The motorcycle diaries day five

From Kon Tum to ummmm, not sure where but it's quite a small place and very nice just off the road through the jungle - yes we found jungle today!

First stop a tapioca processing plant (well shack) interesting to see what they do with this plant that grows in rubbish soil so is a bit o a staple food here - used in instant noodles and msg apparently. Older people don't like it though - it reminds them of the days after the Americans left when there was not enough food.
Then on to a brick factory where the women admired Martyn and the men admired the motorbikes. I admired two cute puppies!

A war memorial was next - atop hill 601 otherwise known as 'skull hill'. I'll let you work out why, the only debate seems to be which side the 'skulls' were from - Wing thought southern army but no-one very sure.
And here under the shade of another tree but this time with maps scratched with chalk on the cement we got a history lesson in who came when, went where, learnt what, left, stayed and generally contributed to making the country what it is.
I think Wing would feel better (if that is possible) if he felt that lessons had been learnt. His comments on Iraq and Afghanistan indicate he doesn't think they have been.

Just before lunch an ethnic village, this time the Rong house had horns like a water buffalo. The well was nearly empty and a family of 40 were surviving on tapioca leaf soup with some berries from the jungle. We spent a pleasant twenty minutes with a lady who was cooking the soup.

Another war memorial where Wing showed us which of two types of tank he was more scared of and explained why and then in the shade a story of Charlie hill and an associated song about a hero from the southern army who chose to stay at the base on the hill, drew in all the VC and then rang for the bombers.
After lunch the most stunning scenery. We found the jungle and the Ho Chi Minh trails. Travelled along the main Ho Chi Minh road but did get off now and again to walk bits of the trails.

Finally a village football game on the lumpiest pitch ever but they had managed two linesmen and a ref. Two team members had trainers but they kept slipping on the wet grass. I think the red/blue team were 2:1 up against the yellows but not sure.......

And now we are here, wherever that is......
Oh and we've managed to time our visit with another holiday - Liberation day and Independent Workers day resulting in a long weekend, fireworks in Danang and lots of full hotels....... Ah well, no doubt we'll find somewhere to sleep. Wonder if we'll need the earplugs...........