Day 5 – Quy Nhon to Kon Tum – Moving into the Central Highlands

Distance: 195km (121 miles)

Bike Condition: Back from the dead.

Driver Condition: Sun tans, burns, and lily white asses: basically we look like walking cartons of Neapolitan ice cream.

After much agonizing over whether to take the long way to Kon Tum, heading up the coast and then inland on the reportedly very scenic QL24, or take the more direct shorter route directly inland, we ended up deciding on the shorter route, for a number of reasons. In addition to the longer route likely requiring an extra day (which we aren’t sure we have), we also weren’t sure about lodging options on the way to Kon Tum, since it was possible we wouldn’t make it all the way there. While I’m sure we would have found something or spent a night in the rice paddies, curled up under the stars, we decided to opt for the safer bet, which will also give us more time to spend in Hoi An, Hue, or on the rest of the journey northward. Also, we aren’t too worried that there will be plenty of scenic landscapes in our future.

The first and longest leg of the journey took us along QL19, at one time a wartime supply route, though there were no longer many visible signs of this history other than men dressed in army-style green camo pants and jackets as their daily attire, which I also saw for sale at one of the small roadside shops we passed. We did pass by one monument that looked to be somewhat war related, though without any English signs or description, we weren’t sure. The one thing much of the route did have in common with its past was that it still appeared to be used a supply route, and we did our best to zigzag around all of the trucks in the mountains.

While the beginning of this route was quite boring and had a lot of traffic, most of the journey along QL19 was actually much more pleasant and scenic than we’d expected, with a nice drive up through switchbacks into the mountains and great views of rolling hillsides and farmland.

Not far from our turn off of QL19, onto what would be the most scenic road of the trip, we stopped for gas. Before I even made it to the pump, my bike sputtered to a stop, turning off, almost as if it was out of gas, though I knew it wasn’t. We topped off the tanks and when I tried to restart it again: nothing. It wouldn’t start with the starter button or the kick start. Shawn tried… nope. It was DEAD. An onlooker at the gas station also came to help, trying to fiddle with some things, but he also couldn’t get it to start. He did help though, directing us up the street to the nearest mechanic. So, we spent some time at the mechanics while they took apart the front of my bike to fix the starter. After an hour and about $4.40, we were fixed up and on the road again.

The last stretch of the journey was a shortcut route avoiding the city of Pleiku, cutting off of QL19 and onto the much smaller, and far more pot-holed, DT670. Other than the constant swerving around potholes, this route was fantastic: amazing views of rolling hills and mountains, all with fields of rice, fruit trees, vegetables, and crops that we couldn’t name by sight, some of them possibly spices, each forming unique patterns in the valleys and along the hillsides. The landscape was awesome. Children herding cattle down the road cheered when we passed by, and we even passed by some traditional style homes of some of the minority ethnic hill tribes in the area. We also had a short sun shower with what Bubba from Forrest Gump would have referred to as “big old fat rain”, though it was brief and more refreshing than annoying. Overall, a fantastic route.

Eventually this road rejoined Highway 17 for the last little bit leading into Kon Tum. Approaching from the south, we passed over the Dak Bla River, another fantastic view with a mountainous backdrop. We could quickly tell that Kon Tum was much quieter and less visited than most of the places we have stayed along the route so far, a nice respite from the traffic and chaos of some of the cities.

Searching for a very late lunch/early dinner, we started off at Eva Café. While they had a great garden area, it turned out they didn’t have much for food, so we had a quick drink and hit the street again, ending up at a great little sidewalk restaurant called Benz’s House, which served up excellent Korean hot pot and bibimbap, which we followed with awesome cookie milkshakes. Korean food? But you’re in Vietnam! Yes, and we have been enjoying mostly delicious Vietnamese meals, but once in awhile you find something else great too

While it would be nice to stay another day, tomorrow we are going to push onto Hoi An, which will be a long day on the road, though we plan to take an additional rest day there to stretch our legs and explore the area. We’re really looking forward to Hoi An, as it’s a favorite city amongst locals and travelers alike with a lot of history, great food, and some nice beaches.