Hostile look
N 21°35'24.4'' E 103°25'19.5''
Date:
27.07.2016
Day: 396
Country:
Vietnam
Province:
Điện Biên
Location:
Tuan Giao
Latitude N:
21°35’24.4”
Longitude E:
103°25’19.5”
Daily kilometers:
80 km
Total kilometers:
17,867 km
As the crow flies:
44 km
Average speed:
19 km/h
Maximum speed:
53.6 km/h
Travel time:
3:45 hrs.
Soil condition:
Asphalt
Maximum height:
1.000 m
Total altitude meters:
51.363 m
Altitude meters for the day:
977 m
Sunrise:
05:37
Sunset:
6:48 pm
Temperature day max:
28°C
Temperature day min:
22°C
Departure:
9:30 a.m.
Arrival time:
2:30 pm
(Photos of the diary entry can be found at the end of the text).
Although we stayed at the paradisiacally beautiful resort near Dien Bien Phu for four days, we would have liked to have stayed here even longer. However, the visa situation and the distance to the Laotian border still ahead of us push us on. Who knows, maybe that’s a good thing, because if we no longer had any time limits at all, we would most likely be traveling a few steps slower than before. On our way over the mountains of northern Vietnam today, we are treated to rice terraces, small farming villages, beautiful scenery and changeable monsoon weather. We stop at particularly beautiful spots to photograph the uniqueness of nature. We discover a tiny restaurant at the top of a pass. The owner presses us a fresh sugar cane juice. We sit down on the plastic chairs for a while and enjoy the view of the deep valley below us. A few birds sing, which the sugar cane juice seller keeps in cages and has hung or placed everywhere in his little rest stop. Then we say goodbye to the friendly man and let our bikes roll down into the valley only to pedal back up the other side. Today, too, we cross almost 1,000 meters of altitude over a distance of 80 km.
By the time we reach the village of Tuan Giao, we are tired and exhausted. I ask the only hotel for a room for us. A heavily made-up woman sits behind a wooden platform and looks at me hostilely. After an exhausting day, I give her my friendliest smile and think I can see a twitch around her eyes. When she sees our dog in his trailer, her face hardens again. We remain calm and interpret her reaction as a friendly yes. Her equally serious-looking man, who is at least a head shorter, joins her and sees Ajaci, whereupon his facial features instantly brighten. “Can I have a look at a room?” I ask. The man nods and shows me a small, simple, dirty and stuffy room in which the air conditioning has broken down. “250.000 Dong”, (10,- €) says. “I’ll take that,” I reply, because we have no other choice. Our bikes are allowed in a hall behind the house, which is used for festivities on some days. “Thôi nào mam”, (Come with me) says the boss of the accommodation to Tanja and shows her a small toilet at the end of the hall where Ajaci is to spend the night. Tanja shakes her head vigorously and tells him that our four-legged friend is much better off in our room. He accepts Tanja’s request without vetoing it and asks if he can have a few pictures of himself and Ajaci. From this point on, the ice is completely broken. The whole family, including mom with the initial scowl, is now sitting next to Ajaci and having their photo taken. The mom, her two children and especially her little man can’t get enough of it. The pictures are immediately shared and commented on by numerous friends on Facebook. After the photo session, our superstar is constantly cuddled and stroked by several hands. “Just don’t get arrogant with me,” Tanja admonishes him with a laugh…
If you would like to find out more about our adventures, you can find our books under this link.
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