Vietnam Road Trip Day 8: Same same, but different.

Day 8.

This was a hot day after being back on the coastal route.  The added dust and general ruckus from trucks makes it feel worse than it actually is.  As bad as it feels from time to time, this was probably the fastest we've gone through a truck route.  Also, the backs of my hands are started to develop that leathery texture, yet in between my fingers it looks relatively pale.  I've been wearing long sleeves/pants most days, but I'm selectively working on my sexy sandal tan.

Vietnam is treating me well.

It doesn't take us long until we find some nice detours along highway 1D.  We take our time today to explore.  I had previously scoped out a few potential lunch destinations in Quy Nhon so we let hunger be our driving incentive when necessary.  I can't find the one chay restaurant in mind so we opt for a quick break at a cafe only to see it across the street in a very unassuming little hole in the wall.  Figuratively.

Most cafes serve copious amounts of delicious iced Oolong tea.  The cure-all for long, hot riding days.

We have a kick-ass, cheap lunch and keep moving.  Our next detour comes after crossing the bridge on the Thi Nai bay.

These roads go through a small fishing village until we cross over to QL19B and we discover an enormous yet empty highway.

If you build it...

For fun we head directly to the ocean to take a little break and happen upon a quaint little town built on this peninsula.  I see a statue at the top of the hill and decide I want to find it.

Eventually the passages get too narrow for Nicole and she takes a break to let me continue riding up.  I don't get much farther before deciding to go on foot, but it's not long before I find what looks like a school or monastery or sculpture garden.  I still can't figure out what it is, but the girls who lived there didn't seem put off by random visitors.

Radiant enough for you?

Nicole sharing some trip photos with the new gang.

From the bottom of the hill.

From the top of the hill.

The silver side of the two-tone statue.

Nicole snaps a photo of one of the girls and shows it to her, causing her to run away in adorable embarrassment.  A lot of people don't take off their masks even though it doesn't seem very dusty, so it's hard to gauge their reactions to our behavior.  I don't think we're crossing any stark lines into offensive territory, but one girl's reaction was a clear "don't take a photo of me."  Her eyes smiled nonetheless.

Bashful!  I'm going to accumulate too many adopted kids after this trip is over.

We head back to our route and press on to find more rural areas nestled in between mountains and beautiful blue ocean.  It's photo/video time.

After some time I finally get to use the poncho I acquired in Tuy Hoa after my raincoat failed to keep water off my person.  We don't get drenched and we even manage to outrun this storm after a little while!

As you can see I've been pretty zealous about recording lots of our road trip.  I suppose it's more for myself to look back on.  Endless roads all seem the same when stacked together, but it's really about the accumulation of stories that really paint the picture of Vietnam.  The countless kids who wave and shout Hello!  The cows and water buffalo crossing the road.  The reflection of the sky on the rice fields.  The slow transition of white sand to deep, green forests.  It's another world, but it's on the same planet.  My excitement for seeing the rest of this country continues to grow, but riding a motorcycle down dirty, bumpy roads lends itself to an interesting type of boredom.  You can't quickly sate your impulses by whipping out your phone or listening to music or reading a book.  You can hardly even talk to one another, though traveling with a companion adds tremendously to the whole experience—just silently sharing the ride together.  You might think of something to say but it's too windy or busy to sidle up for a quick "didja see that?!"  So we're just left to be the quiet observers for several hours a day.  Also, we're probably fixated on different details in the same environment.  Looking for unusual patterns or dodging potholes or cows.  I like to imagine it's like being a child again—overstimulated with sensory information to the point of fatigue.  It's hard to understand how we're so hungry all the time when we're not really getting much exercise, but our brains have to be going full throttle in many ways to keep us alive while absorbing the scenery at the same time.

More, please.

Journey stats:
Tuy Hoa to Tam Quan. 192 km (plus detour to Hung Luong).

Route notes:
Worthy detours include TL639/QL19B just northeast out of Quy Nhon, and DT640 just to the north of that peninsula.  (DT640 might be called DT639, but if it has any markers at all you're likely on a road that'll spit you out somewhere different).