60-year-old man cycling from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City: “You have to reach the finish line with your strength”
60-year-old travel researcher Dao Kim Trang, an old man cycling from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, cycled 1,800km with less than 3kg of belongings. Along the way, he likes to eat bread dipped in salted lemon juice and sleep in cheap motels
The old man likes to move
Mr. Trang bought a bicycle in Hanoi
Mr. Trang was originally a Doan Ly Tu Trong school teacher in the 1990s. When he was young, he was active in the activities of the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union.
In 1993, he founded the Youth Travel Association, which often organizes trips across Vietnam by bicycle to experience and practice skills.
Later, Mr. Trang opened a travel company, often leading groups across Vietnam by motorbike. He travels so much that he claims he can “memorize all the potholes on Highway 1A”.
“For more than 20 years, I haven’t had any long trips by bicycle. On turning 60, I decided to see if I still have the same strength as when I was young,” Mr. Trang excitedly shared.
This time, he decided to choose the starting point in Hanoi and cycle to Ho Chi Minh City to try the feeling of “going in reverse”. After leading a group of tourists on a 15-day trip in the Northeast provinces, he returned to Trang Thi Street in Hanoi to buy a Thong Nhat bicycle for more than 3 million VND. In addition, he also bought 2 spare tires and left for Ho Chi Minh City on the morning of July 20, 2022.
While traveling on Highway 1A, Mr. Trang did not use a map and did not bring car repair tools. He calculated that if his bike broke down, he would walk and ask a motorcyclist to take him to the bike repair place.
His belongings are very compact, with a few thin clothes and personal items weighing less than 3kg. He wore sandals, a hat and two bandanas (one for his head, one for his shoulders to protect against the sun).
The secret of the old man cycling from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City
Carry light luggage all the way from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City
On the first day, he traveled about 80km from Hanoi to Ninh Binh, not daring to pedal too fast for fear of losing strength. In the days that followed, he moved on average at a speed of about 12km/h. On high slopes, walk and descend at a speed of about 50km/h.
Every day he will leave at 5 am, buy 2 more loaves of bread to hang in front of the car. Whenever I feel tired, I stop at a roadside restaurant to rest. The drink he often chooses is salted lemon.
“I take bread and dip it in salted lemon juice to ensure I’m full and add vitamins and minerals that are good for my health. The saddest thing is that the shop along the way no longer makes pickled lemons like before, instead they use bottled water.” “, he said.
Mr. Trang also affirmed that thanks to this vehicle weighing more than 10kg, he was able to overcome strong winds on the trip. “If you ride a new, light car, a 60-year-old old man will be blown away by the wind. A good car can go faster, but if you don’t have the spirit and will, you won’t be able to make the journey,” he said. laugh and share.
It seemed that the rain would slow down the old man, but on the contrary, he liked cycling in the rain the most because it was cool, and did not waste energy when riding in the sun.
The country’s 3 major passes are Ngang Pass, Hai Van Pass, Ca Pass, and Mr. Trang all pass easily. The man said that he was most afraid of going downhill. “Sometimes I imagine the bike’s side collapsing, which is very dangerous. Going around the bends, he controls the handlebars while gently applying the brakes to slow down,” he said.
He likes taking photos at famous locations and often shares photos on social networks for relatives and friends to follow
During the trip, he often updated his journey on his personal Facebook. Many people advised him to stop and take the bus back. Standing on the top of the pass to rest, he thought: “I value the way of educating the young generation by following an example. When I want to share a certain message, I must first be able to do it before I can say it. Therefore, I think I have to get to the finish line myself.”
During the journey, Mr. Trang only had a headache and dizziness once. He was able to go to the restaurant to rest, eat and drink to regain strength.
One night, his legs cramped so he had to crawl from the bed to the ground and rummage through his bag to get a bottle of hot massage oil. As for the car, he said it was not damaged. Still intact until reaching Ho Chi Minh City.
Ending the cross-country cycling journey
Mr. Trang is still healthy and full of energy when walking around to meet friends after his trip to Vietnam
At 7:00 p.m. on August 11, 2022, after traveling nearly 150 km in the rain from Binh Thuan, Mr. Trang returned to Dong Nai Bridge, the section bordering Saigon. Taking a photo at night next to the bridge, he announced to his friends and relatives that he had completed the 1800km trip in 23 days.
Although he missed home and his wife, he still spent time cycling past the school where Ly Tu Trong used to work, sipping a cup of coffee, reminiscing about old times, and then cycling home to Binh Thanh district.
“Time may have weakened me a bit, but I was surprised because after the trip I was still healthy. Of course, it was a process of training me to move for decades,” Mr. Trang shared his secret. to complete the journey.
Source: dantri.com.vn
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