Leanne Barnes

Leanne lives in Portarlington, in regional Geelong, but I got to know her pretty well before The Challenge, as she almost always turned up to any ride we organized in Melbourne.

Leanne has always been a keen rider, so when her good friend Kate Brown, a board member, suggested the ride, she thought it a great idea. Her grandfather had Parkinson's, she knows Kate's mate Sandra, who has Parkinson's, and her sailing mentor had it, so riding, seeing Vietnam and raising money and awareness for Parkinson's all seemed to come together for this dynamo.

A special thanks to Leanne for staying behind with me throughout some rides when she could easily have been at the front, and for talking me down that first steep incline, when I was scared out of my wits!

Buon Me Thuot to Nha Trang

Today was the last riding day! A sense of anticipation spread around the group as we once again left the Hotel at 7.30 am. We started off a coffee plantation, where Hilly told us about "Weasel Coffee" His description was so weird, I had to check it out on Wikipedia. Sure enough, it matches up with Hilly's story about the weasels climbing the coffee vines, and sniffing out the best coffee beans. They then eat them, but the beans inside pass through their system undigested. The farmers then collect the poo from the ground, wash it, and collect these choice beans. Vietnam is apparently famous for this coffee... but as I don't drink coffee, I won't be trying it!
I rode this morning, went on the bus, off the bus, finally deciding to ride just before lunch.
A word on the people in the highlands; they are different to the coastal and city people. Hilly told us not to talk to them, as they are suspicious of Westerners. we felt a little unsafer here. As before, the children yelled, "Hello! Hello!" to us, and something we could not quite catch. We were later told they were calling us "White Devils." Also, everywhere we went, people openly laughed at us. Even though most of the population has owned a pushbike at some time, they certainly do not don bike gear, and we looked a sight in our shorts and bright tops.
Hilly cooked us another sumptuous lunch.
I will write about the final ride later....

Brendan Lourie and Max Bradfield.

I have known Brendan (left) for a few years now, as he is a member of my YAP-Young@Park group. I met Max at a few rides that some of us had around Melbourne in the past 8 months. The two 'boys' have been best friends for many years.

Max had contemplated doing a similar ride with Oxfam a few years ago, but Brendan was not ready. Max's grandfather also had Parkinson's, so he knows all about it, and is always there for his buddy. Both Max and Brendan have been riding for a while now, so everything seemed to fall into place when The Challenge was presented.

Max said, "When you have good friend with Parkinson's, it's hard to know how to help,,,, and this was a great opportunity.

Both guys have been terrific company for all us girls, and great riders!

Whilst Brendan is already a Parkinson's Ambassador, Max hopes to be one too. Lovely to see such devotion and loyalty between two men.

Kon Tum to Buon Me

We all decided that after 2 rides in the dark, we should start earlier, so we were all packed, dressed, fed and on the bus by 7.30 am. We drove a short distance to ****, where everyone got saddled up for our morning ride. However, after yesterday's ride, I had lost my confidence, and elected to sit on the bus as the rest of the group rode through crazy traffic. A word on the traffic; Hanoi was busy, and I expect Ho Chi Minh to be busy too, but the country areas are just as dangerous.. There may not be as many cars and bikes, but the roads are usually wide enough for only 2 cars. So when one overtakes the other, they are occupying the 2 lanes.... squashing us over to the right. EVERY truck, car and bike honks at us, as they do to anything they pass.
I think I have finally figured out that the Vietnamese are actually good and courteous drivers. There is no road rage here. and though they never stop when at an intersection, they 'merge'. We must always go around the back of them. I look a bit like a battered wife after my big fall, and that information could have saved me from my bruising.
Anyway, after the group's first stop, I decided that I had better get back on the bike or else I never would, so I saddled up and off we went. We started the ride off the road on a red rocky stretch that accompanied the road; it was real mountain bike riding. Fred, Chris and I have now accepted that we are the slowest of the group, but we don't care. Fred and Chris are in their 6os, and Fred and I have Parkinson's. and it is NOT a race!
I must mention here that the 3 of us with Parkinson's are very proud of each other, and we encourage and look out for each other whenever we can. Brendan is doing fantastically by keeping up with the pack, and riding the whole time. Fred's determination is only marred by his Parkinson's, and he usually attempts all rides until he can't go on any more.
We rode into ************ where there was a market on... a real country market, where food, clothes and household items were being sold
We were treated to many interesting sights.... ducks who looked drugged, sitting quietly waiting their fate (sorry, kids, not as pets), piles of interesting looking eggs, of varying sizes and hues; many spotted, buckets of fish such as catfish.... I couldn't even look at the meat on the tables, flies all over it. And one can only imagine the smells...

After lunch, we set off for the afternoon ride. By now I had regained my confidence, and made a new "best" friend." My new friend is Ngoc, who is the Vietnamese rider designated to stay at the back with the last riders. Chris, Fred and I now wait for Ngoc, as we are`almost always at the rear.

The afternoon ride was an uneventful one, the highlight being a few of us girls bonding in the 'Happy bush" at a coffee plantation...

I managed to do all the ride this afternoon, but it started to get dark again, so I got on the bus, only to find that Hilly had collected the rest of the riders early so that no one had to ride in the dark. we drove into Buon Me Thuot, but I can't tell you anything about it, as it was dark when we arrived and we ate at the hotel.

Nahid Jones

In the next week, I will profile some of the people who have taken up the "Parkinson's Vietnam Challenge."

Nahid Jones is a wife and carer to her husband Norman. Norman has had Parkinson's for 25 years. It was not easy for Nahid to take up cycling, but she was determined to do it, and has been keeping up with the front pack. She would find time in the early morning when Norm ws asleep, to take up her training. Some of Nahid's training was done in the Gym, and she has found it 'interesting' to transfer her skills to the ones demanded here with the different traffic and terrain.

Nahid took up the Challenge to raise money for research in Parkinson's. She says that she is suffering as well as her husband. They have 2 teenage boys.

This is Nahid's first holiday alone, and a well deserved break for a special person.

Quang Ngair to Kontum

Today we left for the Highlands, and believe me, there's a reason why they are called that!
We have traveled uphill, and the scenery has certainly changed. This is farming area, and the scenery is beautiful. Everything is so green! Besides the usual paddies, we have seen the following; rubber tree, pepper and coffee plantations, banana plants, pepper drying, cassava and bitter gourd. We have seen buffalo, cows, goats, dogs, pigs, chickens and ducks crossing the roads, and sometimes had to negotiate around them.
We started our day with a warm up. Our early morning ride was on rough and uncertain roads, and I felt a little "off'" (a Parkinson term; we have 'on' and ''off' periods), so after about 8 km of riding, I left the others to ride on over the potholes and dodge the cars and motor bikes, while I sat in the bus and admired the scenery.
Lunch at Bato, was a pleasant surprise. Our guide, 'Hilly', showed us yet another of his great talents, by cooking us a sumptuous lunch.

After lunch, we were bussed up to the Vihoduk Pass, where we had a HUGE descent into our next stop for the night; Kon Tum, but not after giving each other a 'group massage'.
This involved riding about 16 km uphill, and 50 km downhill. And was it steep???!!! With my mentor of the day, Leanne behind me yelling out instructions, I began the most exhilarating and nerve wracking part of the trip yet. We careered down the steep road, turning corners, breaks on and off, whilst those bikes and cars still fought the road with us. Somehow I managed to stay in control, and actually enjoy the ride, but then a huge obstacle came in the way... darkness.

We had started the ride too late in the afternoon, after a misunderstanding with the back up truck, who were waiting half way down the pass with our bikes, and had to drive back. Suddenly it was getting dark; again... But this was far scarier (if possible) than yesterday.... we were not travelling as a group, we were careering wildy down a strange country road, through villages, with motor bikes and cars honking...all in the dusk. Some bikes had no headlights, whilst the lights of others dazzled and blinded us.

I was alone with Leanne, when I said that we must stop and wait for the bus. I was very scared, and could just see Yon's horror at what I was doing. The bus came 5 minutes later, with Fred and Chris in it, and we picked up Catherine another 5 minutes down the hill.

We were very relieved to see Hilly and the group had stopped further on, and everyone piled onto the bus for the remaining 25 km. Hilly apologised and explained why we started so late, and we all forgave him. He had acted responsibly. He was so happy that he revealed yet ANOTHER talent; he sang "Sealed with a kiss" to us over the bus microphone!

We arrived in Kon Tum hungry and tired. Kon Tum is a pretty town that one feels will take off in the next few years. It is built on a big river. We had our first bad meal there... our vegetarian food was inedible. So after dinner, a group of us went for a walk in search of gelati ha, ha, but had to settle with trying out sugar cane juice from a vendor. Sounds nice, but no-one liked it.

From Hoi An to Quang Ngai

Today we rode about 70 km, and I am proud to say that I did almost all of it.
We drove out of Hoi An for about 2 hours, and set about getting our bikes in order.
I must explain that besides our air conditioned bus, we have another truck with us, which has our bikes in it. it is driven by a bike mechanic. So any time we feel like stopping, we just hail the bus, which is following the last person. (often me).
We all thought that we were seeing double when Hilly's identical twin brother and son joined us on his motor bike (above), and kept Hilly company until lunch.
The morning's ride as not very scenic; we mainly went along the highway, but there was little traffic.
After a picnic lunch, (we had a bread roll, not rice!), we continued on, now weaving through villages, where children continued to come out and shout 'hello!" to us. Catherine gave some children little koalas, but they were very shy, and didn't want to take them, say, 'koala", or even pose for the photo, which they eventually did.
Then we rode to My Lai.
My Lai is a peaceful little village, where the worst war crime of The Vietnam war was committed.
On March 16th, 1968, 504 innocent civilians were dragged out and shot by American GIs, and killed.
We visited the site, and saw the lovely setting where it happened, and toured the museum.
Here is a photo of the My Lai Massacre Memorial Monument. The other photo is at the site of a house where 12 members of one family were murdered. Lieutenant William Calley, who organized the massacre, was convicted of murder, but was released a few years later by President Nixon.
We cycled out of My Lai as the sun set, heading f

or our hotel. Yon and Peter, do not read on. It was 10 km to our hotel, and soon got dark. One of my pet hates at home is cyclists in the dark with no lights, and as we headed back onto the highway to Quang Ngai, the traffic became heavier. We pedaled on in the darkness, led by our bus with flashing lights, and Claire's flashing helmet. Trucks and bikes beeped, and we were all exhausted, but finally made it back to our hotel. I expect to get more than my usual 5 hrs sleep tonight!

The road From Hue to Hoi An

Today we started our 1st day of SERIOUS riding; yesterday was just a practice! We filed out of the hotel and headed out of Hue, into the country.
At last we were in the beautiful picture perfect country-side that we had seen photos of. Lush green rice paddies lined the road, roosters, ducks, dogs, buffalo and herons were sighted. Along the river, women did their washing by the banks whilst ancient boats with fisherman holding long poles drifted past.
Everywhere we went, little children called out, “Hellooooo!”, smiling broadly, and asking for Hi 5s. (I leave that to the others… I don’t want to lose my balance…) The people of Vietnam are very friendly. The group photo we see here is taken in front of an ancient wooden Chinese bridge, beautifully decorated. Were very happy to leave the city with it’s heavy traffic and constant honking. The condition of the road was not too bad; certainly pot holes, but overall pretty good.

It was Max's turn to fall off his bike today. I heard a crash as his head hit the concrete road, but luckily his helmet saved him from serious injury. His breaks had jammed.

We rode the bus some of the way, stopping off at a marble sculpture shop; There were some lovelythings too heavy to bring home! We had hit the coast.

We stopped off for lunch, and rode some more, but I was getting tired, so I went on the 'Sag Wagon", which is the bus that follows the last person. I wanted to have a rest so that I could enjoy Hoi An when we got there. Fred made the whole ride, which was great!
Now for those of you who want to know what Hoi An is famous for, it's the shopping! Emma Boyar was recently there, and showed me the silk dresses and suits that she had made for her within 12 hours, as well as the custom made shoes and silver jewelry.

But alas, our time in Hoi An was too short. We went to the famous Yaly, where any style of clothing can be made out of beautiful silk within 12 hours. After a lesson on how silk is made, (reminded me of 'the Very Hungry caterpillar), we explored the shop. Claire bought some shawls and ties, whilst Janice and Leanne bought off the rack silk jackets for around $45. Janice's needed alterating, and it was ready within 15 minutes. However, we had no time to order anyrthing, so I actually came out of Hoi an with nothing!

After dinner, we walked along the river, where there was a display of Chinese lanterns.

Our first ride day..in Hue

We finally arrived in Hue at 8 am, and were whisked off to the magnificent Camellia Hotel, where we rushed down a fabulous breakfast, had a much needed shower, (& in my case, a very much needed toilet stop), and were ready to be fitted for our bikes by 9.45 am.
The bikes are mountain bikes, (mine at home is a hybrid), but all is OK. Gears are similar, but back to front. Mine has no bell, but who would hear it over the horns? Mine also has very squeaky brakes, so EVERYONE knows when I am around.

Now, I must explain that Hue is not a big city like Hanoi. However, there still are millions of bikes, mostly the motor kind. The terrain is mainly flat, and today our mission was to ease into things by exploring it's sights by bike.

I did not have a good start PD wise, (curled up toes), but I've often said, "I ride better than I walk", so on I pressed. Our first stop was at The Citadel, an ancient temple with Chinese architecture. Hilly, our guide, provided us with the history as we explored the expansive grounds. It was only a short ride from our hotel, but we were thrown straight into the traffic.

It's bad enough that we Aussie's are used to driving on the left, but riding on the right was not the problem. In Melbourne, I avoid roads altogether; I prefer bike tracks, and fortunately, Melbourne has many great ones I can use. The other thing I avoid, if on the road, is Right Hand Turns; I get off and cross. So imagine our horror as the inevitable loomed; Hilly made the Vietnamese equivalent; a left hand turn into the traffic. Yon and Peter, plesae do not read on. We "merged" left, with motor cycles, cars, and bikes all around, with another set of the same heading straight for us. Remember, no one stops here. We were told that when we cross the road (as predestrians), we must just go, never hesitate. The same applies ON the road. Everyone just veers around you. Somehow it works.

After lunch, we visited a little village where we saw incence being hand made, and a traditional hat being woven, then off to our 3rd temple in 2 days, (actuallly a tomb) where 2 of our members, Sue and Max, dressed up as traditional costume, and we learnt of some poor King who had about 202 wives and over 1000 concubines, but NO children!

Exhausted, we decided to head back to the Hotel. By now it was peak hour, and traffic was building at the town's centre roundabout. Following 'Hilly', we had to approach the roundabout from the right, cutting across traffic going both our way, and against us. That's when I did the wrong thing; I braked suddenly. (Remember the rule is never to hesitate). SORRY! I don't like going head on into cars and bikes, even if they most likely will accomodate me... As a result I fell...in the middle of the traffic! No time to think, just get up and keep going...

Yes, I am OK; just my leg and chest and pride bruised. Yon's comment when I told him later on Skype? "I really don't want you riding on the roads there..." Sorry, Yon, when I find the push bike only bike paths, I'll let you know!

The train from Hanoi to Hue

At 8 pm Monday night, we all boarded the train for Hue, (pronounced "H-way"). We had heard many stories about this train, and we were not to be disappointed.The toilet was a hole in the ground, to be shared by all in the carriage. Subsequently, I went for 14 hrs without relieving myself.

There are 15 of us on the Challenge, and each cabin takes 4, so I ended up in the cabin of 3. On our arrival, we found a young Vietnamese woman breastfeeding her 8 month old daughter. She was to be our fourth passanger. We were not very happy about that; after all, the baby was a baby, and they are infamous for crying at night in strange places. The cabins were tiny, and after we all fitted our luggage in, there was little room to move. Most of the cabins in our carriage were occupied by young Australian adventurers, and they turned out to be a rowdy lot. Leanne even met someone from her fellow town of Geelong, and he gave her $25 towards her challange. Drinks were a plenty, and it was the Australians who made the most noise through the night, not the baby; she slept through without making a peep!

Us 'older' Aussies kept each othe rcompany swapping stories until we crept into our new silk sleeping bag covers, bought in Hanoi, and attempted sleep.

Early next morning we were happy to see that our scenery was rice paddies, as we rolled into Hue, sorta ready for our first ride....

Hanoi

The flight took us 13 hrs, and we finally arrived in Hanoi, the Capital City of Vietnam.

There are `15 people participating on the ride. Three have Parkinson's. Here's a group photo; Catherine was busy and missed out being in it.
We were met by our guide for the next 10 days, "Hilly"
in the morning we had a briefing, and were driven to our 1st destination; the Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh.
Ho Chi Minh (1890 - 1969) was a very revered leader, who the people attribute Vietnam's independence to. Like his Russian equivqlent, Ho Chi Minh was embalmed on his death, and is on display in a mausoleum. there were huge crowds of Vietnamese and tourists lining up to pay their respects to the great Communist leader. We filed solemly past his open tomb.... amazing...his actual body, looking like he is sleep. We spent some time walking around the grounds where we saw his house, his palace, and a museum dedicated entirely to him.
Later on, we saw a tradtional and unique Vietnemese Water Puppet Theatre, where, to traditional Vietnamse music, dragons spewing smoke, fish frollicking and birds dancing in water are manipulated by their puppeteers who are hidden throughout the performance, and reveal themselves at the end.
Monday was a free day, so Claire and I decided to walk around and see some of the every day sights of Hanoi.

There are two things that stand out in our eyes; the traffic and the wiring. The traffic is a never ending procession of push bikes, motor bikes and cars, all merging together without stopping. The sound of horns beeping can be heard continuously. It is really quite scary; especially considering that we are here for a bike ride... though we will not ride in the big cities. Our guide, Hilly, told us, "Do you want to know about the road rules? There aren't any!" More on the traffic later.

And the wiring? There are multiple electric wires going alll ove rthe place; some dangling down, trees and plants poking through. We wonder how on earth anyone would know which wires to attend to in case of an emergency.

Less than a week to go!

It has been a roller coaster of a last 10 months. The fund raising, the training... finally the trip is looming.
Claire and I have just been to the Anaconda Sale, and purchased last minute items, such as GEL seat covers, gloves, a day backpack, and a travel towel. we have also been to the supermarket to buy tuna snacks and trail mixes, as we hear there are not many 7/11 stores around. We are not looking forward to 2 weeks of total vegetarian food that does not include salad (washed by local water...if we are lucky), or cut up fruit. Like Claire said, "Eat like a Lubavich!"

I must thank all of the wonderful people who have supported me over the past 10 months. I cannot list everybody, but you know who you are. You are the people who have donated money, bought tickets to my film nights, helped with the garage sale, riden bikes with me, and generally encouraged me throughout. Since I joined up in May, I have been overwhelmed by the support of family, friends, and even strangers who have helped me raise my targeted $6000. I have now raised over $8000 towards Parkinson's research. I couldn't have done it without YOU! I would like to give a big 'thank you' to some particular people.

*My husband, John, (Yon), for his infinite patience, love and generosity. I shall miss you terribly, but don't worry; I always come back!
*Fred Van Ross, and his wife Chris, who inspired me to go on this trip. Their original goal of raising $12,000 seemed so daunting in the beginning, but they are now over the $18,000 mark. Fred has had infinite patience in helping me and the team in every way, from participating in bike rides, supporting our fund raisers, and helping with his computer expertise. He is a true inspiration!
*Leslie Aldor for the wonderful hybrid Gitane bike that I have used to train with. It's been FANTASTIC!
*Mark and Sharona Ruttman for their generous donation.
*Ingrid Brouze, who has trained and encouraged me with my riding; I couldn't have got where i am without her.
*Magda for letting me use her garage for the garage sale, and for organizing the James Bond movie night.
*Yvonne for hosting a magnificent brunch for her friends, with donations going to Parkinson's Victoria.
*Claire, Peter, Helen S-B, Lynda A, Ruth P, Suzie G, Linda J, Michelle K and Friederike, who have kept me company on my rides.

*The staff and children at the GBH and FKI branches of Mount Scopus College, who have had a 'Ride to school day' and raised money towards Parkinson's research.
*The Challange Team for their support by emails, and riding.
*Judith Mooney from Parkinson's Victoria for being there at all times to iron out queries, and turning up to all our functions