Kon Tum, round 2

On my way to Laos I had to head back up the Ho Chi Minh Trail from Saigon. I was excited to go back to the Central Highlands as I really enjoyed my time there before. Buon Ma Thuot has some of the best coffee I've ever had, and Kon Tum was a very friendly city with some sights we didn't get a chance to see. I stayed in BMT for a night with a great couple that I met on couchsurfing. They were so nice, and Trang made a delicious cup of coffee. They even had durian trees in their backyard, but it wasn't the season for them yet. :( boohoo.

I left BMT and was heading to Kontum, about 220km away. Unfortunately on the way there my clutch started acting up. I was able to deduce where the problem lied but not how to fix it. WIth no clutch it's sort of hard to get into first after kick starting, so I stayed in top gear most of the time and tried to not stop at all. When I would stop, I'd look for hills nearby so that I could bump-start into second and go from there. When I got into Kon Tum my hotel recommended a mechanic for me. Though he never worked on Minsk's before and couldn't speak english I was able to show him where my problem was and he was able to help fix it. I then had him put a new back tire on as mine was pretty worn down and from what I had heard the roads and Laos are pretty rough so good treads would be needed. I can not tell you how smart a move this was. I then took the new tire for a test drive in the local villages. Off-roading with good tires is much more fun, though less skiddy. I did get stuck in the mud at one point while crossing a stream. One of the fun part of having a simple bike like mine is that you aren't as scared about having your bike go through water. If it gets wet it just needs time to dry. :)

Shortly after leaving BMT I passed by this bike. Not sure if you can fully see it but he has cages full of chickens on his back.

Fields in the villages outside of Kon Tum

Around one of the villages

The wooden church in Kontum. Though not one for churches, this one was very beautiful. I'm sure this has to do with it being made out of all wood, which gives it a different type of feel.

one of the porches at the wooden church

inside the wooden church

another central house of sort in a different village

rice fields

So all throughout most of the central highlands are tons and tons of coffee fields. I wish I had done more to tour or learn about them but I didn't. I just drove by them. This is a picture of a coffee plant, but I didn't see any beans.

traffic on the way out of Kon Tum.