It is Tuesday morning and I go to the hotel where the ladies are staying at. Last night, we arranged with the people who organise the cycling and food tour to be picked up at the hotel. Once in the lobby, we are all wondering how they are going to pick us up. Will they come with a van with the bicycles on it or will they drive us to their agency? It seems unlikely that they will come with the bikes to the hotel. And indeed, a lady appears and asks us to follow her to the agency a few blocks away.
There we are greeted by more people, Oliver, our guide for the day is being introduced, our bikes are being made ready, we are given helmets and a honk is being installed. Now we can do as the Romans do. Honk as much as we like. We are given a few instructions, which are not new to me. One of the instructions is never to stop.
When I was in Naples the first time, I had trouble crossing the road. Whoever has been to Naples knows what traffic is like. A local who watched me standing there for a while came to help me cross the road and gave me the following piece of advice: Don't look at the cars while crossing and never stop. He said I should look at the traffic before I set my foot on the street and then just walk. The cars and motorcycles will swirl around me. He then asked me to stay there with him for a minute and watch locals crossing the road. They were doing what he just told me. he said the same applies to driving. Try not to stop, but keep moving. I have been following his advice ever since.
The tour is scheduled to last 4.5 hours. Half the time is cycling and the other half is eating. And boy, there will be a lot to eat!
There we are greeted by more people, Oliver, our guide for the day is being introduced, our bikes are being made ready, we are given helmets and a honk is being installed. Now we can do as the Romans do. Honk as much as we like. We are given a few instructions, which are not new to me. One of the instructions is never to stop.
When I was in Naples the first time, I had trouble crossing the road. Whoever has been to Naples knows what traffic is like. A local who watched me standing there for a while came to help me cross the road and gave me the following piece of advice: Don't look at the cars while crossing and never stop. He said I should look at the traffic before I set my foot on the street and then just walk. The cars and motorcycles will swirl around me. He then asked me to stay there with him for a minute and watch locals crossing the road. They were doing what he just told me. he said the same applies to driving. Try not to stop, but keep moving. I have been following his advice ever since.
The tour is scheduled to last 4.5 hours. Half the time is cycling and the other half is eating. And boy, there will be a lot to eat!
Celes, Sonja, me and Jocyn
outside one of the food places
cycling through banana plantations
St. Joseph Cathedral built by the French
On the Long Bien Bridge with the banana plantations behind us
Sonja and Jocyn with a temple in the background
In front of the Presidential Palace.
You are not allowed to stop at the gate for any reason. When I stop to take a photo, the guards tell me to go away. However, you are allowed to stop a few yards away.
The Long Bien Bridge was built between 1899 and 1902 and was designed by Gustave Eiffel. The bridge was bombed many times in the past. It's closed to cars. There is a train track in the middle and only motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians are allowed to use it. It is also the only place where you drive on the left hand side.
Jocyn and Sonja
The group including Oliver the guide
The opera house
early in the morning before we drive off
The Opera House
The square in front of the Opera House
Cycling on a busy road
Riding on the left hand side
Shop on the bridge
Bananas
Going down
wrapped in plastic to avoid bites by ants and birds
Not only houses have numbers in this country, trees have too.
The Presidential Palace
hihihihi
What we are going to eat now
Egg-coffee and egg-chocolate
If you would like to read more by me, please find the following two on Amazon:
No comments:
Post a Comment