This section is dedicated to Viet “V” (viettourmrpham@yahoo.com) and Hai “Ocean“ (mr_oceans11dalat@yahoo.com), the rider guides from Dalat, with whom we have been traveling on 2x2 wheels through Vietnam’s Central Highlands. They pick us up in Buon Ma Thuot and take us to the coast in Hoi An with overnight stops in Pleiku, Kon Tum and Kham Duc.

We have a lot of fun - drinking Cà Phê in the hammock next to the road, being admired by the girls who love tall guys, playing, enjoying a ginger and lemongrass sauna and traditional massage in a tiny little place after our first (and longest) day on the bike.

The rural Vietnam beyond the tourist track absorbs us for four days - almost endless rubber plantations, lots of coffee, tea, tabioca (a root that is also dried in front of the house). We share the road with cows, goats, water buffalos, dogs and pigs. In one place they make drums, in the next one they grow mushrooms, in the third one they dry rice noodles.

Local markets offer fresh and dried fish, vegetables and fruit plus everything else you may need in the house or on the field. And we get in touch with the locals since V and Ocean are always good for a quick chat - quite a few people actually moved to the highlands from central Vietnam to seek new opportunities for their little business.

And the food we enjoy in these little places which are the perfect opposite of fancy is just delicious - whether it is beef soup and warm soy milk for breakfast or rice pancakes and cold beer for dinner.

One of our first stops is a pagoda where we light incense sticks and pray to the gods for a safe journey. A young monk who currently prepares for his life-long commitment after having been a monk for seven years explains the 18 statues to us that represent wise man who have almost become a Buddha themselves and are now dedicated to helping others to lead a better life.

On the second day we stop by another pagoda which is also under construction like the first one. V refreshes our knowledge about the Buddha’s last life. Our favorite scene is the one where Buddha is tempted by beautiful young girls who are not able to disturb his meditation under the tree. We have seen this scene before at other temples, e.g. in Cambodia. The lying Buddha representing his dead and transition is still enclosed by scaffolding.

But more often than pagodas we see Christian churches. And many of them are large and beautiful like this wooden church built by the French with stained glass windows showing scenes from the Old Testament. The secret behind this strong Christian presence is probably foreign sponsoring.

After viewing a beautiful sunset over sugar cane fields and from a suspension bridge connecting a tribe village with the other side of the stream we witness a strong demonstration of the fact that many of the tribe people in the highlands have converted to Catholicism. The Saturday evening mass in the wooden church which is held by a Vietnamese priest in one of the minority languages is more than filled to the last seat - some people attend sitting or standing outside the open doors. And some of them walked several hours from their villages to attend the mass.

During our visit to one of the Bana villages the traditional community long house demonstrates quite obviously that the tribes are subjected to the same political direction as everybody else in Vietnam - be it through the numerous propaganda signs on the road and in the cities that cover everything from family planning (not more than 1 or 2 children) and HIV prevention through paying your taxes all right up to following the Communist party and Uncle Ho’s principles - Vietnam’s legendary leader is called uncle like everybody who is too old to be called a brother - or through the official radio that can be heard through loudspeakers in the street particularly in rural areas.

We also enjoy and participate in a traditional music performance by a 84 years old guy who besides his tribe language speaks better French than Vietnamese. He is supported by his nephew beating the drums.

Some of the tribes make very impressing “erotic” wood carvings that express the importance of bringing together female (lunar) “yoni” and the male (solar) “linga” element - known as ying and yang elsewhere.

Many of the villages are connected to the outside world by more or less solid suspension bridges that cross the highland rivers and streams. To watch the locals cross this one by motorcycle is quite impressive.

On our third tour day we hit the Ho Chi Minh road that runs through the mountains from Hanoi to Saigon and largely coincides with the famous Ho Chi Minh trail - the supply chain for the North Vietnamese troops operating in the south that numerous U.S. bombings, Napalm and Agent Orange attacks could never disrupt. We are now less than 20 kilometers away from Lao and Cambodia. Large parts of the Ho Chi Minh trail network actually passed through the two neighboring countries making them prime targets of U.S. attacks.

We pass Charlie hill, the site of an 18 months long fierce battle, and other memorials of the victorious days in April 1972 in this area - that helped pave the way to the Paris agreement between Vietcong and the U.S. in January 1973. At the local waste dealer you can still find ammunition shells.

After a warm and sunny lunch break we go up to the mountains. We can see the fog from a distance and after a short while it beings to rain. Riding through green hills with truly lonesome villages of just a few huts in mist and rain is an experience in itself. It continues to rain almost all evening and night - drowning Vietnam’s unexpected 0:2 defeat against the Philippines’ soccer team.
On our last morning some of our stuff is still damp - but it temporarily stops raining after breakfast. Through foggy hills and occasional showers we start our descent from the mountains - getting drier and drier in the head wind.

A Kotu village is our next stop - the tiny kindergarten and school house supported by Finish donors is right next to the longhouse. The kids enjoy the foreigners and looking at their photographs. Their teacher has to ride 20 kilometers by motorbike to get to the school.

Pineapple plantations are hard to spot since the plants grow low. Only when we stop we notice that we have arrived in a pineapple area - at this one plantation only 16 motorcycles are parked for the people who harvest the pineapples nearby. At the roadside we enjoy fresh pineapple with salt and chili powder.

Suddenly the land has become flat and the Bon stream has become wide - we have left the mountains. Soon we leave Ho Chi Minh road for narrow country lanes with lots of flooded “elephant holes“. As always we see many school children on bicycles - some of the girls holding the end of their traditional dress in one hand while they bike. A tower reminds us of the Cham people that make up a large share of the coastal population and their ancient kingdom.

One of our final stops is an incense stick production - a single small room but a firework of colors and smells of Cinnamon and others. We arrive in Hoi An and are greeted at the hotel with Vietnamese tea and coconut macaroons that look and taste like our traditional Christmas cookies. After 577 unforgettable kilometers on the road it is time to say Cảm ơn and Tạm biệt (thank you and good bye) to V and Ocean, our outstanding rider guides.