to dinner for hauling me around.
Today is Sunday so I am staying over at the Motel, maybe get a swim in- it is really windy here though and warm, but not hot, eat some pizza later and pack up to leave tomorrow.
I still need to hit the Post Office when they open to see about my packages, then if all is good I am off North now 990k to Darwin on the Last Leg of the Journey!
I will post some more pictures and some of my kludgey repair job for the shop guys to laugh at....
written by  Mike_Veine on August 18, 2012 from Tennant Creek, Australia

Stuck for a couple of days
Elliott, Australia
Lots has happened in the last few days- I am now staying at a camp in Renner Springs Roadhouse while I wait for a new downtube seatpost clamp to arrive from Melbourne.
The various fixes I have tried all failed and most of the bolts sheared or deformed so badly they would not hold the seat and I would end up riding like I was 5 foot tall with my knees I'm my chest. Not fun.
I've made 163 k out of Tennant Creek though and tomorrow I will cover 100 k to Elliot where the part is being mailed. Big thanks to my support team, my friend, Carl here and Louisa in the States and a shout out to Bruce the REI shop guru for his advice and assistance.
I am making the best of this time out, doing laundry and resting up for the last push, but I am anxious to get on the road again. 9 or 10 more days should finish this trip and then on to other things.
There is a windmill and a pond here with geese and cormorants, eagles and hawks and a bird people call stupid gullahs. The gullahs fly around madly in the morning squawking a horrible squawk and are a general nuisance.
Starting to miss home and bed, but still more to see and do before then.
I will post more pics when I can.
written by  Mike_Veine on August 21, 2012 from Elliott, Australia

Before I forget
Elliott, Australia
Forgot an important day...
When i left Tennant Creek I rode 100 k to a place called Banka Banka Outback Station where I met up with 4 other cyclists. Everyone there was amazed to see 5 bikes in one so out of the way place. Two of the  bikers were a couple from Belgium rising with another man from Denmark. They were heading south to Adelaide. The 4th rider was a 22 year old bike racer fr the Netherlands who was telling us about riding 230 k days at a 30-33kph average speed. He is headed to Darwin also but our riding styles and my mechanical issues meant that we could nor ride together.
Banka Banka was graat... The men who ran it let all the cyclists stay for free and they had nice showers and a big camp kitchen. They had a night bonfire and a funny older fellow playing 70's songs on a standup organ. Fumny!
Left there early for Remner Springs and invited the Danish rider to stay with me in Melbourne when he gets there in  October. I also signed up with a group called warmshowes.org that help bike tourists find people who will let them couch surf on their trips. Very cool. I will try to find someone to put me up in Darwin and open the Melbourne House to a few riders as well to help out.
Today I rode the 100 k from Renner Spings to Elliot and my bike fix failed after about 20k. When it became too horrible to ride I chances trying to fix if again and this time I had success! I rode the last 60k with no problems or few because it is always in the back of your mind.
Unfortunately the part had not arrived yet so I will check tomorrow am and hope it is here. If not I will probably ride on and  forward the part to Matrinka or Katherine even just to get down the road. I am within 720 k of Darwin now so very anxious to move on.
It oz noticeably warmer here tonight and more humid and the trees are getting taller and greener and I went North today.
We will see what tomorrow brings.
written by  Mike_Veine on August 23, 2012 from Elliott, Australia

Getting closer to Darwin!
Mataranka, Australia
The last two days have been shorter rides- one of 93 k to Larramiah and one of 80 k to Matarinka.
Larramiah had nothing to recommend it except The Pink Panther Pub which is pink and has a zoo with exotic birds including emus, a salty crocodile and thats about it.
They did have a meatloaf special that was good, but not a good as Mom's.
The heat even at night is tough...could not get to sleep easily and didn't use the sleeping bag until after 3 am when I woke up and my legs were a little cool.
Matarinka is better. They have a beautiful natural hot water River in a National park that is free and amazing. When you get in it and let the current carry you it is like riding the jungle boat ride at Disneyland minus the Hippos and Crocs! Tropical plants and trees ae all around you and several types of Dragonflies fly around you just skimming the water and alighting by you on Lotus Flowers. Magical.
I went for two swims and took a bunch of pictures. The water was Crystal clear and not too hot, just a very comfortable and refreshing temperature.
Left there and I am at a small caravan park by the main road. Sunday dinner tonight is Pork Roast and sounds delicious. Mmmm.
Getting closer to Darwin every day now.
written by  Mike_Veine on August 26, 2012 from Mataranka, Australia

Daly Waters, Australia
Going to sleep by a somewhat cloudy sky.... First clouds I have seen the whole trip. Today was an epic day... Rode 160 k from Elliot to Daly Waters old town pub which is a place every top ender told me I had to see.
It was pretty hot today, from noon til 2;30 I had to stop every 1/2 hour to 45 min. To get in the shade and drink. Went through almost all the water on the bike including my 2 liter drom bag and I was still thirsty.
But I made it. Now under 600 k to Darwin and 300 k to Katherine whoohoo!
The pub here was awesome as well, great food and entertainment and I made fast friends with people who passed me and said, "no way is he going to make it to Daly Waters".
They ended up buying me some beers!
Hard day, but good, I know that I am strong enough to go 16o k without the wind helping if I have to and I have an invitation for a place to stay in Darwin when I get there. Cool,
One more thing about the pub- when I finish riding I always like to set up camp and take a shower, so when I got here I did my usual routine. Most camps have a block of showers and toilets for men and one for women kind of like single wide Mobile homes with jut bath facilities. The pub was different with seven small individual buildings that had a toilet, sink and shower in very close confines.
Anyone who knows me knows that I would pick number 7 (lucky number) so in I tromped. I had a great shower and my Surprise came when I flushed the toilet and a green frog the size of my fist appeared in the toilet bowl like Harry Potter had conjured him there! I screamed "Holy Sh*t" and then burst out laughing so hard!
When I left I ran into two couples who had seen me riding and greeted me when I rode into camp. I warned them about the toilet guest in number 7. They all laughed and assured that that happens frequently (!) in Darwin where the green frogs get into the septic tanks. The wonders of the animal kingdom...
written by  Mike_Veine on August 24, 2012 from Daly Waters, Australia

Darwin, Australia
Good ride into Katherine today. Wind at my back much of the time and rolling hills to ride
But still hot!
Katherine is a big city compared to anywhere I've been since Mt Isa and even has a McDonalds with WiFi! This is also the first place my iPhone has coverage since Cairns.
Katherine is famous for Katherine Gorge which I hope to visit on the way back. I am not taking many side trips now with the finish so close so there are places I want to go back to if I hopefully get a car.
I did visit the Cutta Cutta Caves which were only a 1 k side trip. The Caves are limestone and have stalactite and stalagmite formations that are hundreds of thousands of years old. Not an anthropologically interesting site since the native peoples had no knowledge of it and it was never inhabited or even used in ritual.
At a caravan park tonight where noisy backpacker kids are keeping me awake arguing about their travel plans for like 5 hours. I finally had to ask for some peace and quiet to get some sleep. LOL. I will be glad to sleep in when this ride is done!
written by  Mike_Veine on August 27, 2012 from Darwin, Australia

Darwin, Australia
Rode today to Emerald Springs 135 k down the road. I stopped for a long lunch in Pine Creek to let the day cool off a bit and then rode 30 k or so to ES.
Today was hills and climbs, but not too steep, just up and up and them a down. Getting used to the heat now a bit more and still drinking plenty of water. I had two pitchers full for lunch!
I am getting very anxious about finishing and may be done in two days. Today I had a flat- the front tubs that had been leaking finally gave it up so sat in the shade on the roadside and fixed that little problem.
I had drinks in the bar tonight with three young servicemen who were picking up broken vehicles the army had left behind during an exercise. Nice blokes, we watched Big Brother on the TV and made fun of the contestants.
Emerald Springs is pretty much just the Roadhouse from what I can see- another tiny town built around a waterhole.
The land has changed again and the past two days I have seen large boulders in many places and I saw small palm trees beside the road for the first time today. Also, I found an Australian Flag that came off a car I guess and hung it off the end of my bike. Really cool find. And my bike computer died- I thought it was the wireless sensors battery and replaced it but it still won't work. I will give a final summary of the recorded data on my last blog entry.
written by  Mike_Veine on August 28, 2012 from Darwin, Australia

August 29th
My next to last day!
Today I rode about 90 k or so to Adelaide River. The humidity is really getting up there and today I saw a lot more palm trees and a wildfire!
The wildfire was in the middle of nowhere and seemed quite large and burning out of control about 800 meters or so from the road on the Eastern side.  It was already burned up by the roadway which must have acted as a firebreak for the East wind driven flames. I took some pictures and while I was doing that I noticed some fresh flames sprouting up very close to the roadway in an unburnt area and decided to get out of there!
I have also seen a lot more standing water in creeks and pools and little lakes...I wonder if some of these are billabongs? With the water comes some more of the beautiful Jabirus (Big birds with black heads) and Egrets. I am also hearing more birdsong by the highway and fewer crows and carrion birds. Much greener as well with some areas looking almost like lawns.
The ride today was like yesterday with some climbing of hills not too steep but sometimes kin of tediously long. No good descents really either so maybe I will get one tomorrow.
I am staying in a motel room at a caravan park for the a/c an soft bed, but too excited to sleep....tomorrow is the last day and I should be at the ocean in Darwin by 2 or so (knock wood).
It has been an amazing ride so far and I am so thankful for everything Australia and the good people I have met have shown and taught me the last month o riding. My body has gone through some big changes and I hope to keep up with the improvements and build on them in Melbourne.
Today I met a young couple at the pool and tonight we shared some laughs and they told me about traveling in India which is another place I hope to see in a couple of years.
I will ride especially carefully tomorrow since the end of journeys can often be as perilous as the beginnings, but I am confident and energized as well.
Now back to trying to sleep....
written by  Mike_Veine on August 29, 2012 from Darwin, Australia

Made It!!!!!
I am here finally!! I will write more later right now celebrating with red wine and tapas!
Cheers and thanks to all my friends and loved ones who inspire me to dare an adventure;
You are all amazing

Captain's log- Final Entry
Well, I made it and now three days after riding into town I find it odd that I am not getting on a bicycle every morning. My body became used to the riding so it doesn't know what to do and I get little cramps and aches as the motion requirements have changed from riding to walking and standing...weird, huh?
I stayed two nights at a Holiday Inn on the Bay and had a very comfortable room with a little balcony and a restricted view of the Bay. I was pretty comfortable. The first night I just relaxed in and did not explore the city too much...it was time for reflection and giving thanks for safely completing my Mystery Tour and resting.
The next day I was on a mission going to my bank and checking on finances and trying to find a car to drive home in. My car adventures will be blogged here under Mike's Top Gear Challenge so look for that blog to start up soon (or even tonight).
I contacted Peter and Elizabeth who are two friends I made on the trip at the Daly Waters Pub. Peter was the man who explained about toliet frogs to me. That night he gave me his card and told me to call them when I got into Darwin so I did!
We agreed to meet for lunch and they invited me to stay with them for two days on their property in Humpty Doo about 45 K North of Darwin CBD. Elizabeth has horses on their 5 acre property and does show jumping and dressage competitions and Peter is a Master Mechanic who business is as a contractor. He cleared the land on the property and built their house and a recent add on that they sleep in so guests have a bedroom in the main building. They are a fun and lively couple and I have so enjoyed their courtesy and company!
On Saturday, Peter took me on a Quad bike bush trip and we drove around the bush seeing amazing birds on paths that he trailblazed on the quad. Elizabeth brought her horse, Siam, and rode the same trail catching up with us when we would stop at prearranged points- what fun! Peter took me the bush route back to the house and we got to see a beautiful orange sunset over this amazing land.
On Sunday I got to help him clear bush and cut a tree down that was a nuisance while Elizabeth fed parts of the tree to a new chipper that they had just purchased- wow, that thing was making short work of wood and leaves. It is Father's Day here so tonight when we went to the Humpty Doo Pub there was a band and they had a Man vs. Food contest of eating a rack of pork ribs with chips in under twenty minutes. Elizabeth challenged me to try so I did to defend America's honor as insane overconsumers. I took out my daughter, Aubrey's picture for inspiration- "this one is for you, daughter". and the waitress brought a huge plate of ribs. But nothing could stop me and I finished them in 14 minutes gaining the meal for 1/2 price (yes, I think it probably should have been free too!). I will probably suffer later and tomorrow is an all fruit and water day for sure (maybe some yoghurt too).
All this is possible because I met amazing and fun and interesting people on my bike adventure and in the end, like everything in life to me, it is the people and the experiences you have that make life worth living and made this Adventure worth having.
I will spare you the details of riding into Darwin because they didn't matter; my body had become a machine that rode a bike, but my mind remained free and unfettered and my imagination and appreciation of the world around me grew in proportion to the kilometers I racked up.
Love Life and have an Adventure All of You Good People!
Farewell for this phase and now onto the next adventure!

Sa Pa City view from hotel

View From Sa Pa Gardens

Shelter on Mountain I climbed in Sa Pa Mt Fanispan

Weather on the Mt Fanispan- rain and more rain!

Guesthouse in Laos!

Rain and Flooding at the Kon Lo Caves!

River at flood stage covering a bridge and inudating the fields

River at the caves flooding

River at Kon Lo Caves flooding

Laos Countryside. very lush and green

Misty view in Laos countryside

Temple in Vientiane, Laos

Temple sculpture of Mother Earth

Fellow Bike rider

amazing huge Buddha

Emerald Buddha

Temple and Palace Complex in Bangkok

Temple and Palace Comples

Temple and Palace complex

Sculptures at Bangkok Palace

Temple Complex

Golden Chedi, Temple and Palace complex, Bangkok

Detail of Ceramic Tiles on a Temple

Sculpture and Ceramics details at Palace Temple, Bangkok

Wall Murals at Bangkok Temple and Palace complex

Wall Murals

Golden Chedi

Sculpture Detail

Ayhuttaya Ruins of temples

Temple Ruins over 600 years old

Lions guarding the temples

Lotus Buddha

Stopping and smelling the flowers!

Temple Complex ruins

Temple ruins

Temple ruins 300 plus years old

Temple ruins with Buddha

Temple Ruins in Lop Buri

Lop Nuri

Lop Buri Temple ruins detail

Lop Buri Ruins, 300 plus years old

Sukhothai Ruins complex

Sukhothai Ruins

Sukhothai Ruins, Elephants

Look at my Arms, Ma!!!!

Well Preserved Ancient Temple Complex in Sukhothai 300 Plus years

Peaceful Image

Buddha

Ancient Chedi

More Elephant Guards!!!!

Chedi

Healthy Moving cattle in Sukhothai World Heritage site!

Sukhothai is a Wopld Heritage site for its Temple complex ruins

High Camp Shelter Mt. Fansipan

My side of West Lake in Hanoi, I walked this almost every day!

The street where I lived in Hanoi for 1 month

Other view of my Street in Hanoi

John McCain's Flight suit- Hanoi Hilton

Prisoners shackled in Hanoi Hilton

Hanoi Hilton Prison Uniform from 1930's

Hanoi Hilton Memorial Wall

Hanoi Fine Artsd Museum- detail of painting I liked

Buddah in Hanoi Fine Arts Museum

1000 Armed Goddess in Hanoi Fine Arts Museum

Cat Ba Island

Cat Ba National Park

Deer in Cat Ba National Park

Ferry trip to Cat Ba- Natural Beauty

Bike Hitchiker on Ferry- you find a seat wherever you can LOL!

Ferry to Cat Ba

Ferry to Cat Ba, Ha Long Bay

Win on the Ferry to Cat Ba- 1 hour trip through Ha Long Bay

On Ferry to Cat Ba, Ha Long Bay

View from Hotel in Thuan Island near Cat Ba, Ha Long Bay

Hotel Room View, Thuan Island, Ha Long Bay

Emperors Tomb Complex

Stella with Emperor's Biography etched in charachters

Detail of Column from Forbidden City Hue

Detail of Stone Work, Emperors Tomb

Stone Monument

Courtyard. Emperors Tomb Complex

Emperor's Tomb Complex

Emperor's Tomb Complex Porcellin Planter

Large Brass Planter

Detail of Wooden Stairs, Empress's Memorial Complex

Good Luck Charachters in Emperor's Tomb Complex

Detail of Wooden Door

Example of Building Construction

Stairs to Emperor's Tomb, Hue

Hoi An Street Corner

Small Roadside Temple, Rural Hoi An

Roadside Temple, Rural Hoi An

View from hotel in Song Cau

Beach where families swim in the evening from my balcony

Golden Lion Gate Guard, Buddhist Center, Da Lat

Buddhist Temple Gardens

Buddhist Temple Gardens, Bonzai

Summit of Mt. Lang Biang

Summit of Mt Lang Biang, 2000+ Meters

Trail Guide Marker to Summit of Lang Biang

View of Starting point from the trail to Mt Lang Biang Summit

My first Guesthouse room in HCMC

Viet Cong Tunnel Complex outside of HCMC

US Tank destroyed by VC in 1968

VC Encampment example near HCMC

Tunnel Entrance

Look how small the entrance really is!

Tunnel Tour HCMC

Temple for blended religions group, Christian and Buddhist

Worship in Temple

HCMC Street corner near Ho Chi Minh Museum

HCMC Street

Picture from War Rememberence Museum

Story of Photo of American family affected by Agent Orange

Portrait of American Family affected by Agent Orange

Effects of Agent Orange on Vietnam Mangrove Forest

Caption for photo

Examples of Peace Posters from around the world

Examples of Peace Poster

Examples of Peace Posters

Cuban support for North Vietnam during the American War

Huey Chopper, War Rememberence Museum

Pictures of Children at War

School/ Bombshelter during the war

Warplanes

Tank that brought down the gates of the South Vietnamese Presidential Palace, 1975

Presidential Bunker

Underground Presidential Office in Bunker

Command Office in Bunker

Presidential Bedroom in Bunker

Presidential Palace in Saigon

Reception Room, Presidential Palace, Saigon

Meeting Room, Presidential Palace, Saigon

Detail of Ancient Wall Textile, Presidential Palace, Saigon

Uncle Ho memorial in Presidential Palace

Grounds of Presidential Palace

Street in HCMC

Vietnamese countryside- so green

Kids ar

Ceramic Dragons on Saigon made pot early XX Century

Courtyard of old Saigon Museum

Contemporary Bronze Mother & Child

Contemporary Painting of Woman Revolutionary

American War Era Painting

Section of large contemporary painting

Painting from Australian Art Exhibition

Monkey & Dragon Painting

My Honda Win 100

Humpty Doo at Pete and Elizabeth's place

Elizabeth, Peter and Me

Peter and Elizabeth's Beautiful House

The Blue ?

Pete checking out the Blue ? for me

Darwin Skyline from my Hotel

Ocean front park with sunbathers and swimmers

View of the Bay from my Hotel Balcony

Ahhh...Luxury!

My First Meal in Darwin....

Overview of the Park by the Ocean

I made IT!

In Darwin...lots of traffic

Still rural near the city

My First Glimpse of the City!

Last Day...do I look Confident?

Little purple flowers on a roadside bush

Riding little hills all day

Jabiru Bird escaping brush fires

If you look closely you can see the flames in the distance

Smoke from a wild bush fire

Old Truck at Caravan Park and Pub

Typical Pub and Caravan Park on the road to Darwin

Caravan Park near a river

Pub in the distance- not someplace I stated- just typical of the little places out here

Road is curvy

Ride, Ride, Ride

Bigger termite mounds here

Back to grasses again

Road to Katherine- had the wind at my back sometimes

Guide at the Cuppa Cuppa caves- excellent

Cuppa Cuppa Caves are Limestone caves

We walked on grids with hand rails in mostly in the caves

Stalagtites take hundreds of thousands of years to form

Cave sights

Bad shoulder here for pavement, but typical

More Cave

Trees are definitely getting bigger

Still running cattle out here

Termites! Termites! Termites!

80 K til the end of my day!

Mailbox for some remote settlement- a dirt road ran to the left of this as far as you could see

What the land looks like out of Tennant Creek

Trying to keep the seat up by putting a box underneath, This did not work.

Downtube clamp fail.....

The offending part and kludge repair job- will hacksaw the end shorter tomorrow maybe...

The Narrow Line I ride on the Left with trucks passing me!

Road into the Western Range

Dry and Sere out Here

Finally to Normanton

Dirt Road out of Forsayth

View of Cattle from the train

Bike on the train!

Savanahlander Train (Hopped a ride to avoid 45k of roadwork!)

Mt Surprise Hotel and Julie (owner)

Road to Ravenshoe

Lunch Rest on the third day to Ravenshoe

Road to Atherton

2nd nights campsite at a free caravan park

Steep Climbing out of Cairns

On The Climb---Exhausting and Hot!

View on the steep climb out of Cairns

Skyrid for toursists- no room for the bike or I should have gone this way!

View on the climb out of Cairns

On the boat to dive on the Great Barrier Reef