Over the Rickety Bridge up to the Secondary Jungle

 

After a lively night in Tuy Hoa, where DB’s superhero charisma kept the bar buzzing till late o’clock, the morning saw us split into two camps. “Tumbling Toby” and Russ opted for a relaxed coastal ride, while the rest of us geared up for the longer trek to Mang Den, setting off at 0800 sharp.

The first thrill of the day was the 800-meter-long wooden bridge. Miraculously, we bumped into Russ and Toby right there – perfect timing or pure luck! This bridge, barely a metre wide, was no easy crossing, especially when confronted by a 3-up moped coming from the opposite direction. Nerve-wracking and wobbly, but made for some great pictures!

The Unexpected Meet Up

Now I know why they sent me over First!

From there, we had a demonstration of “Juggernaut vs. Moped.” Safe to say, the moped and rider came out worse in that round.  A salutary lesson to us all and a hint to curb our enthusiasm.  Then, as if to match the drama, the sky opened up, drenching us AGAIN!  Luckily (for the other 5) David had the worst of it, having lost his waterproof trousers behind during a luggage swap.  No dry \or warm legs for him).

Our spirits were revived with a hot coffee break and a hearty bowl of noodles at a café with a view over local fish farms. And, to our surprise, there were Russ and Toby again!  I have never been stalked before……

Fuelled up, the Rufty Tufty four of us set off toward Mang Den, winding first along a bustling coastal road. Our attempt to shortcut through a tunnel was foiled by the "no motorbikes" rule, so we headed over the mountain, where to our amazement we encountered a lorry with 5 enormous diggers, something we would never see in the UK. And yes, it rained – again.

Eventually, the weather broke, and the ride transformed. We hit an exhilarating stretch: a twisting road winding through dense forest and mountain views, pure bliss on two wheels. Unexpectedly, the forest opened up to an 8-lane runway before returning to the narrower mountain path – a surreal change.  However, it did give us all the chance to see how fast the bikes would go, DM (again living up to his name) won the challenge with a massive 85…. Wait for it….KPH.  We could not even break the UK national speed limit. Shortly after the drag race we continued through the mountains when to add to the rain a heavy mist fell upon us, just as I was thinking of gorillas in the mist we rounded a hairpin bend only to be confronted by half a dozen, half tonne, water buffalo… anchors on and thread through the beasts was the immediate order of the day.

Even then, the rain hadn’t had its last say. Another downpour came, and then, as if the day hadn’t packed in enough surprises, David’s chain came off. Cold, drenched and a little despondent with the quality of our “year old” bikes, we worked to get it back in place before resuming our journey.  Good job they are being repaired on Saturday

By the time we rolled up to the boutique hotel in Mang Den, everyone was chilly, worn out, and immensely grateful for a hot shower.

Terry's Steamed Chicken and Onion, not quite what he expected