RTG Hanoi Daily Dispatch - for website 2 - Flipbook - Page 39
27 January to
23 February 2024
Day 21 Điện Biên Phủ to Sa Pa (323km)
17 February 2024
Photos: gerardbrown.co.uk
Peter and Louise Morton, Rover P6
today was a real marathon day of endurance
rallying as we crossed the roof of vietnam taking
in two regularities and a couple of late afternoon
Passage Controls on a route which could only be
described as stunning.
Nigel Dowding and Mary Antcliff, Aston Martin Mark II
rolling out of Điện Biên Phủ this morning we had the roads
to ourselves. on the way to the first regularity at Ẳng tở
the paddy fields between the villages seemed to go on
forever attended to by countless field workers with their
associated scooters, bicycles and water buffalo. the roads
were narrow and, at times, busy but vietnamese motorists
take everything in their stride even the sight of Jeff urbina
and Chris Pike in their Colonel sanders Porsche.
the timed section took us up and away from the farms
and onto broken tarmac with many sharp turns. the crews
fought to stay on schedule and tried not to get distracted
by the ever more magnificent scenery building before
our eyes. the morning time Control in tuầ n giáo served
an excellent coffee, giving the rally the boost needed for
the second regularity from hua sa B over the fourthhighest pass in vietnam. We reset our trip meters at 676m
and hauled ourselves up to 1400m through dozens of
switchbacks and up the steepest of gradients.
www.rallytheglobe.com
