Part 76: All roads lead to Mui Ne....
Its hard to picture many nicer settings than our accommodation with its 360 degree sweeping views. Apart from being wonderfully reclusive, this place had everything you'd need; from a good sized pool to an outdoor bar - even its own private waterfall!
We shared the evening with our three guides sitting outside on a beautifully clear night, eating delicious food, chatting and enjoying many 'happy waters' (rice wine)
We listened to them talk about the Vietnamese war which is never an easy topic to discuss, but I was quite taken by their humility and forgiving nature, especially when I asked him if he was bitter at what happened.
'Vince' he said.
'Forget all that is bad, and remember only what is good' - wise words.
They bore no grudges, no malice towards anyone, least of all the Americans, which was pretty astonishing considering the history between the two countries.
They taught us about the Vietnamese culture – about traditions, history, agriculture, religion, cuisine, social differences, and general ways of life.
Up to now this journey had far exceeded any of our expectations, spanning hundreds of miles, and taking in all the wonders of the central highlands; it really had been an epic journey.
We shared a few more quick fire shots and Vietnamese drinking games then decided to get off to bed where I didn't have any trouble sleeping, having drunk so much rice wine.
The following morning we had a nice start to the day, enjoying breakfast surrounded by these views, and a quick walk around the countryside.
By the time me Jack and Corina got back on the trusty bikes, we were fully refreshed, and raring to go!
Before long we were slaloming left and right on a winding road through bright green rice terraces as we left Di Linh behind, pausing only as we reached a herd of cows blocking the road.
We then took a sharp left at narrow downward path which led us to a steep rock face over looking a secluded waterfall, and we stopped here for a morning swim. Climbing down the slippery rocks was a little challenging, and once in the water we discovered it was a lot colder than it looked, but it was so refreshing this early in the day. I dragged myself across a log, hanging directly over a deep section of water, and nearly fell in when I got a face full of spiders web, much to Jack and Corina's amusement!
After the swim and drying off, we took a steady cruise to another minority village; this one seemed poorer than the last and even more scarcely populated. Our three guides did exactly the same as before - dropping us off to walk freely through the village, which consisted of a few dusty lanes, wooden shacks, and small gardens.
The people here seemed much shyer too, though this time we came better prepared handing out lolly pops to the young kids which went down very well again, even if they were a little apprehensive at the beginning, but they soon snapped them all up.
When we got to the other side, the guides explained that this was one of the least visited minority villages in the central highlands, and it certainly gave that impression. To say that this was a humbling experience would be to state the obvious, because watching the kids faces really was genuinely heartwarming, especially based on the surroundings, and how little they actually had.
After it was all down hill on steep dusty tracks, with huge over hanging tropical bamboo plants and rugged rocks which involved longer periods of driving without stopping. We passed dried out burning bushes, and charred trees, filling the air with smoke. I had to pull my bandana over my mouth as the smoke was so thick in places and was quite relieved when we made it through here - this stretch was quickly followed by miles of more baron dry pot holed tracks. I really enjoyed the rugged terrains, even though there was not a lot to see at this point, other than a few random small pigs and chickens in the road, till we reached acres of private land full of dragon fruit trees.
This was the first stop for a while, which was just as well really, especially since my bum was getting pretty numb from the bumpy roads.
Up close, the dragon fruit were the biggest I'd ever seen and they tasted great, and absolutely nothing like the ones back in England. I was busy scoffing both Jacks and Corina's portion of fruit since they didn't like taste of them. The central highlands were so rich in agriculture, and it was great to see that first hand. I now understood why the government invested heavily in the minority villages, and realised their importance to this, with so many people from these communities forming the back bone of this huge industry.
Next up, we passed several small villages with friendly waving locals and the long bumpy road eventually levelled out.
I was really sad to be leaving the mountains behind which were now far in the distance behind us, and apart from stopping at a cashew nut farm and a quick lunch stop, it was a nerve wracking full speed ahead ride on the open roads all the way to the coastline now.
The landscapes dramatically changed from green to white sandy hills with lakes as we neared the coastal town of Mui Ne, which is apparently the driest part of South East Asia. We continued for a few miles down a red dirt track with the road veering around a lake, and more Sahara like dunes either side - an amazing contrast to the last few days, making for yet more spectacular viewing, till we eventually stopped in a car park so we could explore on foot.
Up close the white dunes were pretty impressive forming, pure, curvaceous ever changing lines and gradients in the landscape untouched by human feet, under a light blue sky and blazing sun- honestly it was just like being in the Middle East.
The winds picked up the higher up the dunes we walked and I could feel the energy drain from my aching legs when we reached the top, savouring the view then slowly walking back to the car park and waiting bikes.
My body was covered from head to toe in sand; not the nicest feeling in the world, but I hoped the wind would blow it off once we picked up speed on the roads; sadly for me, it didn't!
By now it was early evening and we were on the last leg of the journey; only a few miles from Mui Ne.
Today had been a slightly different experience than before, but it was more about the epic journey and the ever changing scenery, from mountainous forestation through to dry baron and then desert and eventually the approaching coastline. The sea was just to our left, so close you could smell the salt in the air, and the sun lay directly ahead.
Our guides were picking up speed, and were now beginning to show off, weaving in and out of each other, beeping their horns whilst we were all waving and cheering, chasing the sun at break neck speed as it vanished behind the hills; the race was well and truly on, now that we lost view of the coast line.
The guide kept telling me to wait before I took pictures of the sun, which was just as well because I was barely able to hold the camera steady he was going so fast. Then the road slowly began veering off to the left, and there was the sun once more, but still obstructed from clear view by trees and hills. We were desperate not to miss the sunset so the guides were going even faster - it was so exhilarating being on the back of these speeding motorbikes, twisting one way then the other, all posing for pictures whilst Corina captured some great shots of us.
I thought we were on the home stretch, but there were still hills obscuring the view and I thought that we'd missed it.
Then finally, we reached an open road and, there it was with no obstructions; the whole coast and skyline with the brilliant red sun all in perfect view together; we couldn't have timed this any better if we wanted too.
And if that wasn't enough, a small girl in a white dress dancing on the sand, plus silhouettes of fishing boats on the sea made it even more picture perfect, and the most idyllic sunset I had ever witnessed - what an amazing climax to a unforgettable few days.
This whole trip had certainly been one of the highlights of my travels, meeting amazing people seeing incredible sites, covering hundreds of miles, and learning something new every single step of the way. These guides really made the trip the experience that it was for us.
What struck me most was their humility and sense of forgiveness which should be a lesson to everyone; me included.
To quote the perfectly simple yet perfectly true words of my guide: - Forget all that is bad, remember only what is good.
And I fully intended to do just that from now on.....