Introduction: Vietnam In Brief

Vietnam is known as the Land of the Ascending Dragon (the country's shape lends itself to this notion) and legend has it that its first people were descended from the aquatic Dragon King Lạc Long Quân and the mountain goddess Âu Cơ.  They had a hundred children but eventually separated because of their different natures, a water dwelling creature and an immortal sprung from the earth.  Their offspring were born of their differing elements of yin and yang and fifty followed their father back to the sea whilst the remaining half went with their mother back to the mountains.  These hundred sons are said to have been the ancestors of the first Viet people.

It is a country of approximately 90 million of which 85% are B*ddhist and of the remaining religions, R*man Cath*licism is the largest at 7%.  A one party c*mmunist state, its main economic activity is in agriculture and manufacturing but tourism is gradually becoming more important.

The three month cycling tour that my brother Thinh and I are undertaking will start from the Hanoi area and meander south down the country in a random exploration which will take us through my home city of Qui Nhon, then on towards our final destination, Saigon.  This will be our ride of the Dragon.

Our bikes bagged up at Heathrow