Phu Yen – Mai Chau: 150 Km
Pho for breakfast, on the road at 830am. Awesome
country mountain roads for about an hour. Then a
ferry ride across the Da river. On to Moc Chau pass
and 45 km more winding roads until lunch.
Lunch was some really cool deep fried rolled pork
balls, fried chicken pieces. Jazmin elected to put the
bike in the truck because the next section was going
to be much harder - good choice. She had her own
adventure with the truck following us for a while
and getting bogged, stuck on rocks and held up for
90mins behind another broken down truck.
Today’s route was a lot of dirt. Even did a wrong
road with a big Hill climb. Going up the hill, Gav lost
traction. Then Greeny and Lou got stuck behind Do. I
scraped by all 4 of them without problem (purely
momentum not skill) and stopped in the next
clearing. Do got Lou’s bike going and she blasted by
to stop a few hundred metres ahead where the trail
got really very narrow and forked. She walked back.
Exhausted by the heat and the effort. Thon and Do
got her bike back down.
We got on the right road and climbed another dirt
mountain, followed the ridge line and then down to
another village for drinks. Hot, tired but happy with
the adventure so far.
More local roads and villages with dogs, water
buffalo, cows, goats, chickens with lots of young
chics following them and even a few ducks. We got
back to the main road for some fantastic hot mix up
and down the mountain and into Mai Chau. Got the
bikes up to 80kmh coming down the pass. Lots of
trucks to pass both going up and down. Great fun.
Stopped at a lookout over the town. Then 10mins to
the home stay. Got in to Mai Chau about 550 pm.
Great dinner, really nice fish both crumbed and
cooked traditionally in bamboo. Had a show by the
locals on the Tie people, and the Mong and local Mai
Chau. Was entertaining and Ali got roped into
dancing with them - twice. Into bed about 945pm.