Beaumont Foundation's ambitious cycle challenge to Vietnam was a resounding success for the fundraising arm of the Dublin hospital. Tony McCullagh participated in the two-week long adventure. “There must be easier ways of raising money than this!”

This was Beaumont's third foreign cycle event, following on from successful trips to Cuba in 2001 and Thailand last year. Vietnam was an ambitious choice of country given the fact that it only opened up to the outside world in the early 1990's. As a tourism destination, Vietnam is still finding its feet in terms of facilities and services. But, conversely, this has helped retain the sense of culture and history you feel as you travel through the country. The very mention of Vietnam usually conjures up images of war, particularly the bloody conflict with America. The Vietnamese people are largely cognisant of this fact but are at pains to point out that they have emerged from their turbulent history as a country now at peace. For the first stage of our Vietnam cycle we were based in Saigon, renamed after the way as Ho Chi Minh City. The first thing that strikes you is the number of motorbikes, many of them carrying entire families. Crossing the road requires nerves of steel : you just keep walking in the hope that the sea of bikes will part before you. If you stop, chances are you'll be hit. Due to the traffic and pollution problems in Saigon, we had to transfer out of the city each morning by coach before commencing our cycle. Even in the more rural parts of the country you needed to keep your wits about you as motorbikes constantly whizzed by.

Because of the heat and humidity, it was important to get an early start. Most mornings there was a 6am alarm clock call, not exactly what you'd call a holiday. By 9am we were standing by the side of the road participating in a Jane Fonda style stretching workout, much to the amusement of the locals. Once the water bottles were filled and the sun cream applied, we were up on the saddle and on our way through Vietnam. The friendliness and genuine warmth of the Vietnamese people was infectious. Everywhere we went we were greeted with cries of “hello” or “where you from?” Replying that you're from Ireland resulted in you being met with a quizzical look. On one occasion I tried to explain that we were the country beside England, “Ah Wales” he nodded. That's great I thought, he's never heard of Ireland but he knows where Wales is. No amount of training can prepare you for cycling in the tropical heat. The main potential enemies are heat stroke or dehydration so water breaks are arranged every 15km or so. Once on the road, everyone soon found their own level: some initially tried to keep up with the leaders of the pack but found the pace too strenuous; the rest of us took it at a speed more conducive to enjoying the sights and exchanging banter with the locals. While some seemed hell bent on Tour de France type exertions, others were content to help and encourage the less experienced cyclists. The spirit of the challenge was best exemplified by Blanchardstown man Vincent Walsh, a complete gentleman and true sportsman. Even though he was by far the strongest cyclist, Vincent regularly pulled back to offer moral support and words of motivation to those of us who were struggling in the heat and wrestling with our personal fitness limitations.

Daily distances ranged between 45km and 70km, with regular tourist stops along the way to break up the cycling. Points of interest included ancient temples and the famous Cu Chi Tunnels outside Saigon, which were used to devastating effect in the war against the Americans. A visit to an island on the Mekong Delta was also highly memorable and gave us an authentic flavour of day to day Vietnamese life. For the second leg of the cycle challenge we travelled northwards to Da Nang In central Vietnam. This involved a 14 hour overnight train journey, which was more comfortable and relaxing than it sounded thanks to the compact bunking compartments. I later learned at my cost, however, that you should never, ever eat train food in Vietnam. To say that the experience gives you a valuable insight into Vietnamese toilets is putting it mildly! Our base for the remainder of the trip was Hoi An, a small seaside town just 27km outside of Da Nang. The cycling on this leg of the trip was more challenging, although the stunning scenery almost compensated for the extra hardship involved. The terrain was far more mountainous than the first week of the cycle and the various steep mountain ascents pushed us all to our limits. One section of the cycle involved a 12km off road section that put our mountain bikes to full use. For me, this was a personal highlight of the cycling programme, not least because it gave us temporary respite from the incessant beeping of motorbike horns which had started to grate with many of us. The final day's cycling was incident packed, to say the least. Just minutes into the first stage of the morning, Beaumont Hospital Deputy Potering Services Manager, Mervyn Borwick, came a cropper when he front wheel clipped an uneven road edge. Thankfully his helmet saved him from serious injury, although he was able to bring home some impressive cuts and bruises as a souvenir. Unforseen problems with heavy traffic resulted in a logistical nightmare for the Beaumont Foundation support crew, already unnerved by Mervyn's tumble. There were sightseeing stops at Marble Mountain and the famous China Beach, before we cycled into busy Dan Nang for lunch all in one piece, amazingly! For the final leg of our epic journey we cycled to the finish line together led by Southsider Celine O'Neill, from Sandymount. It was an emotional end to a fantastic voyage, marked by some ice cold beers and a refreshing swim in the South China Sea. But even though the cycle had officially ended the Beaumont bunch were still up for a challenge in the free days that followed. What began as lighthearted banter with the staff of the Hoi An Riverside Resort Hotel led to a serious soccer match between Ireland and Vietnam in the local football ground.

We were somewhat intimidated to discover that we would be playing on a full sized soccer pitch, with proceedings overseen by a referee and linesmen, not exactly the casual kickabout we had envisaged. Just minutes into the game, a confident Hoi An side put two goals past Irish keeper Jim Sharkey, Beaumont Foundation's travel consultant. Disaster struck again when Irish defender Maura Collins, from Portmarnock, thought she as playing Gaelic football and put her hand up to block the ball, breaking her wrist in the process. But the Beaumont side fought hard under the command of captain Jonathan Cooke from Howth, who took a firm Roy Keane approach to the game in both style and attitude. The second half saw Jonathan, a Colin Farrell lookalike, according to the ladies, put one past the Vietnamese keeper, followed closely by a spectacular goal by Drumcondra's Michael Dowling. The final result was a highly satisfactory 2-2 draw, with the man of the match accolade going to Omni Travel director, Jim Sharkey for his succession of super saves. Special mention must also go to Beaumont Foundation's Paula Chapman for her skillful defending and utter refusal to be substituted. After 2 days rest and recuperation, it was time to fly back to Saigon and begin the long journey back to Ireland. Already, plans are being hatched for next year's cycle challenge. The event organiser, Paula Chapman, revealed that the Vietnam trip raised in excess of €40000 for various research programmes at Beaumont Hospital.