CAITA 2012 Daily Report - Day 11

Initiated by the state government of Guangxi Province, the primary objective China-Asean International Touring Assembly (CAITA) is to promote the overland connectivity between China and ASEAN countries.  Dubbed as the harmonious modern “Silk Road” as well as the “largest, broadest and longest automobile assembly race in Asia”, it is one of the main events leading to the annual China-ASEAN Summit that will be held in Nanning City, China.  (Official Website of CAITA: http://carally.org/)

The following is a daily account of Leslie Chang who is the Singapore representative for the event.

Day 11, Hanoi to Naning  7^th Sep 2012

Pre-departure check found that the floor pan/carpet of the Tucson was still wet (caused by last night’s water crossing) and the rear right tyre continued its slow leak.  Again, the latter was temporarily resolved by using a borrowed portable pump.  We left our hotel at 8 am and, as one would expect in Hanoi, the streets were full of motorcycles.

 On the main truck road, all 2 wheelers are provided with a designated lane.

 We drove past Lang Son to get to the Chinese customs at Yuyi Guan.

 
Thereafter, it was a 3-hour drive to get to Naning where the End-of-Rally celebration was held.  The signing of MOU (held in Singapore on 27 Aug 2012) was among the main pictures displayed outside the Ballroom.

 

Journalists from Myanmar and Thailand “kicked off” the party…….

…. while the journalists from Laos sang their native folk song.

 I was given a little role in this group singing performance.

The Rally Chief Commander Dr Chen Liji (center) and his key officials ended the evening on a high note.

CAITA 2012 Daily Report - Day 10

Initiated by the state government of Guangxi Province, the primary objective China-Asean International Touring Assembly (CAITA) is to promote the overland connectivity between China and ASEAN countries.  Dubbed as the harmonious modern “Silk Road” as well as the “largest, broadest and longest automobile assembly race in Asia”, it is one of the main events leading to the annual China-ASEAN Summit that will be held in Nanning City, China .  (Official Website of CAITA: http://carally.org/)

The following is a daily account of Leslie Chang who is the Singapore representative for the event.

Day 10, Hue to Hanoi 6^th Sep 2012

The distance for today’s journey is more 750 km.  For safe measures, I decided to do a basic inspection on my car this morning.  To my disappointment, I saw one of the chips on my windscreen has enlarged into a ring shape that is larger than a 50-cent coin.  Secondly, I noted that the rear right tyre is leaking air.  To get going, the latter was temporarily resolved by using a borrowed portable pump. 

Our first stop was an important landmark at the 17th parallel – the boundary that divided North and South of Vietnam during the war which ended in 1975.

Thereafter, the progress was terribly slowed by the low visiblity due to the heavy rain.

We had our lunch at Vinh City where most of the roads were flooded but remained passable to traffic.

For our onward journey to Hanoi, the entourage avoided using the National Highway 1 due to the ongoing road works along many sectors. Instead, they decided to travel on the inland route which is commonly known as The Ho Chi Minh Trail – a historic path once used by the Vietcong to deliver weapons and supplies to the armies fighting in the south during the war. Evidently, some roads on this trail need serious repair. 

This boy, seen here carrying his pet, evacuated himself out of his house due to the rising water level.

The Tucson did not have an easy time either.  It had to undergo this ‘watermanship obstacle’ while the sky was getting dark.

 

 

We arrived at Hanoi past midnight.  It was a long and tiring day for all of us but we were pleasantly surprised to check into such luxurious rooms at the Crown Plaza Hotel.

CAITA 2012 - Daily Report Day 9

Initiated by the state government of Guangxi Province, the primary objective China-Asean International Touring Assembly (CAITA) is to promote the overland connectivity between China and ASEAN countries. Dubbed as the harmonious modern “Silk Road” as well as the “largest, broadest and longest automobile assembly race in Asia”, it is one of the main events leading to the annual China-ASEAN Summit that will be held in Nanning City, China . (Official Website of CAITA: http://carally.org/)

The following is a daily account of Leslie Chang who is the Singapore representative for the event.

Day 9, Danang to Hue 5^th Sep 2012

This morning, only half of the participants opted for sightseeing tour to My Son Sanctuary – a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

The other half chose to enjoy the facilities in the hotel and preferred a later check-out.  It was understandable because the resort-style hotel which we stayed at Da Nang can said to be the best accommodation that we had during the entire Rally. 

From Da Nang, a 2-hour drive took us to Hue.  Interestingly, Vietnam had been ruled from Hue from1802 till 1945.  We were also told that the folks living in Hue are the most laid back people in the whole country.

CAITA 2012 Daily Report - Day 8

Initiated by the state government of Guangxi Province, the primary objective China-Asean International Touring Assembly (CAITA) is to promote the overland connectivity between China and ASEAN countries.  Dubbed as the harmonious modern “ Silk Road ” as well as the “largest, broadest and longest automobile assembly race in Asia ”, it is one of the main events leading to the annual China-ASEAN Summit that will be held in Nanning City , China .  (Official Website of CAITA: http://carally.org/)

The following is a daily account of Leslie Chang who is the Singapore representative for the event.

 

Day 8, Pakse to Danang 4^th Sep 2012

 

 

CAITA 2012 Daily Report - Day 7

Initiated by the state government of Guangxi Province, the primary objective China-Asean International Touring Assembly (CAITA) is to promote the overland connectivity between China and ASEAN countries.  Dubbed as the harmonious modern “ Silk Road ” as well as the “largest, broadest and longest automobile assembly race in Asia ”, it is one of the main events leading to the annual China-ASEAN Summit that will be held in Nanning City , China .  (Official Website of CAITA: http://carally.org/)

The following is a daily account of Leslie Chang who is the Singapore representative for the event.

Day 7, Phnom Penh to Pakse 3^rd Sep 2012

CAITA 2012 Daily Report - Day 6

Initiated by the state government of Guangxi Province, the primary objective China-Asean International Touring Assembly (CAITA) is to promote the overland connectivity between China and ASEAN countries.  Dubbed as the harmonious modern “ Silk Road ” as well as the “largest, broadest and longest automobile assembly race in Asia ”, it is one of the main events leading to the annual China-ASEAN Summit that will be held in Nanning City , China .  (Official Website of CAITA: http://carally.org/)

The following is a daily account of Leslie Chang who is the Singapore representative for the event.

Day 6, Siem Reap to Phnom Penh 2^nd Sep 2012

 

 

CAITA 2012 Daily Report - Day 5

Initiated by the state government of Guangxi Province, the primary objective China-Asean International Touring Assembly (CAITA) is to promote the overland connectivity between China and ASEAN countries.  Dubbed as the harmonious modern “Silk Road” as well as the “largest, broadest and longest automobile assembly race in Asia”, it is one of the main events leading to the annual China-ASEAN Summit that will be held in Nanning City , China .  (Official Website of CAITA: http://carally.org/)

The following is a daily account of Leslie Chang who is the Singapore representative for the event.

Day 5, Siem Reap (Day Tour) 31^st Aug 2012

 

The rally cars were left in the hotel compound while all participants were ferried on buses for a day tour in Siem Reap - a city is famous for its ancient temples.  On the road, we witnessed many motorists were using hand phones while on the go.

 

As compared to Ankor Wat, Bayon is less publicized for few reasons.  The latter consists of multiple complexes that were built over a massive area.  Hence, visitors need to walk quite a fair bit from one attraction to another. 

 

Secondly, many structures in Bayon were deteriorated beyond recognition.  However, the wide scattering of the remains and the sight of the strange numbers of trees that grew amidst the neglected structures attract the curious visitors…

 

…and could be equaling rewarding for avid photographers as seen in this picture.

 

On the other hand, it is often said “one has not seen Cambodia if one has not been to Angkor Wat”.  The picturesque temple is best viewed at this angle.

The structures in Angkor Wat may be large but they were built in an orderly manner and with easy accessibility. 

 

For some locals, the temple is a perfect playground.  Here’s another case in point that the kids in Cambodia do not need the latest PlayStation or iPhone to be happy.