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So..finally got a selection of the fantastic pics up that Philip Meaney took for us when he spent a morning with the guys back in Phan Tiet (see above and below).
I think they are incredibly good and put the rest of our efforts to shame. I'll be doing my best to get them downloaded to the Flickr photo file.
Enjoy.
Cheers
Steve
Honestly I think Adam and Marty should be poster boys for the Mui Ne Sailing Club.
I was genuinely worried about them when I first saw them since waving them off three weeks earlier.
It wasn't just the weight loss, it was the vacant stares and the way they collapsed into their chairs.
But today, after the boys had spent two nights here, they headed sounth again, with both of them in good spirits.
There's no doubting that this place has been good for them. They have been afforded a great welcome by the KOTO kids here and they've swam, watched the Aussie Rules final and settled down to a remarkably moderate couple of beers in the evening.
As mentioned, I rode with them for a couple of hours before returning, and I laughed the entire way. It's not just a cyclo it's the Adam and Marty roadshow. Giggling groups of old ladies, kids chasing us on their bikes, whole buses full of locals staring - they turn heads everywhere they go.
The pair were milking it all the way. At one point Marty was standing up in the front seat and "cyclo surfing", they "kidnapped" kiddies and cycled off with them while their friends persued. Their bell rang out all the way through town. Best of all were those people who looked, looked again, wrinkled their brow and went back to what they were doing. As if they thought: "Did I just see?..is that two tays riding a cyclo?...hang on..no...I must be imagining it. That's not possible."
More praise for Mr Sau. As the boys have been soaking up the luxury it hasn't been the easiest stop for Sau. Adam and Marty had encouraged him to use the facilities and go for a swim. But he was a little uncomfortable. After eating almost solidy local streetfood for weeks the pair opted for burgers here. Mr Sau was a little unsure of the food. In the end he took himself off for walks most of the time. I honestly saw him for a total of five minutes in the last two days.
The boys are very protective of Sau and try to moderate their behaviour accordingly. Losing your temper here is a real no-no and but for a few loud trucker horn moments with Marty they have mostly succeeded. But Marty admitted to a few times when he's caught Sau's eye and just got the message that his behavior was not correct.
Mr Sau has had a hell of a task riding along at 15ks an hours for the past three weeks. He misses Saigon. Mr Sau - you'll be home soon. In the meantime Marty and Adam, make sure you behave.
To go back to the Mui Ne Sailing Club. It was fantastic to be around the KOTO kids (pictured below with me, Marty and Adam) who took me out on their scooters after work and we flew around the streets of Mui Ne and neighbouring Phan Tiet. They look well. They have a good life here.
A huge thank-you to the Sailing Club for letting the boys stay free of charge. Thank-you also for making us feel so welcome and for looking after our extended KOTO family.
This place has a very pleasant mix of quality and informality. It's a beautiful spot and extremely friendly too. A man could get stuck here.
But...tomorrow I leave for Saigon to work out what the hell we are going to do for a welcome party. Any suggestions or offers of help? Email me here.
Finally, the boys wanted to say hi to the Culi Cafe/Barracuda Bar crowd back in Hanoi. Thanks for your support before we set off and thanks for your messages of support. Keep them coming - that goes for everyone else too.
This is the last push towards Saigon. The end is in sight.
Cheers
Steve
PS We had a pro photographer with us today and he's got some great snaps. He's busy sorting through them right now - we'll upload them here just as soon as we can. Keep coming back.
The boys arrived around four this afternoon.
I must say I was shocked at just how exhausted they looked. Adam in particular thanks to the rice plan diet, and a bout of tummy troubles looked like he had lost of lot of weight.
Marty was a bit wobbley too when he first arrived but perked up considerably when served by the pretty girl behind the bar.
No doubting though they are tired. Really tired. The rather luxurious Sailing Club will do them good though. Both have had their fill of roadside food for the time being. Burgers, chips and large breakfasts will be consumed repeatedly over the next two days.
Tomorrow is a rest day but if I can work out a way of uploading them I'll try and get some fresh pics. Not sure what Mr Sau is going to make of the food here though.
Cheers
Steve
