29 June 2016

After a fantastic few days in Kon Tum and some great fun experiences, it’s time to pack up and check out of the KonKlor hotel. A quick breakfast at the hotel before finally setting off. As we were pulling out there were two other westerners in motorbikes also heading south for the day.

We opted to head out on one of the back roads so we could see some of the traditional local communities. No sooner are we on the road and we spot a few local kids playing with their pet monkey in a cage. A slightly odd sight. We then turn right and over the bridge, past a traditional Rong house and through a series of small villages in the very wet muddy road.

After about 10km we turn left on to the AH17 south towards Pleiku. The road is relatively busy but very good quality Tarmac with almost no potholes. However, the persistent rain showers from the past few days are still around and leave the roads slightly slippery.

The ride down to Pleiku was relatively quick, and we arrive in to town and pull up alongside a park with a huge bronze Ho Chi Minh statue. We decide to take a small break and stop off at a coffee house for a local coffee with condensed milk. The coffee is super strong but also very sweet and chilled with ice cubes.

We take a ride around Pleiku in the light rain, past the markets that are very busy and up and down the various streets. Despite being a very vibrant town, we find it exceptionally hard to find anywhere to eat. Eventually we stumble across an open restaurant where we stop to get a delicious fish hot pot for lunch. We sit and eat and watch the very heavy rain from the shelter of the restaurant.

As we set off agin after lunch we go for another ride around Pleiku to try and buy proper waterproof ponchos for the bikes. We stop off at a local store and haggle with the owner to get 2 thick large ponchos for 270,000VND. After buying petrol and heading out of town we are immediately relieved we’d invested in the new ponchos as they got their first outing in the pouring rain. The new ponchos are not only waterproof but great at keeping you warm on the bike in the cold rain.

Heading out of Pleiku to the south in the AH17 has some spectacular views. Directly in front of us was a perfectly shaped ancient volcano standing tall above the plain. As we climb round to the side of the volcano on the road there are large groups of cows being herded up the road. The views to either side have vast tree plantations – mainly rubber plantations and coffee, but also a lot of decorative trees stretching as far as the eye can see.

The rain wasn’t far behind us, and sure enough it caught up with us again as we continued south, getting increasingly heavy. The traffic on the road was also building up towards the end of the afternoon.

As we rode in to the small market town of Chợ Phú Nhơn we took a turn off to the right down local narrow concrete and dirt tracks in search of one of the local elephant villages (if they still exist). We had read that this area had been famous for its elephants in the past both for farming and also briefly for tourists (predominantly Vietnamese), but that this had stopped over the last ten years and only a handful of families still had elephants. Whilst we were stopped at the side of the track checking map and exchanging smiles and hello’s with locals, a not so friendly local pulled up alongside us on his motorbike. He kept gesturing and speaking loudly and firmly in Vietnamese, insistent that we don’t continue and must turn around. He then escorted us back to the main road, and then along towards the edge of town. From articles I have read since around this area of the highlands and the authorities reticence to have westerners anywhere off the beaten track, we now suspect he was either secret police or a local official.

After riding a few km out of town, we stopped and took stock, and realised it was starting to get dark and we were a long way from next town, so took the decision to ride back in to town and see if we could find a Nha nghi for the night. The first ride back up the Main Street presented 3, all of which looked pretty shabby. As we re rode the street heading south again to check the Nha Nghi’s out, the first two were too grim to step inside. The final one right in the centre was more presentable on the outside. We enquired about the room and price and then checked the room. It wasn’t very big or the cleanest, but our only option. We then discovered after having unpacked the bikes and gone for a shower, that the shower was in fact just a tap and a pan to tip water over your head. At least it was warm.

After our pan showers we took a wander at dusk to the stalls at the market, and bought ourselves banh mi for dinner. We then went in to a local shop and got ourselves a couple of nice ice creams a nd some beer and crisps for later, and went for a walk on the back streets as the sun was starting to set. Some local kids kept walking by and saying hello. We saw them a few minutes later on a homemade trampoline made of strands over rubber woven together.

As we get back in to the Nha Nghi the sun has almost set. We head up to the top floor and out to the balcony at the end of our floor and sit to watch the sun set with a couple of beers. Cheers!

Full days route here:

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1233824660