Where the Phó are we? The 'Bear's Vietnam Redux 2013
#81
11-10-2013, 03:37 AM
Crazy CBR Salvage Guy. RIP
OK mate, I admire your decision to keep heading north. As I think most of us would - here for a good time , not a long time.
And of course, it's a good bucket list tick "Was in attendance for the worlds biggest ever super typhoon" - that would be worth lots of bar shouts for you for years to come.
But don't go too far north, sounds like it's getting a bit nasty out there.
Philippine typhoon destroys entire towns - World - NZ Herald News
Really, I mean this ; keep your powder dry my friend.
Cheers
TK
And of course, it's a good bucket list tick "Was in attendance for the worlds biggest ever super typhoon" - that would be worth lots of bar shouts for you for years to come.
But don't go too far north, sounds like it's getting a bit nasty out there.
Philippine typhoon destroys entire towns - World - NZ Herald News
Really, I mean this ; keep your powder dry my friend.
Cheers
TK
#82
11-10-2013, 04:20 AM
Thanks TK - we've had entreaties from home as well to keep clear. We decided to stay at Buon Ma Thuot an extra day/night (that was today) due to the weather reports from Pleiku which was in the lower zone of the forecast path of the typhoon.
It's been threatening to rain here in the latter part of the day (5 PM here now) and to the south west there are some very big dark clouds but apart from that - nothing.
I'll be looking at the weather reports again tonight to see what's happening at Pleiku.
Cheers, SB
It's been threatening to rain here in the latter part of the day (5 PM here now) and to the south west there are some very big dark clouds but apart from that - nothing.
I'll be looking at the weather reports again tonight to see what's happening at Pleiku.
Cheers, SB
Last edited by Sebastionbear1; 11-10-2013 at 04:24 AM.
#84
11-10-2013, 09:16 AM
Day 10 Buon Ma Thuot
Due to the impending Typhoon Haiyam further north Mrs SB and I decided to spend the day in Buon Ma Thuot and head to Pleiku on Monday.
So we spent the day walking around looking at the sights.
This Catholic Church is opposite our Hotel and was busy all day with consecutive Masses – the first starting at about 4 AM. The congregation sings beautifully whatever the time of day.
They still haven’t got the footpaths right – this was a clean drop into a sewer!
Seriously??
A very large Honda dealership with……..
The cleanest workshop I have seen, with individual motorcycle hoists set into the floor.
Pretty scooters too.
Wild honeycomb, complete with bees for sale on the footpath.
Sleeping man 1 ( How lucky is it that he is on a Honda Dream??
) and………
Sleeping man 2
A couple of days ago Mrs SB wrote this; The Viet people are so incredibly hard working, but when it is time for a sleep - well - you just kind of pull up a chair, a bit of concrete, or - wait a minute - a bike! This man was dead to the world, in spite of the horns tooting and people talking around him. I'd probably fall off if it were me. The other day we were walking through a market and tucked away at the back if the stall, surrounded by boxes and other wares, was a man having a sleep. Wish I'd gotten a photo. Literally all you could see of him was his face.
A bit further down the road they were selling fish – in plastic bags.
The variety was amazing as well as turtles and other animals.
We went for a swim in the hotel pool in the afternoon and then as night began to set in, looked out from the balcony to the east and this caught my eye.
I’m wondering just what you would deposit in THAT bank??
The sunset from our 9th floor room window was wonderful. After which we went for a street meal for dinner. The evening was gorgeous so we stayed in a café outside the Hotel and had a couple of beers and Rum and Raisin ice-cream with miniature cherries.
Still life with beer.
Another big day on the bikes tomorrow on the road for a further 200km north to Pleiku. Hopefully I’ve solved the fogging problem with the video camera and we will get some good road footage.
Cheers, The Travelling ‘Bears
So we spent the day walking around looking at the sights.
This Catholic Church is opposite our Hotel and was busy all day with consecutive Masses – the first starting at about 4 AM. The congregation sings beautifully whatever the time of day.
They still haven’t got the footpaths right – this was a clean drop into a sewer!
Seriously??
A very large Honda dealership with……..
The cleanest workshop I have seen, with individual motorcycle hoists set into the floor.
Pretty scooters too.
Wild honeycomb, complete with bees for sale on the footpath.
Sleeping man 1 ( How lucky is it that he is on a Honda Dream??
) and………
Sleeping man 2
A couple of days ago Mrs SB wrote this; The Viet people are so incredibly hard working, but when it is time for a sleep - well - you just kind of pull up a chair, a bit of concrete, or - wait a minute - a bike! This man was dead to the world, in spite of the horns tooting and people talking around him. I'd probably fall off if it were me. The other day we were walking through a market and tucked away at the back if the stall, surrounded by boxes and other wares, was a man having a sleep. Wish I'd gotten a photo. Literally all you could see of him was his face.
A bit further down the road they were selling fish – in plastic bags.
The variety was amazing as well as turtles and other animals.
We went for a swim in the hotel pool in the afternoon and then as night began to set in, looked out from the balcony to the east and this caught my eye.
I’m wondering just what you would deposit in THAT bank??
The sunset from our 9th floor room window was wonderful. After which we went for a street meal for dinner. The evening was gorgeous so we stayed in a café outside the Hotel and had a couple of beers and Rum and Raisin ice-cream with miniature cherries.
Still life with beer.
Another big day on the bikes tomorrow on the road for a further 200km north to Pleiku. Hopefully I’ve solved the fogging problem with the video camera and we will get some good road footage.
Cheers, The Travelling ‘Bears
Last edited by Sebastionbear1; 11-10-2013 at 09:22 AM.
#85
11-11-2013, 06:21 PM
Day 11 Buon Ma Thuot to Pleiku
About 200km – and a bee-sting!.
I oiled the chains and checked the oil in the Faithful Hondas before we departed at about 8.15 AM. We needed to fill the tanks for the trip, so on the edge of town at the last fuel station we stopped to replenish the 92 RON fuel.
Mrs SB: After we filled the tanks we pulled over to do up our riding gear etc. Next thing we know this fellow appears, very curious about everything, asking lots of questions - all in broken English and many gestures and mimes. He checked our number plates and informed us that our bikes had come from Hanoi (something we were kind of aware of, given that we hired them from there ) and asked how fast we would travel, questioned why we wouldn't do 100 kmh when SB indicated that 60 was a good speed, wanted to know the capacity of the fuel tanks etc, all with many smiles.
Finally, after checking our saddlebags, and our iced tea, and hand-shakes all round, we were permitted to go in our journey. Now this man had a mouthful of teeth which he used in his smile incessantly in his conversation with us, but when I got out the camera the smile disappeared! Still he was a friendly chap and it was good to "talk" with him.
The road was appalling for the majority of the trip. It was ‘Highway” AH17 which is one of the main drags up the centre away from the coast. Roadworks were non-stop and it was rare to get the bikes into top gear. I did have one memorable downhill, wide, new section where laying flat on the tank, I saw 105 kmh on the speedo. Alas! It was over too soon.
We stopped every 50 km to have a breather from the road ructions and at the second stop we pulled up in a rubber plantation.
It was a very large plantation with a dirt road running next to the ‘Highway’.
The upturned latex collection bowls and scribing’s on the trunk.
The rubber plantation also had the Mimosa plant in proliferation. These were used by the North Vietnamese Army to track the enemy troops because once they are touched the leaves close up and take a ‘known’ amount of time to reopen.
The two outer leaves once touched.
About 15 km further down the road, I was attacked.
Riding with sunglasses on and my visor up, my not insubstantial nose was targeted by a bee with a perfect hit below the bridge of my nose. I pulled over and got Mrs SB to remove the sting but the damage was done. I did a great impression of Jimmy Durante for the rest of the day and woke the following morning with swelling under both eyes.
The rest of the ride to Pleiku was as uneventful as a ride on a mostly deconstructed road could be. We found our hotel, checked in parked the bikes in a secure lock-up and went for a walk. We could see a large Pagoda from our balcony, so got directions and headed off.
They start young here – teaching you how to ferry other human beings around.
The Minh Thanh Temple, is not an old temple, and certainly not ancient one despite appearances with the large Pagoda section being finished as recently as 2006.
In front of the hall, there are two towers: bell tower and declaration tower, a stone statue of Buddha Amitabha, 7.5 meters high, weighing 40 tons
The entrance to the temple area.
One of the hallways leading around to the temple entrance where monks were praying.
The prayer room.
We have to go down for breakfast so I’ll continue the report when we get to Kon Tum this afternoon.
Cheers, The Travelling ‘Bears
I oiled the chains and checked the oil in the Faithful Hondas before we departed at about 8.15 AM. We needed to fill the tanks for the trip, so on the edge of town at the last fuel station we stopped to replenish the 92 RON fuel.
Mrs SB: After we filled the tanks we pulled over to do up our riding gear etc. Next thing we know this fellow appears, very curious about everything, asking lots of questions - all in broken English and many gestures and mimes. He checked our number plates and informed us that our bikes had come from Hanoi (something we were kind of aware of, given that we hired them from there
) and asked how fast we would travel, questioned why we wouldn't do 100 kmh when SB indicated that 60 was a good speed, wanted to know the capacity of the fuel tanks etc, all with many smiles. 
Finally, after checking our saddlebags, and our iced tea, and hand-shakes all round, we were permitted to go in our journey. Now this man had a mouthful of teeth which he used in his smile incessantly in his conversation with us, but when I got out the camera the smile disappeared! Still he was a friendly chap and it was good to "talk" with him.
The road was appalling for the majority of the trip. It was ‘Highway” AH17 which is one of the main drags up the centre away from the coast. Roadworks were non-stop and it was rare to get the bikes into top gear. I did have one memorable downhill, wide, new section where laying flat on the tank, I saw 105 kmh on the speedo. Alas! It was over too soon.
We stopped every 50 km to have a breather from the road ructions and at the second stop we pulled up in a rubber plantation.
It was a very large plantation with a dirt road running next to the ‘Highway’.
The upturned latex collection bowls and scribing’s on the trunk.
The rubber plantation also had the Mimosa plant in proliferation. These were used by the North Vietnamese Army to track the enemy troops because once they are touched the leaves close up and take a ‘known’ amount of time to reopen.
The two outer leaves once touched.
About 15 km further down the road, I was attacked.
Riding with sunglasses on and my visor up, my not insubstantial nose was targeted by a bee with a perfect hit below the bridge of my nose. I pulled over and got Mrs SB to remove the sting but the damage was done. I did a great impression of Jimmy Durante for the rest of the day and woke the following morning with swelling under both eyes.
The rest of the ride to Pleiku was as uneventful as a ride on a mostly deconstructed road could be. We found our hotel, checked in parked the bikes in a secure lock-up and went for a walk. We could see a large Pagoda from our balcony, so got directions and headed off.
They start young here – teaching you how to ferry other human beings around.
The Minh Thanh Temple, is not an old temple, and certainly not ancient one despite appearances with the large Pagoda section being finished as recently as 2006.
In front of the hall, there are two towers: bell tower and declaration tower, a stone statue of Buddha Amitabha, 7.5 meters high, weighing 40 tons
The entrance to the temple area.
One of the hallways leading around to the temple entrance where monks were praying.
The prayer room.
We have to go down for breakfast so I’ll continue the report when we get to Kon Tum this afternoon.
Cheers, The Travelling ‘Bears
Last edited by Sebastionbear1; 11-11-2013 at 07:24 PM.
#86
11-11-2013, 07:11 PM
#87
11-11-2013, 11:26 PM
We are absolutely hanging out now for the Ho Chi Minh Trail - the peace and quiet and beauty of the road/ride.
Huge 280/300km ride tomorrow to Hoi An. We've just hit Kon Tum after another roadworks extravaganza. We will be spitting dust for a week.
Cheers, SB
#88
11-12-2013, 04:21 AM
Day 11 Buon Ma Thuot to Pleiku continued
More from the Minh Thanh Temple in Pleiku.
The Temple bell tower
Dragons on the corners of the roof
Looking back to the prayer hall from the lower garden
The Big Buddha - 7.5 meters high, weighing 40 tons.
The multi-level Pagoda
One of the doors to the prayer hall.
The temple really was a highlight of the visit to Pleiku and a good walk from the hotel as well – fitness being my friend!
On the way home it was starting to get towards sunset and we came across all sorts of industry going on.
This old fellow was trueing a motorcycle wheel and doing a fabulous job - a true master craftsman.
This guy having finished his days’ work on other people’s scooters was rebuilding a 50cc Honda Cub engine for himself. The bike’s paint was immaculate. We ‘talked’ to him for a while and tried to get him to understand that we were riding and would like to get our bikes’ chains tightened and oiled. We gave up and decided to ride our bikes to him in the morning with Mrs SB’s translate program on her iPhone. The video posted in a subsequent post, you can hear the little Cub running without an exhaust when we pull up.
A little further up from his shop, this lady was cooking these rice and vegetable based fritters of which we bought four.
She loaded them up with vegetables, half a quails egg, chilli sauces, pickled chilli and dried fried onions. And were they good.
We retreated to the hotel and sat out the front near the hotels’ fountain sinking a few beers watching the dancing, multi-coloured fountain do its stuff in the main square.
Now that is art!
Tomorrow a short hop to Kon Tum – and hopes were up that the roads would be good.
Those hopes were to be shattered on the reality of a dusty, pot-hole laden, gravel and rock, crazy truck and bus filled monstrosity called AH17. But apart from that it was all good.
Cheers, The Travelling ‘Bears
The Temple bell tower
Dragons on the corners of the roof
Looking back to the prayer hall from the lower garden
The Big Buddha - 7.5 meters high, weighing 40 tons.
The multi-level Pagoda
One of the doors to the prayer hall.
The temple really was a highlight of the visit to Pleiku and a good walk from the hotel as well – fitness being my friend!
On the way home it was starting to get towards sunset and we came across all sorts of industry going on.
This old fellow was trueing a motorcycle wheel and doing a fabulous job - a true master craftsman.
This guy having finished his days’ work on other people’s scooters was rebuilding a 50cc Honda Cub engine for himself. The bike’s paint was immaculate. We ‘talked’ to him for a while and tried to get him to understand that we were riding and would like to get our bikes’ chains tightened and oiled. We gave up and decided to ride our bikes to him in the morning with Mrs SB’s translate program on her iPhone. The video posted in a subsequent post, you can hear the little Cub running without an exhaust when we pull up.
A little further up from his shop, this lady was cooking these rice and vegetable based fritters of which we bought four.
She loaded them up with vegetables, half a quails egg, chilli sauces, pickled chilli and dried fried onions. And were they good.
We retreated to the hotel and sat out the front near the hotels’ fountain sinking a few beers watching the dancing, multi-coloured fountain do its stuff in the main square.
Now that is art!
Tomorrow a short hop to Kon Tum – and hopes were up that the roads would be good.
Those hopes were to be shattered on the reality of a dusty, pot-hole laden, gravel and rock, crazy truck and bus filled monstrosity called AH17. But apart from that it was all good.
Cheers, The Travelling ‘Bears
Last edited by Sebastionbear1; 11-12-2013 at 04:25 AM.
#89
11-12-2013, 04:30 AM
Crazy CBR Salvage Guy. RIP
#90
11-12-2013, 06:22 AM
Day 12 Pleiku to Kon Tum
A guy we met on the way home last night looked very competent with the spanners – he was rebuilding a 50cc Honda Cub motor – so we decided to pay him a visit early morning and have our bike chains tightened and oiled.
A pretty little motorcycle it was. I can see the attraction that James May had on the Top Gear Vietnam Special. 60million of the little blighters produced.
You can hear the Cub motor ticking over without an exhaust as we arrived
After 10 minutes of fettling and $1 AUD, we returned to the hotel and packed for the short trip.
I hadn’t mapped the trip because (I very stupidly and naively) assumed that because there was a tombstone mile marker straight outside our hotel, that road went to Kon Tum. Ooops!
After losing Ms SB for a short while – we were both waiting for each other on corners about 1 km apart - Mrs SB’s will broke before mine and she found me.
Resuming the journey, we quickly discovered any hopes we had of a smooth journey, let alone a smooth road were to be severely shattered.
We had booked a hotel in Kon Tum but had not been asked for payment nor had a confirmation and just before we left I read some absolute horror reviews on the hotel. So we quickly found an alternative and decided to try a walk-in booking on arrival.
Not a problem, and a lovely little hotel to boot.
We had read about another old timber Catholic Church in KonTum, so set out to find it after we had showered the layers of road grime off and extricated the gravel from our eyes and ears.
The official name of the church is the Head Church of KonTum, but the locals call it the Wooden Church as the majority of the building is made of wood (really Sherlock?). Designed in Roman architecture style combined with the shape of house on stilts of Tây Nguyên community, The Church is constructed of prestigious timber such as ironwood,rosewood, etc. The church includes more than 100pillars arranged in four rows: two rows inside the room and two others close to the walls. All the pillars are lacquered black with a diameter of 40cm. They almost ring when you rap your knuckles on them.
The Wooden Church is over 100 years old, built by a French priest.
The classical interior
View from the main gate.
Walking back to our lodgings, we were to put it mildly – ‘toungue-ing for a beer’ so went in search of the elusive ales.
This came ambling down the road towards us – the two-bullock powered contrivance (official name).
We knew we were hot on the ale trail when we came across this eatery……….
They really are the messiest of eaters but at least we knew we could get some beer here (if there was any left).
There were. Having captured our beers – to be cooled and consumed after dinner on our balcony – we resumed sightseeing.
This is Vietnam
And……..
This is a bloody cute Honda for which I am starting to grow an inordinate and unhealthy fondness. I suggested to Mrs SB that since these were smaller than CBR1000Fs, they might be better to collect and fettle. I could not understand her answer………………
We came across another Church with a stone façade and timber nave construction.
Nice reliefs in the façade of St George and some other important (but to me unknown) Saint.
We have a big, big day on the bikes tomorrow – about 300 km which could take as little as 6 hours or as many as 10 depending on the road conditions.
We are back to the South China Sea at Hoi An. A favourite town of ours.
Cheers, The Travelling ‘Bears
A pretty little motorcycle it was. I can see the attraction that James May had on the Top Gear Vietnam Special. 60million of the little blighters produced.
You can hear the Cub motor ticking over without an exhaust as we arrived
After 10 minutes of fettling and $1 AUD, we returned to the hotel and packed for the short trip.
I hadn’t mapped the trip because (I very stupidly and naively) assumed that because there was a tombstone mile marker straight outside our hotel, that road went to Kon Tum. Ooops!
After losing Ms SB for a short while – we were both waiting for each other on corners about 1 km apart - Mrs SB’s will broke before mine and she found me.
Resuming the journey, we quickly discovered any hopes we had of a smooth journey, let alone a smooth road were to be severely shattered.
We had booked a hotel in Kon Tum but had not been asked for payment nor had a confirmation and just before we left I read some absolute horror reviews on the hotel. So we quickly found an alternative and decided to try a walk-in booking on arrival.
Not a problem, and a lovely little hotel to boot.
We had read about another old timber Catholic Church in KonTum, so set out to find it after we had showered the layers of road grime off and extricated the gravel from our eyes and ears.
The official name of the church is the Head Church of KonTum, but the locals call it the Wooden Church as the majority of the building is made of wood (really Sherlock?). Designed in Roman architecture style combined with the shape of house on stilts of Tây Nguyên community, The Church is constructed of prestigious timber such as ironwood,rosewood, etc. The church includes more than 100pillars arranged in four rows: two rows inside the room and two others close to the walls. All the pillars are lacquered black with a diameter of 40cm. They almost ring when you rap your knuckles on them.
The Wooden Church is over 100 years old, built by a French priest.
The classical interior
View from the main gate.
Walking back to our lodgings, we were to put it mildly – ‘toungue-ing for a beer’ so went in search of the elusive ales.
This came ambling down the road towards us – the two-bullock powered contrivance (official name).
We knew we were hot on the ale trail when we came across this eatery……….
They really are the messiest of eaters but at least we knew we could get some beer here (if there was any left
).There were. Having captured our beers – to be cooled and consumed after dinner on our balcony – we resumed sightseeing.
This is Vietnam
And……..
This is a bloody cute Honda for which I am starting to grow an inordinate and unhealthy fondness. I suggested to Mrs SB that since these were smaller than CBR1000Fs, they might be better to collect and fettle. I could not understand her answer………………
We came across another Church with a stone façade and timber nave construction.
Nice reliefs in the façade of St George and some other important (but to me unknown) Saint.
We have a big, big day on the bikes tomorrow – about 300 km which could take as little as 6 hours or as many as 10 depending on the road conditions.
We are back to the South China Sea at Hoi An. A favourite town of ours.
Cheers, The Travelling ‘Bears
Last edited by Sebastionbear1; 11-12-2013 at 07:59 AM.