321 Cyclo

D-Day Minus One

Adam and Marty will leave the KOTO restaurant at 61 Van Mieu at 5am tomorrow morning.  KOTO staff, volunteers and trainees will be out in force to wave them off.  Anyone else in the area, who doesn't mind an early start is welcome to come along.

A message from Jimmy Pham, KOTO founder and project director

Dear Adam and Marty,

Tomorrow you can be assured of a whole hearted and enthusiastic send-off from the KOTO restaurant.

 The trainees are as intrigued as they are impressed by your upcoming trip. They will be watching your progress on this website and they look forward to your return.

KOTO exists in its current form, thanks to the many people who have given so much to this organisation. The volunteers, the sponsors, our supporters and our staff have worked so hard to ensure that we continue to help street and disadvantaged youth. We owe a million thanks to each individual.

And then we have you two – our friends Adam and Marty. It’s difficult to even start to comprehend what you are undertaking and what you are giving to KOTO.  And I can’t begin to even try and work out how we can ever thank you enough.  This is a trip that will go down in Vietnamese folk lore. We will never forget what you are about to attempt for us and our thoughts will be with you along the way.

On the KOTO field trip recently we took the trainees to Hue and Hoi An – making the trip across the Hai Van Pass along the way (pictured above). It was hair-raising enough by bus, to attempt it by cyclo is some feat of endurance.

 You have already captured the imagination of the people of Hanoi who turned out in such good numbers to wish you luck on Sunday. I am sure that as you journey through Vietnam, the huge interest in your trip will grow and follow you. I have every confidence that a heroes’ welcome awaits you in Saigon.

I can only guess at your motivation but I am sure that a love of this beautiful country plays a major part in it. Add to that a traveller’s love of a new challenge and a desire to help those less fortunate than yourselves.

 These characteristics of compassion, a sense of adventure and generosity are good attributes to have. You could say that while they are essential for such a trip, they are also the values most needed to really enjoy this remarkable country. It is not hard then to realise why you enjoy living here as much as you do.

Please take care and we are counting the days until your return. Your courage is remarkable. From everyone here at KOTO, a very very big “GOOD LUCK!”.

See you soon guys

Jimmy Pham

Hanoi says goodbye and good luck.

Yesterday evening, over 150 people came down to Barracuda Bar on the banks of Hanoi's Red River to see off Adam and Marty and give them their best wishes.

A big thanks to all the staff at Barracuda and to beer sponsors Anchor Smooth who kept us all in much needed refreshment.

But most of all thanks to all the people who showed up to give Adam and Marty and KOTO their support.

The weather, the setting, the company, the cause and a whole lot of goodwill made it a night to remember.

Check below for more pics of the evening. Or click on our Flickr thing in the right hand column.

Cheers all

Steve

The Send-Off Crowd

The Big Sunday Sunset Send OFF!

This is it the chance to say goodbye and good luck to Marty and Adam.

It's all happening this Sunday.  See poster for all the details.

It's going to be a great night.  There'll be music throughout.  The KOTO kids will be there and there'll be lots of their delicious finger food to try.

For the returning teachers, who wussed out of the summer heat, this'll be the first big Hanoi event of the new term.  For the rest of us ex-pats it's simply unmissable.  Bring everyone. 

These guys have to get to Saigon by cyclo - all you have to do is turn up and enjoy yourself.  That inevitable hangover on Monday morning is nothing compared to what Marty and Adam are going to suffer.

if you're travelling and are in town or are going to be - you'll love Barracuda bar - and the chance to sip a cold beer while looking out over the Red River is something not to be missed.

Get there early, this is a sunset event - the food will be served until eight.  It's all included in your 50,000 VND entrance fee alongside a beer and all that live music.

In the meantime, you can get a larger version of the poster here: Download webposter.jpg.

Download it, print it out and stick it on the work notice board or attach it to an email and send it to all your mates.  If you have a website or a blog - help yourself to the  pic and link back here.  And I'll see you all there.

Like all the money raised by Adam and Marty on their 1,700km cyclo tour, your entrance fee will go to KOTO and will help keep this remarkable organisation open.

Not being there is not an option.

The guys set off on Wednesday.  Keep it here, as they say, for updates.

Cheers

Steve

PS  Feel free to use the comment box below.   Let us know if you're coming and who you work for, where you're from etc.  Plus any good luck messages you have for Adam and Marty and we'll include them in a big post before they set off.

In memory of "Matsu"

A while ago I asked if anyone had any good ideas for a name for Adam and Marty's cyclo. Today, I received an email from Marty on the subject.

He  writes:

"We've been thinking about the name for a while.   Thanks for the suggestions but we've decided to dedicate our cyclo to a close friend of ours who was tragically killed in the London bombings in July.

"Mike Matsushita - a fellow tour leader - had just moved to London to live with his girlfriend Rosie (pictured above with Mike), another dear friend, and happened to be on that train that morning.

"We both spent a lot of quality time with Mike in Vietnam, the country he loved so much.

"In dedication to Mike the cyclo has taken on the name "Matsu" - and he's coming down the Vietnamese coast with us one more time."

Everything you ever wanted to know about cyclos but were afraid to ask

Seeing as it's going to be all-things-cyclo for the next couple of months I thought I should try and find out a bit more about them.

According to www.wikipedia.com, cyclos are also known as pedicabs, velotaxis, rickshaws or trishaws.  Apparently they are now making a come back in big western cities where they have now be viewed as rather cool environmentally friendly transport. See below.

Anyway, here in Hanoi they are a familiar sight.  In particular, it's a common to see a whole line of cyclos travelling together through the old quarter. 

From my vantage point at Le Pub on Hang Be  Street they seem particularly popular with South Korean and Japanese tourists.  Although the percentage of sleeping passengers appears to be quite high.

I also have to admit that, on occasions, as I've watched them go by, the phrase (in Texas drawl): "ooooh eeeh looks like we got ourselves a convoy," has been uttered although I guess you really had to be there.

For us ex-pats opinions of cyclos differ.  One side feels its kind of demeaning for the poor bloke that has to peddle around our ample western frames.   Others, however, will tell you its all employment and they might have a point.

Still, no worries with the boys from Extreme Charity.  They'll have no one to power them but themselves and I have no doubt that veteran cyclo drivers across Vietnam will chuckle heartily at their efforts.

Anyway, I thought I would leave you this picture of Vietnam, in the days when the Westerners were quite happy to make a local huff, puff and carry them around.  This is the old style cyclo without the bike attachments.   Not sure the boys would be happy with that arrangement.