Heading out of Ho Chi Minh City was a whizz despite it's size with a brief stop at the War Remnant Museum. Got to Moc Bai easily in time to cross and get to Svey Rieng in Cambodia, a towm I did some water supply stuff for way back in 1987, when it was lonely, all you conveyor belt planet guide book readers.
But a little bit of missing paper would not let my Viet Nam registered bike in and with no time or way to fix it the only boring option was to retrace my wheel tracks to Bo Y about 600 kilometers up north to re-enter Laos who have a reciprocal agreement on vehicles.
Making speedy headway back up the Trail, day 2 saw me pass through Chu Se when about 2 clicks out , c-u-r-l-u-n-k, and a sudden halt. Thought it was that damned primary chain again but getting it down to Kien's workshop and disheartenedly watching the bike being torn to pieces like never before, the mangled piston was extracted with the pistons top roller bearings at fault. It had failed and crunched between piston and cylinder. I could barely believe it and thought all hope of continuing and getting out of Viet Nam with Minsk before expiry of visa in 2 days was lost. Perhaps the end of the road for Project Pineapple.
Eldest son Kien made a few calls, rode up to Plie Ku with the entire engine and bits boxed returning around 3 hours later with more bits than when he left. He'd located a used cylinder and piston.
Chu Se, a small village, had no accommodation so they kindly housed and fed me and local hootched me too. I watched a rerun on TV with father Kien 'The Diary of Dang Thuy Tram - Last Night I Dreamed of Peace'. A poignant moment. Kien, a Party member, now running his motorcycle repair business, showed me a pic of him adressing a Party conference.
6.30 am next day they were up and putting the engine together. One minor hitch sorted, the amazing Minsk started first kick. As Tien whom I met in Mordor several weeks previously said, Minsks never die.
So pouring more 2 stroke oil than would normally be fit to lubricate the refitted parts off I went, cautiously, up to Plie Khan but a handful of clicks from the Lao border the next day.
At this point I would like to thank the 2 westerners on motorcycle taxis for aloufly not stopping to assist for surely I would never had such benevolent assitance and professional service as radiated from the Kien family. Thanks guys.
See you on the other side.
Project Pineapple
Remember, go to Archives for full story at bottom of picture column
SPECIAL UPDATE FOR AMERICANS
FOR NON AMERICANS PLEASE PASS ON TO YOUR US FRIENDS AND CONTACTS
PLEASE VIEW SITE
http://www.handicap-international.us/our-fight-against-landmines-and-cluster-bombs/in-brief/
AND FIND LINK TO
National Senate Call-In Day to Ban Cluster Bombs MAR 30
but keep up the pressure after this date
MAKE SURE YOU CONTACT YOUR SENATOR
ALSO for those who wish to make donations to Handicap International, a co-founder of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997, and now widely recognized as a key international lobbyist on weapons of war, please got to:
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/285080?m=96aaaf39
Be sure to contact your political representative too wherever you are.
PROJECT PINEAPPLE INITIATED WITH A MOTORCYCLE RIDE THROUGH INDOCHINA TO PUBLICISE THE CLUSTER BOMB ISSUE.
Laos was carpet bombed along the Vietnam border to wipe out the VietCong's supply lines, the multiple trails known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Now, the issue is still being swept under a diplomatic carpet.
The Iraq war opened on 19th March, 2003, with Cluster Bombs being dropped. I was in Laos walking through remote villages on a water well project when I got the news on my short wave radio. Those same villages were carpet bombed 35 years earlier and still living under the threat of 76 million unexploded Cluster Bombs.
Billions of dollars continue to be spent on Iraq but a mere 500 thousand dollars annually on clearing unexploded Cluster Bombs in Laos.
The Vietnam War ended on 30th April 1975 when the last ten marines were choppered out.
I used the Belarusian 125cc Minsk motorcyle to ride from Hanoi, Vietnam, through Laos and Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City between 19th March and 30th April representing respectively the start of Cluster Bombs being dropped on Iraq and the final withdrawal of US marines from Saigon.
Visits were made to various relevant projects and programs both for clearing unexploded bombs and supporting the victims.
Should you be in any of these countries it is worth
finding out what you can about this 'forgotten' problem. Rural children and adults are still dying and being maimed every day.
Please email any comments to : project.pineapple@yahoo.com
Remember to go to Blog Archives at bottom of Picture column for the full story.
See you around
Robert
SPECIAL UPDATE FOR AMERICANS
FOR NON AMERICANS PLEASE PASS ON TO YOUR US FRIENDS AND CONTACTS
PLEASE VIEW SITE
http://www.handicap-international.us/our-fight-against-landmines-and-cluster-bombs/in-brief/
AND FIND LINK TO
National Senate Call-In Day to Ban Cluster Bombs MAR 30
but keep up the pressure after this date
MAKE SURE YOU CONTACT YOUR SENATOR
ALSO for those who wish to make donations to Handicap International, a co-founder of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997, and now widely recognized as a key international lobbyist on weapons of war, please got to:
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/285080?m=96aaaf39
Be sure to contact your political representative too wherever you are.
PROJECT PINEAPPLE INITIATED WITH A MOTORCYCLE RIDE THROUGH INDOCHINA TO PUBLICISE THE CLUSTER BOMB ISSUE.
Laos was carpet bombed along the Vietnam border to wipe out the VietCong's supply lines, the multiple trails known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Now, the issue is still being swept under a diplomatic carpet.
The Iraq war opened on 19th March, 2003, with Cluster Bombs being dropped. I was in Laos walking through remote villages on a water well project when I got the news on my short wave radio. Those same villages were carpet bombed 35 years earlier and still living under the threat of 76 million unexploded Cluster Bombs.
Billions of dollars continue to be spent on Iraq but a mere 500 thousand dollars annually on clearing unexploded Cluster Bombs in Laos.
The Vietnam War ended on 30th April 1975 when the last ten marines were choppered out.
I used the Belarusian 125cc Minsk motorcyle to ride from Hanoi, Vietnam, through Laos and Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City between 19th March and 30th April representing respectively the start of Cluster Bombs being dropped on Iraq and the final withdrawal of US marines from Saigon.
Visits were made to various relevant projects and programs both for clearing unexploded bombs and supporting the victims.
Should you be in any of these countries it is worth
finding out what you can about this 'forgotten' problem. Rural children and adults are still dying and being maimed every day.
Please email any comments to : project.pineapple@yahoo.com
Remember to go to Blog Archives at bottom of Picture column for the full story.
See you around
Robert
One Reason for the Name Project Pineapple
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
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