321 Cyclo

A Letter from Marty

Dear All,

So, no more cyclo.

I’m now suffering from Post Cyclo Traumatic Syndrome (PCTS). With  six days to reflect so far I’ve done no reflection at all. My body is getting used to not getting up at dawn and crashing at dusk...and it likes it! 

The trip was awesome, but I can’t say I’m missing the cyclo. It now resides with the kids at the Saigon Children’s Charity. I hope they get some use out of it. It proved remarkably stoic for such a cheap piece of crap.

 My enduring memories of this trip will be the kindness we have received everywhere we have been. Thank-you to all.

It was a bit embarrassing reading the website on the trip as webmaster Steve (great job Steve) kept referring to us as heroes. While Adam actually wears a t-shirt that says "I am a hero", I think that was a bit over the top. Real heroes play in rock n' roll bands.

Some Highlights:

 Crashing Twice: The first crash sent the cyclo and our friend Hai, who was stuck to his motorbike, hurtling across Highway One into a ditch. Afterwards his family invited us over for lunch, dinner, to stay the night, and to share laughs about how Id so very nearly killed their son.

Meeting Slash: After the tragic split of Guns N' Roses some years back many people have wondered whatever happened to master of the axe, Slash. I’m glad to inform you all that he is alive and well working as a chef in a roadhouse somewhere between Thanh Hoa and Vinh. His personal hygiene standards have dropped, but he still plays a mean Mr Brownstone.  Slash can be seen above.  

Hai Van Pass: Just because it was so easy. We did 40km/h up the pass and overtook trucks.

Mr Sau: "My motorbike is like my wife, sometimes I must make love to it." - Gold.

Saigon: Great welcome, some seven million people showed up in town that day. Amazing turn-out. Thanks very much to all.

I have a huge number of people to thank for their help in the past month. Apologies for anyone left out here, I have the memory of a goldfish. Apologies for anyone left out here, I have the memory of a goldfish. Apologies to anyone left out here, I have the memory of a goldfish.

Big thanks to.....

-In Hanoi, all the KOTO crew, especially Steve, Nadine, Jimmy. All at WET tours, all at Culi cafe, all at Barracuda bar, Tony, Lam, Rose and all sponsors, everyone who donated their time - thankyou very much.

-In Ninh Binh the Thuy Anh Hotel.

-Lam, Hai and family in Ha Tinh for extra kindness thanyou very much. Sorry for nearly killing your son. 

-Thanh, Phuong, and all the cyclo and moto boys in Hue for amazing welcome and hospitality.

-Hai, Nick, Duc, Paul, Maralyn, and all in Hoi An.

-Hai Yen Hotel

-Darren, Quinn, and all at Guava Bar in Nha Trang

-Peter and all at Sailing Club in Mui Ne

-Saigon Children’s Charity

-Mr Hoa and friends in Saigon

-Mr Sau for his patience, knowledge, and kindness. and Adam for riding for that 10 minute stint near Nha Trang.

Lastly, I’d like to dedicate the ride to my friend Mike Matsushita. We did it brother.

cheers and thanks,

Marty

A Letter From Adam

Dear All

Well what can I say about this insane idea that was born in Culi Café (40 Luong Ngoc Quyen) over a few to many lagers! It’s a reality! Marty and I were both stoked to arrive in Ho Chi Minh City last Thursday after 29 days of riding, four new tyres, five new spokes, a new crank, several major services, two crashes and 1700km’s!

 
A lot of folk told us it to dangerous, impossible, insane or just an outright stupid thing to do. We agreed, we still do! But thanks to our inexperience and blasé attitude we went ahead anyway. As Marty pointed out, “If we had looked at a map first, there’s no way we would have done it!”

 
Our arrival to HCMC, was one of warm greetings and big smiles, welcoming us as we arrived at our finish line located at Saigon Children's Charity.
Many of the students, our friends and other Intrepid Travellers made the short jaunt out to District 4 to greet us. It was a fabulous finish and our big thanks go out to the students and staff of the school and to all those who participated.

 
While this is by far the craziest thing I have ever been involved with, it was definitely one of those journeys that will be talked about for years to come. Not only by us, but by the many Vietnamese who saw two crazy big noses riding a cyclo down Highway 1! The looks of confusion, the double takes, the laughter and finger pointing is something I will never forget.

 
Something else forged in old memory bank is the sounds of air horns and the insane and at times, ridiculous driving skills of local truckies and bus drivers. Death defying buses, three wide, overtaking one and other, while dodging buffalos, school kids, carts, bikes, cows, cyclo and on coming traffic is something that must be seen to believe. And the air horns…………………..well with talked about these already.

 
While the driving was incredibly crazy, the local people we met along the way were magic. Four times a day, we were mobbed by school kids as they rode to and from their daily classes. Many stopped for a chat, others looked on in total confusion, some laughed and a few even got to jump aboard for a free ride to school! Many café and restaurant owners were brought to theirs knees as we parked out front and wondered in for a bowl of Pho or a coffee.

Many stops we’ve made at local places along the way and everyone welcomed us with smiles and laughter. Wood carvers, rice farmers, tree loggers, mechanics, motor bike taxi and cyclo boys and many more were met on route.

We were even invited into weddings for rice wine and smokes. But thanks to our strict alcohol and tobacco policy, we had little choice but to accept their generosity and tried the wine, along with some of the lung busting local smokes on offer.

 
Food along the way was fabulous and inexpensive. Most meals were simple comprising of rice, meat, veggies and soup. Our star player, Mr Sau, ensured we didn’t go hungry ordering plenty of fine and fresh tucker for all. Most days saw Marty and myself eating up to five meals and enough coffee and red bull energy drink to drown a fish! But while both of us have lost a bit of weight, we’re both feeling fit and healthy. And I haven’t had rice since arriving in HCMC!!!!

The past few days has see  us both reading books, sleeping and catching up friends. Marty’s back to work in the next few days guiding travellers through Vietnam (with Intrepid Travel). I'm back to Hanoi to see my lovely fiancée and prepare for our wedding at the end of the month. We’re not to sure what the next adventure will be, but chances are we’ll be at Culi Café eating the finest hamburgers in Hanoi dreaming up something crazy!. 
 

Before signing of there many people that must be thanked:

• Jimmy Pham – Director and Founder of Koto
• Nadine Ziegeldorf - CEO Street Voices / Koto Staff
•  Intrepid Travel – Our major sponsor
•  Steve Jackson – Koto Volunteer
• The  staff at the International Press and Communications Co-operative Centre, Hanoi
•  To all our sponsors, hotels, people who helped along the way. There are to many to mention here, but you all get a mention through the website!
•  The trainees of Koto, who have been glued to the computer screen watching the website. These kids have some of the saddest stories, but have the biggest smiles. Thanks to all the trainees for your support, smiles and laughter. And thanks to the all the staff of Koto for your help and assistance.
•  Mr Sau – Motor Bike Taxi Driver.
• To everyone that has followed our trip and donated money to Koto. Its been a wicked trip and great to read comments left on the web. We’re gob smacked by how many people actually logged on to follow us. Thanks heaps and be sure to look us up occasionally to see what the next adventure is for Extreme Charity!

Cheers

Adam

A beautiful finish

So they made it.

A total of 1,700km from Hanoi to Saigon and they did it.  Ending up at Saigon Children's Charity this afternoon.

As ever nothing ran smoothly.  They first went to the wrong school, their camera - containing several hours of film was snatched - only to be snatched back on their behalf - but they made it.

The staff and kids at the SCC did us proud.  Garlands of flowers, a big banner and a hundred or so smiles.  The guys had been joined on the last leg by assorted foreigners in a cyclo parade who were knocked out by the experience.

It was a very fitting end to an extroadinary journey.  The guys did interviews with waiting press as if they were rockstars - looking cool in their garlands.

In the end the cyclo was donated to the SCC and as and we left there were a tonne of kids crawling all over it.  One hour later, as I'm sat writing this up and Saigon is experiencing a huge storm.  Even the weather held up just long enough.

As I mentioned before, there were people who thought that it could not be done. What  I haven't mentioned before is that there were also people who said it shouldn't be done.  People who said it was too dangerous.  In many ways they were right.  Highway One is a dangerous place but as tour group leaders Marty and Adam knew what they were getting themselves into.  They faced it with both bravery and good humour.

And I should stop there before I embarass the guys.  But this is a legendary feat.  I have no doubt that people living up and down Highway One will tell people for many years about the two crazy tays on a cyclo that pedalled all the way from Hanoi to Saigon.

So this is the end of the trip, but not the end of the website.  In time I will hand it over to Marty and Adam to run themselves.  Maybe there will be another challenge next year, maybe in another country, for another charity. 

In the meantime keep checking back for details of how much we raised and future fundraisers.  If you've just come across this site for the first time then click on the archives on the left hand side and start from the beginning - read the full story of how two men rode a cyclo 1,700km from Hanoi to Saigon.

From KOTO, I just want to say a massive thank-you.  The money raised will change lives.  It will rescue young people from a life of otherwise certain poverty.  Please, as I mentioned we will announce the amount of money raised to date soon - in the meantime you can still donate here.

If you're in Saigon tonight, they the boys will be at the Blue Ghecko Bar.  Drinking free beer promised to them by someone who thought that would never be able to do it.

Enjoy it boys.

Marty, Adam and assorted kids

The Banner

A Happy Man

The Welcome Party

Hail - the Cyclo Men

The New Cyclo Owners

More details for the big day

Pssst..mate..do you know the way to Saigon?

Just off the phone from Marty and plans are coming together.

Man...next time we're going to be so much more organised.  There's going to be a next time, right boys?

Anyway...the plan is that the boys will pedal their way into town around 2ish as we mentioned.  They'll pick up their cyclo guard of honour at the river near the Tran Hung Dao Monument, then up Hai Ba Trung, past the post office and palace, down past Ben Thanh Market, along Pho Duc Chinh and over the river to Saigon Children's Charity at 129/63A Ben Van Don.

The boys remind us that all of the above depends on the genrosity of the Police, and they hope they've understood the one way system.

So...if you're out and about in Saigon tomorrow then watch out for them.  You may, even be able to flag one of their cyclo entourage and join the parade (possibly).  Alternatively the finish line at Saigon Children's Charity may be your best bet.

In the meantime, I don't want to get too gushy while it can still all go wrong but good luck tomorrow guys.  There are a lot of people back in Hanoi who are going to have to eat their words.  There were a lot of people who said it couldn't be done.

You're about to do it.

See you tomorrow and take care just one last time.

Cheers

Steve

PS You may recall at the very outset of their journey we mentioned that there was another send off that day. KOTO graduates Tiep and Phuong we're heading to Australia.  A chance of a life time for two former shoe shine boys, now expert front-of-house and kitchen staff.

Well , by all accounts the pair are having a ball down there.  As you might imagine it's dreams-come-true time.  The money raised through KOTO's friends like Adam and Marty make this possible.  That is why they are doing the brilliant, mad and wonderful trip from Hanoi to Saigon.  If you donate to their appeal then more lives can be rebuilt, more dreams can come true, more people can be helped. It is that simple.  Please,  donate here.  All personal donations are doubled by sponsors Intrepid Travel.

See below for two of the happiest young people ever photographed.