Heading to Da Lat

Some photos of the days heading along the main highway and up to Da Lat.  Several days of just making the k’s south with not much really happening over the days.

Quang Ngai – 27 July 2011

Tailwind and hot.

Local power meters

Site of the Old US Military Base - Chu Lai

Sweet jump!

looking down to the coast, you imagine a massive military base here

Bong Son – 28 July 2011

Tailwind and hot

A motorbike carrying a motorbike.  I randomly ended up passing this guy later in the day as well.

Drying out rice on the side of Highway 1

I think these are rice stacks 

Quy Nhon – 29 July 2011

Headwind

One of many ancient stone towers around the Binh Dinh province.  Very cool to ride past them with them overlooking you from their hills. Wasn't quite sure how you got to it though apart from walking through someone's rice field. 

looking out from my hotel balcony 

Tuy Hoa – 30 July 2011

Headwind. 

This was a weird section of road.  It ran along the coast but the scenery constantly changed from beachside to Arabian Desert to rice fields to lots of palm trees and the traffic dropped away.  At stages it oddly felt quite disorientating wondering if was in the right place and on the right road, not the usual AH1 (Highway 1) I was use to.

train crossing - manual gates.

Ninh Hoa – 31 July 2011

A really nice new hotel.  Big flat screen TV (didn’t work), nice wooden table and chairs that you couldn’t sit at because the table was too low for you to sit on the chair, no water pressure and no hot water.  Classic.

Rush hour

Quarry on the side of Highway 1

Khanh Vinh – 1 August 2011

Off highway 1 and on to enjoy some quieter road again, tackle a massive mountain, head to some cooler weather (hopefully) and see the highlands.

Story of the week:

Accommodation number 1

Well it started off ok.  A nice quiet road heading up the valley, a good lunch, shown to a random guesthouse and enjoyed a good late afternoon meal.  Then things got a bit weird from here on.  The guy that showed me the ‘guesthouse’ tracked me down while I was eating and said he had a new hotel for me to stay at.  No thanks, I’m happy where I am, already paid and close to the shops etc.  2 ½ hours later of circular conversation

“I would like for you to take your bicycle and luggage to hotel”

“Thank-you for your help, but no I stay here.  It is ok.”

“I would like you to come to hotel because tonight I think you get bitten. Do you understand?”

“Yes I understand, but no thanks, I am ok.  I stay here.”

“I would like for you to take your bicycle and luggage to hotel because I think tonight you get bitten.”

Phone translators were then introduced and it seemed I was getting progressively forced to change rooms for reasons that changed every time they talked to me.  Started off with that I will be bitten (mosquitos) overnight where I am (had a net up and didn’t have any problems), to the room is no good the hotel is much better, to I had not pre-arranged to stay where I was, then finally to the owner does not appreciate you to stay if you do not go we will get security to take you away.  Don’t really think ‘security’ existed in this small rural town anyway.  This was all done over phone translation and by two different people who were most likely told what to say before talking to me. 

I was confused at what brought the situation about, what the truth was and if it was just a mistake in the first place to show me the place I was at.  No one really understood me and could not comprehend my situation, fighting a losing battle.  The two girls at the house seemed fine with me there, the lady I paid seemed fine and I have no idea what the owner actually thought or who the owner was.  I ended up riding out there in the dark with the guys following me on their motorbike so I wasn’t turned into road kill and paid double the price for a green sh%t box (200,000VND).  I was totally over it and very f’d off at the whole situation and just wanted it to end so paid for a room with more mosquitos in it and no net.  Oh it’s loads better here and no chance of me being bitten.  Not really that concerned about the mozzies anyway but what a crock!  The guys then asked me for money for using their motorbike to see the hotel and using their phones to talk to the ‘translators’ (that they called and made me talk to!) – how arrogant is that!!  How much more of a scam am I going to be forced into!!!!!!  

“You money to me for use phone and motorbike.”  Holds up one finger “100VND” meaning 100,000. Dude you have completely screwed me over and cleared me of most of my money.  Only a 50 left so they got half their bribe and pissed off.  What a mess!

The green box.  Not that bad really just the situation.

Why would the owner not say something themselves?  Or even be present?  Why show someone a place that they can’t actually stay at in the first place? And why constantly change the reasons, have these people never heard of being honest?!

I am now completely in the middle of nowhere with no food or any stalls around so my late afternoon meal had to do for dinner as well.  I did stop to pick up a few pieces of bbq chicken on way being escorted out of the town but they said 100,000VND!!!! What the heck is wrong with this place?!  I would never suggest staying here.