Mud Slides and Mud Treks!

We had to get out on walk about 100 yards, while the bus tried not to sink into the mud!
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Woke up to torrential storms and landslides across the whole of South Vietnam. Unfortunately, this blocked the road to My Lai so we had to miss the visit out and instead faced an entire day of travelling on a different road, apparently more scenic and slightly shorter. I found the scenery mesmorising, passing mud huts and tribal communities in the remote central highlands. The bus had a hypnotic affect on everybody and much of the day was lost to sleep. We were jolted awake periodically as the road was very bumpy, which was lucky as nobody wanted to miss the passing scenery. Stopped in a small village at an unexciting restaurant which had agonisingly slow service, despite us being the only customers! Passed the time by doing a 'Holiday' conga around the restaurant and buying childrens' clothes from the local market to give to an orphanage tomorrow.

Me getting ambushed by the kids at the Orphanage!
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The bus struggled through mud slides and half-built roads, and it was a long drive into Kon Tum. The city was populous and busy, despite being far away from the cultural centres of Vietnam. Had a mediocre meal tonight in the only restaurant in town, but it was a fun little place. There were loads of bizarre antiquities on the walls and, while we were waiting, we had toothpick/chopstick races down the group table. Geckos ran silently across the walls and ceiling in the hotel room and, for the first time, I used the mosquito net over the bed. Fell asleep reading a book on Taoism!

Trekking in the Jungle was ace! Got bitten by some scary looking insects though!
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After a wet breakfast the next morning drove to the Vinh Son 1 orphanage nearby. Was quickly engulphed by children when I arrived who wanted to prod my alien white arms and legs and stare transfixed at my lip piercing. Managed eventually to prise myself away from them and walked around the rest of the orphanage. It was sparsely furnished but there was no pity there; I left a huge monetary donation as well as my bag of clothes and came out very upbeat indeed.

We had planned to drive the bus to the tribal village of Kon Ko Tu and start a trek from there, but our bus couldn’t manage a flooded road so we walked a short way to the village and left some of our stuff in a local house. We were accompanied on our trek by three young women in traditional dress who carried our lunch in baskets slung over their backs. The trek itself was fantastic! Walked past hilltribe villages, where the local children were inquisitive of our cameras and western faces, and then up away from civilisation into the jungle. The local guide walked in front with a scythe cutting out the path as he went. I got cut and bitten and scratched and muddy, and I fell and slipped too many times to count, but absolutely LOVED it. Climbing down to the water’s edge was easier to achieve in bare feet! We sailed across the river in dug-out wooden canoes and then stopped on a pebble jetty for lunch. A couple of us ladies went in for a swim, despite warnings of crocodiles and a scarily strong current! It was wonderfully refreshing after our long hot trek though, and I really enjoyed it.

Stopped for a photo op on this bridge but thankfully didn't cross it - the next person who tried it nearly ended up in the river!
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After lunch we floated back to Kon Ko Tu on wooden rafts that kept filling up with water! I was given a cut-up plastic bottle to bail out the boat, and at one point my sandals nearly floated away! Our bags, and all our valuables, seemed to disappear into the ether on another raft but they eventually arrived safely! A gentle ride interspersed with gentle rapids – very fun. Back at the village we relaxed in the village Rong house, an impressive wooden and bamboo building with a community feel about it – abit like a village hall but even more sociable. Just outside was a volleyball net and we soon struck up a game with some local lads; even when the daily monsoon downpour started, they played on while we watched from the shelter of the Rong. I wandered around the village and found a small puppy to play with outside a stall selling fresh ‘Thit Cai’ (dog meat)…

The group relaxing outside the Rong House. We watched the locals playing volleyball and drank the village dry of Tiger Beer!
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As it grew dark we relaxed in the Rong house, dozing and reading. The bus got stuck again bringing our meal so it was delivered by motorbike! Took part in tribal dancing around a bonfire, including a dance suspiciously similar to 'Saturday Night' by Gina G! Experience was truly amazing and, every time we finished a dance, we were encouraged to drink rice wine from a communal urn – very strong stuff! After three dances and three gulps of ‘fire water’, I was starting to enjoy myself! The bus was still stuck when we were ready to go back to Kon Tum so we commandeered locals with motorbikes to take us back in two convoys into the night – really exhilarating and scary too! Walked the last part across 'lover's bridge', disturbing courting couples!