Touring Report

Apr. 15,
The Vietnam Round comes to a successful end

This morning was the final start for the Vietnam leg of the PAN-ASEAN TOURING. Our day's destination was the Yamaha Town Can Tho in the largest city on the Mekong Delta, Can Tho. The riders' starting point this morning was not Ho Chi Minh City, where we arrived the day before yesterday, but the Dung Phong Yamaha dealership in Long An. The start was held later than usual at noon. And before the riders departed, everyone gathered for a photo with the owner, Mr. Pham Thanh Phong.
After leaving the Dung Phong dealership, the riders stopped for lunch at a restaurant by My Tho River. The menu included dishes like fried fish using the elephant ear fish raised nearby in the river.
After lunch we left My Tho and headed for Can Tho. To reach Can Tho, the largest city on the Mekong Delta, you had to cross several bridges, including one that is said to be the most beautiful bridge in Vietnam, the My Thuan Bridge across the Tien Giang River. It is also one of the longest bridges, extending for three km. After crossing the My Thuan Bridge, our caravan boarded a ferry to make the 1.5-km crossing of the Hau Giang River at its narrowest point.
It took just over ten minutes to reach Can Tho. As soon as we entered the city we were met by members of the local Yamaha club. The club members rode ahead to lead us to the final destination of the Vietnam round of the PAN-ASEAN TOURING, the Yamaha Town Can Tho. There, the ASEAN riders were greeted with a warm welcome.
This is where the touring ended, but the riders went on from there to the Trung Tam Day Tre Mo Coi children's center to make a donation to this facility for homeless and disabled children. The donation included rice, sugar and milk as well as school supplies like pencils and notebooks. Representing the ASEAN riders, Chuchat Sohmanee of Thailand (left in the photo) made a speech saying how glad the riders were to be able to do something for the children who are our future. Then he presented a list of the donation items to the center's director, Ms. Nguyen Thei lan.
After this visit, we checked in at our last hotel of the tour. After dinner, the ASEAN riders were invited to attend a "Sac Mau Yamaha" event being held at a nearby football stadium. There, the riders were introduced on stage to a warm round of applause from the crowd of about 30,000 spectators. The event attractions included live band and dance performances, a stunt and action riding demonstration by Takayuki Higashino, Kota Kugimura and the Narita Brothers.
In the two weeks since leaving Hanoi on April 2, the ASEAN riders had successfully completed 2,562 km of touring with just two days of rest along the way. This brings to an end of the fifth country round out of the six to be completed in the PAN-ASEAN TOURING event. Remaining is the Philippine round.

The Vietnam Round comes to a successful end

The final start for the Vietnam leg of the PAN-ASEAN TOURING took place at the Dung Phong Yamaha dealership in Long An. Before the riders departed, everyone gathered for a photo with the owner, Mr. Pham Thanh Phong

To reach Can Tho in the Mekong Delta area from Long An, we had to cross several bridges of different sizes. The riders start out after crossing the Hau Giang River by ferry. Can Tho is just ahead

Soon after leaving the ferry landing, the riders arrived at Yamaha Town Can Tho. This marked the successful end of their touring in Vietnam

The riders leave the stage after being introduced in front of a crowd of about 30,000 spectators at the Sac Mau Yamaha event in the evening after dinner

The riders visited the Trung Tam Day Tre Mo Coi children's center to make a donation to this facility for homeless and disabled children. The donation included rice, sugar and milk as well as school supplies like pencils and notebooks. Representing the ASEAN riders, Chuchat Sohmanee of Thailand (left) made a speech saying how glad the riders were to be able to do something for the children who are our future. Then he presented a list of the donation items to the center's director, Ms. Nguyen Thei lan