From A Lưới to Khe Sanh

Did sleep quite good and got up before 09:00 again. Since I did not see any interesting place for breakfast last night and no Bánh mì stand as well the decision to find some breakfast on the way was very easy.
Pack the bag game, pay for the room and put the bag on the bike. Today I not even have to worry that the Google lady sends me somewhere where I do not want to go. The border to Laos is on the left. Sometimes less than 2 kilometres away so everything that goes left goes to Laos. And there is nothing bigger than a path going to the right. Just stay on the main road and you can not go wrong.
Today this road leads to an area that was once at the centre of the ‘American War’ as they call it here. And only a few kilometres out of A Lưới the first reminder of one of the many battles here towers on the left of the road.

It is Hill 937 or “Hamburger Hill”. This hill was of little strategic value to the US but the US command ordered to capture it. What followed was a 10 day battle from the 10th to the 20th of May 1969 that left more than 700 people death on the slopes of the mountain. And this are only the ones that were counted. After the US got the hill they abandoned it quietly on the 5th of June 1969.

Not pristine forest but at last a lot of green

In a little village I saw a shop that sold bread, fruits and vegetables. Had the idea of a pick nick so I told her I take 2 baguette. Saw some cut tofu and soja sprouts as well. Great! Told her I want some of that as well. She did not speak English so you point to everything. She got some tofu put it in a small bag together with a hand full of sprouts. She reached for the scale – paused – looked at me and walked into her house in the back of the shop.
No idea what she did that for. After a few seconds her son waved me to the back and her husband pointed to the tea pot. Well that looked like a longer shopping stop. Did put the helmet on the bike and went to the table in the back. From there I could see her in the kitchen cooking! Quick I fetched a few tomatoes, garlic and onions and gave it to her son to bring it to his mother.
Got a glass of ice water and hot green tea. The man did offer me even cigarettes but I still do not smoke. After a few minutes they put a big plate of food and some baguette on the table. And this is not even a restaurant! I sit on their table in a shop and they made me food. Imagine a Vietnamese guy would stop at a shop in your home town to get some groceries. Would they ever make him food on the spot?
Did manage to eat 3 breads stuffed with her really good vegetables. Cleared the rest of the bread and had another tea.
After a very good breakfast she wanted 20000 Dong – that is 0,81 €!!!

Long and winding road

Of course they have to burn as well

Add smoke to the haze

Low water

A new dam will change things for sure. No more fish migrating will be one of the results.

Only a few kilometres more to the hotel

My room at the Khanh Phuong Hotel. I have no clue why this is 16,50 US $. There is a TV, fridge, chairs, table, closet, AC and private bathroom with hot shower. I had all of this for 5 US $ as well here in Vietnam. But at last the other rooms had a window. This one here is smaller than a half news paper page. And it was so noisy the whole night. That does prove it again. Only because your hotel has 2 stars does not mean it is any better than one with no stars. It is only way more expensive!

At last the best breakfast set of all the hotels so far

The clock: 61065 km: 109 km. You might ask why only 109 km today. Because the next 240 km there is no place to sleep unless you find a kind local that put you on his floor.

The Wood Grave of a Rice Farmer

Well I have no idea if this is a grave of a rice farmer. But if you look at the construction and details of the grave. And at some of the stuff they put under the roof I can only picture a rice farmer. One of the farmers that works in the small rice paddies – ploughing with his buffalo.

Heads of water buffaloes at the end of the roof construction. Buffalo yokes as main parts of the grave under the roof.

Very detailed – would love to see it when it was new

That little basket is still used every day. Did pass so many people who have them on the back all over the mountains here. The writing means Grave in Vietnamese