Bad start.. Loc was messing about, and Hung got hit in the eye by a rubber strap. Now this wouldn’t usually be the end of the world, but Hung didn’t blink. Because the eye was glass (not that we knew our driver had one eye!). OR at least that’s what I understand.. I couldn’t quite understand Loc fully.. as he seemed to think Hung might be able to see a little out of it.
Either way, Hung was sent off to hospital.. and Loc had to arrange for a new guy to take over (Man). Not such a nice bike, didn’t speak English.. still, it was good work at short notice.
This was a pretty long day – we went 200km or something, and didn’t stop that often.
We passed by Charlie Hill – where the Americans had a pretty large base that they thought was impregnable, but later found out it wasn’t. The place is still riddled with mines which the locals try to retrieve – as well as other ordnance, and strip down for the metals – and gunpowder (which they use for fireworks!!). Though it does go wrong, when we were sitting down having the best and biggest custard apple ever!, the Vietnamese lady was apparently saying that just last week a kid had stepped on one…
But yes, the do collect the bombs and anything else they can. Oh, thought this was nice – the airstrip that the Americans built to service their base etc. is now used for drying tapioca (sweet potato).
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We passed other memorials to the war along the way – lost track of how many. This pic of one of the Russian tanks that the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) used to attack the Southern forces.
Arrived pretty sore-arsed! into Kon Tom, where we saw another indigenous village. They all have different styles, the roof on this meeting house is 18m high!
Oh, yes, in one of the villages we went to – Loc was explaining that the women have to raise a heap of cash to give to the father of the man they want to marry – in order to be allowed to marry him. 2 water buffalo, 20 chickens and 20 ducks is a usual price. Mind you, once they have married they can then sit back and chill for the rest of their life.
However, it’s kinda unfair as if their husband dies – they are *not* allowed to remarry. If instead, the wife dies, the man *is* allowed to remarry but only to the sister of his wife. Odd. And yes, the gene pool is quite small in these places with all the attendant issues that brings (excuse words like ‘attendant issues’ – I’m trying to use more colourful language :)
Dinner that evening was scrumptious (too much colour?! ;). Well, it was tasty at any rate. We were staying in a place where there are many hunters – so for next to nothing ($2 each) we had venison and boar.
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