Cycling the Mekong;: Cycling Through Southeast Asia (Cycling Adventures) (Volume 1)
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.65 (804 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 1514357534 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 118 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2016-06-23 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Cycle through the 1000-year-old alleys of Hanoi’s Old Quarter to sample street food and enjoy a local bia hoi (fresh beer). Become absorbed in the scene in Bangkok’s backpacker ghetto and the frenetic energy-charged cities of Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. This is the engaging story of an intrepid unsupported cycling trip in Southeast Asia. From the ethereal beauty of Sapa’s hill-tribe country in the Tonkinese Alps on the Chinese border, to the Viet Cong tunnels in the south of Vietnam, this tale will captivate you. - Read how to travel light and cheaply; - How to train for and complete a long distance tour; - How to stretch your budget by finding cheap digs and food while avoiding scams; - How to cut down on bike weight and get by with minimal gear; - How to be self-sufficient on a bike on the backroads of SEAsia; - Learn what are appropriate bikes and equipment for these cities and rural backwaters.. Follow the author along the Mekong River from the Golden Triangle in the north of Thailand on a slow boat to the alluring Laotian town of Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
"South East Asia via Bicycle! An inspiring story!!!" according to hilpin. Cycling the Mekong is a fascinating story about one man's bicycle journey through Southeast Asia. As an avid traveler I really appreciated Daly's personal narrative. His vivid descriptions of small villages and large cities brought me immediately back to the region and fueled my desire to return and explore further. I could hear the noise and chaos of Khaosan Road and feel the tranquility of Sapa through Daly's writing. The book is well researched and has stunning photographs. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves adventure, stories of personal growth, or is plannin. Of course all I remember is the intense heat and humidity but the photographs are really amazing. They totally reflect the feel Pat Swinton Having been to some of these places and not others, I think it is really accurate in the descriptions. Of course all I remember is the intense heat and humidity but the photographs are really amazing. They totally reflect the feel of these places . the noise and swarms of people.And of course, Asia isn't the same without street food. I think the book is great - and would be great for anyone who can identify with thesights, sound and smells of Southeast Asia.. Enjoyable but not what I expected John While an easy read and somewhat enjoyable I would have to say that the book really should have been published as a blog. Unless you have never bike toured and or never dipped a toe into Asia there is very little you will learn about planning your own bike tour of Asia. Gerry gives accounts of his own blunders, route finding misadventures and stories of alternate transportation (planes, trains, bus and boat). At times it sounds like he bit off more than he could chew, but give him credit. He got it done. His adventure does not sound like one you would want to replicate.
Daly had been to Vietnam before, way back in the 1960s as a diver directing “explosive ordnance disposal work” for the U.S. From November 2013 to January 2014, Daly cycled from Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) north through Cambodia, east through Thailand and Laos, then south to Ho Chi Minh City again, hewing to the long Vietnamese coastline. But the journey he chronicles here is a much different, far happier one. Readers are offered glimpses of riverboat vendors, idle boys killing time between jobs, the furious colors of a Hanoi street scene, the stillness of a large white Buddha. Separate sections walk readers through guesthouses where he stayed and the state of their facilities, how to avoid dishonest touts and fixers “smooth and slippery as an overripe mango,” and what to eat and what not to eat—“Cook it or peel it; if in doubt, boil it,” a friend wisely cautio