Vietnam Motorcycle Journey Day 3: Dray Sap to Chu Se through Buon Ma Thuot

It’s been some time since I posted a day report of our Vietnam motorcycle journey, I’ve simply been too distracted with life in Barcelona, which has been a whirlwind! At the moment I’m beginning a course to get licensed to sail non-public boats round Spain and to the islands. I’ll be telling you all about it! However first, right here’s the photograph diary of day 3 of our epic Vietnam Bike tour final 12 months.

Day 3 took us from Dray Sap Waterfall alongside the Ho Chi Minh Path through Buon Ma Thuot to a lakeside bungalow resort close to Gia Lai. It was one of many longest days of using, however after the mountain climbing and swimming yesterday, we had been joyful to take a seat on the again of our bikes and benefit from the views.

Vietnamese Rice Noodle Manufacturing facility Go to

One among our stops was at a Vietnamese rice noodle manufacturing unit, the place we realized how the ever present rice noodles are made which appear to function in nearly each Vietnamese soup. What I discovered curious is that each village appears to specialize in one thing. So if we went to go to a small rice noodle manufacturing unit, nearly each constructing in that space was additionally a rice noodle manufacturing unit.

Skinny rice noodles being pressed

Noodles being unfold on a drying tray

The flat rice noodles had been laid on frames and dried within the yard

Closeup of the skinny (spherical) rice noodles that are dried hanging on what seems like an extended garments line

Noodles being bundled for packaging

Farm visits

On daily basis on our tour, we additionally stopped by some farms to be taught what’s being grown within the space and perceive the workflows. Day 3 took us to a pepper corn farm, the place we tried the contemporary pepper corns, and to a curious trying mushroom farm, the place mushrooms develop out of unusual moist luggage. Mushrooms are one among my least favorite meals, so I actually wasn’t impressed with this one. Evidently I didn’t strive the mushrooms (and that claims quite a bit, contemplating I fortunately ate crickets and silk worms on day 1!)

Misplaced in a jungle of pepper crops!

Shut up of contemporary pepper, which is properly fruity however fairly spicy.

The mushrooms. No extra touch upon these.

Cashew nuts on a tree. Don’t suppose we tried any of these, unsure why actually.

Roadside espresso stops on our Vietnam motorcycle journey

In between the educative and/or touristy stops, we frequently broke up lengthy rides by stopping at a roadside espresso stall. While I like my occasional starbucks, nothing beats Vietnamese street aspect espresso stalls, for one cause: nearly all of them are outfitted with hammocks, that are a pleasant change from the plastic backyard chairs in eating places and soup stalls. Lie in a hammock, sip on a Vietnamese iced espresso, what’s to not love?

Rushing in the direction of our subsequent espresso cease

Hanging out in one of many hammock cafés. Loads of hammocks for everybody!

Packing as much as proceed our experience to Chu Se

Aaand apparently I fell asleep on our final cease of the day.

Buon Ma Thuot Penitentiary

We additionally stopped by an outdated jail which is closed now, however was utilized in French colonial instances. A number of Vietnamese revolutionaries had been incarcerated there. At the moment, there’s a small customer middle and you may go to the cells.

Strolling in the direction of the primary constructing of the jail

One of many small jail buildings, with only one remoted cell inside.

Dinner on the lake

After our day of using alongside the Ho Chi Minh path(about 180km that day) and getting some perception into native life and historical past, we made our technique to a small lakeside resort to spend the evening. After getting freshened up, we met our guides on just a little pontoon on the lake the place we had been going to have dinner. We discovered Hung, our lead information, sitting on the pontoon and fishing for our dinner with a bamboo cane and a few string!

The proprietor of the resort got here to choose up the three small fish he caught to fry them for our dinner, together with some stir fried noodles and crispy spring rolls. Dinner was a watermelon which we’d purchased two days earlier than, practically misplaced at our earlier resort after which carried round all day on the again of the bike. It was price it although!