[monumentum]

A random lamp in Lak Resort that had such unique design. Can alter brightness too! LOL. Mountain tortoise eh? But I still like it.

Day #11: On to Buon Ma Thuot (10-May-2010)
Putting up at an expensive place for the night isn't much of a difference compared to cheap little guesthouses. Another lesson here. Same thing, only slightly refreshed as usual, not any better whatsoever. Taking on another day of fatigue is somewhat exciting though, apart from some dread of not being able to take off your shoes, put your legs up, & chill for a day.

Nothing's better than breathing in nature to start a new day, waking up to something different every single morning. It's so much better than being 'sardined' into an overpacked train in a bid to hail a more than routined treadmill life cycle of the 'nine-to-five'.

For me, nature's Mother Earth's reward to mankind. The sight itself is an indulgence. Not to mention the other possible ways that they can benefit from her. Don't I speak as if I'm not a human myself? Yes, I do wish that I wasn't one.
Rice grains out sunbathing for the day..
Riding an elephant is one of the many touristy activities near Lak Lake. According to Chung, & some other travellers, renting a bike to travel around the lake in itself would be quite a sight. & trekking in the neighboring forestland is yet another unforgettable experience worth trying. The nearby Jun Village was where we were headed to, for this little settlement thriving on subsistence fishing & rice farming, & tourism, is also compact with beauty. Houses on stilts forming an avenue along the village's main road, idle fishing boats painted in vibrant hues sitting lazily on the calm waters of Lak Lake, elephants walking the background, rice plantations lining the horizon - it's probably where you'd be thankful to be living to witness it.

With elephants parading through the village rightfully, the above is only a common sight - dung dotting the road, smacked right in the centre.

Susbsistence. It's where I got to see my school textbook come to life. & not forgetting the entrance to Jun Village. How much it screams: "Hey! I'm a tourist destination & you ought to know that so damn well!" - Not many villages have entry posts as 'magnificent' as this one, that's for sure!
Apologies for swamping you with elephant shots. Simply couldn't avoid them. They're everywhere!!
Many thanks to my daily journal that I'd so faithfully written every single day during the trip. Some credits to my dear book: It's a jotter book of humble $0.50 that I'd gotten at the bookstore before leaving for Vietnam. Being flimsy & non-waterproof, I did have to take somewhat good care of it to prevent ripping & all other you-know-whats. A ziploc bag easily did that job. Of course though, in return it documents all my ups & downs, fresh feelings, fresh memories of the trip. & most importantly, it enabled me to keep a detailed account of my accounts, which is exceptionally crucial especially on a long long trip. You don't want to be running out of cash (thus getting stranded at somewhere foreign to you), or exceeding budget unknowingly (until you get home & faint upon receiving the bank statement). Personally I feel it's where solo travellers can 'deposit' certain more confidential info & feelings as well. You don't go around jabbering to the walls, do you? Just don't forget your writing materials!
I wouldn't have remembered that this was Cho Lien Son if I hadn't written it down in my journal on that actual day. So these were some shots taken in the market busking in the morning sun, suffusing with its morning bustle. Of course the above wouldn't have been a normal scene in the place where I live now (which only carries chickens & ducks on styrofoam plates dead sealed with cellophane wraps), but my childhood Malaysia would be a likely comparison. Not very much a culture shock in this sense, though the subsequent pictures (viewers' discretion advised), can't guarantee.

Call me sick, but somehow I love close-ups of sick things like the one below. No I couldnt bear to touch that, but it makes an awesome photograph, for it makes certain people sick too, & in my sick mind that's an achievement itself. Please flinch at the sight of it for my sake! (:
On to something subtle, sweet & nice. Soya bean milk. Lovely especially on another scorching day like this. Plain, warm bean milk mixed with a tablespoon of white sugar. It doesn't do much in quenching your thirst, but on a hot day like this you'd really depend on sugar rush to keep you alive & active! What an unbecoming explanation. But well, it did it! A mere 5k VND for a serving, a worthy bargain indeed.
Yet more country roads offering scenes as if straight out of your postcards. By this I don't mean my photos per se, but the views along the roads are something I'd never be able to get out of my head, despite my hopes to visit 'better' places some time. Again, I'd emphsize the importance of being there yourself.
What couldn't a Vietnamese do with his motorbike? Versatility is the way to go in Vietnam. Jackfruit-packed. & I wondered whether the traffic police would ever be so nonchalant in my current country of residence. You'd probably get your license suspended at the least? It'll be plain luck if you werent actually thrown in jail..
Travelling in the country, you'd find yourself frequently on bridges like this one here, straddling boundless rivers, bordered with more natural wonders. If the road could go on forever & if I could travel limitlessly, I certainly would.

Yet more remnants of the war, a torn up bridge, the forgotten skeletal structure of a burnt old church far far away. This country's full of tragic reminders, yet so brimming with the people's blissful contentment all at the same time.
The Vietnamese's resemblance to the Chinese - cultural influence due to the past ties with China perhaps? This python skin above has 'good medicinal value', as I was told. Here below we see Chung & the owner of the python (right) holding on to the humongous python which'd just devoured a whole duck alive not so long ago. They kinda need 4-5 days to digest each 'morsel' of food of this sort.
I was really reluctant in putting up that hideous photograph of mine (Chung took it). But I figured it was the best way I could really bring out the length of the snake. Yes no doubt it's because I'm short that the snake looked long. But anyway, the snake's really heavy... & don't look at that face. It was my 1st time touching something cold-blooded. Didn't wanna do it at 1st. But it's an experience I could never come across again. So....
Dragon fruit plant up there. & cute white mushrooms growing out from their nutrient packs in a dark enclosure you'd see below, with only narrow streams of sunlight seeping in from those nearly non-existent openings. Attribute the pathetic quality of the photograph to the darkness!! I tried my best without a tripod.

I forgot what flower it was below. But nevertheless I thought I'd just put this up.

More content out of sekolah menengah's geography textbook. So is that called 'winnowing'? Something along that line I guess. Not paying attention in studies really has its effects on you.
A worker poses for me on top of the 'winnowing' machine. Lousy photo on my part, but credits to him!

This is a dedication to our staple. Our lifeline. The lead in many asian delicacies. Freshly harvested from the fields & havent been sunbathed yet.
What am I thinking? Family planning. LOL. Yea. It was around noon, & the continuous stream of school children heading home really caught my attention. How big their school's compound must be to house all that bicycles. It really did take some time for us to past the seemingly endless line of colorful joyful figures. Why colorful? In that steaming heat the children would wear their own sweaters - another thing I noticed about Vietnamese was their outstanding threshold for heat.
More country roads before the day's break at a coffee shop along the way. Simple fare with typical Vietnamese dishes. That ham on top is quite a common sight in Vietnam - a classic taste of preserved meat. Salty tinge & the familiar porky touch to the tofu-like texture. Mmmmm...
SUGAR! - With love.

The procedure resulting to the lovely white granulated sugar is a tedious one. Boiling & crystalization. Dip your finger in that & have a taste of its perfect sweetness. I wish I could own a tub of it.
Candles, do they look like? They're cane sugar, or was it coconut sugar? I took a bite. If I'd continued they'd be... Annoyed? Gluttony, plain greed, they'd be thinking. My sweet tooth is irrespressible. I could devour gula melaka in mouthfuls. Probably be diabetic in a year or two if I don't stop. This is called sidetracking.
Alright, the one starting from the photo below is yet another very memorable place. Just judging by the steps down into the wilderness wasn't something impressive. Yet the end of the tunnel...?
More stone paths to tread along..
Then it opens out to to a dirt path..
This was the scene at the end of the shady winding stony avenue. Somewhere I could've lay on the rocks & not move for hours at length. A mild waterfall. There were local youths in the water at the foot of the falls, despite its warning sign hanging on the tree advising against the idea of it.
For thankfully Chung had drawn me a makeshift map at the back of my entrance ticket, I knew the way, & continued my wandering through the forested paths. No crowds to follow this time, no longer my forte.

I came to this bridge. A rather high one with an amazing view, of at least 4-5m above the water level. Then...

Through more paths & a little climbing along red dirt tracks, leaving my shirt stained orangey, there was yet another bridge. The 2nd one that Chung said would enable a clear view of the 2nd waterfall.
Nature's beauty is stunning. Especially taken with the formation of those rocks. Don't think I'd ever be able to paint a scene so intricate as one like this. You're probably thinking I tampered with the photos here, like I really did to some. No. I swear I did not. The water was bluish green - an attractive turquoise. The contrasting whites where the current was stronger.
If you ever dropped by this region in Vietnam, please don't forget to drop by this awesome place. I cant get over this natural beauty. Yet for some reason I hadnt encountered anyone else along the way to this 2nd waterfall, despite the fine weather. A rare thing to happen in the highly populated vietnam. It was good in a sense, that I'm spared from the unsightly human figures polluting a perfectly natural scene like this.

Appalling sight. Vietnamese youths taking turns to dive off the bridge into the water. I'd never wanna see the water become any more shallow. OMG. I felt my legs tremble for a second, I was sure. Not that I'm scared of height. But the fact that they wouldn't know what lurked beneath the water is rather a turnoff. It's upbringing maybe. The way we'd grown up in our respective countries. How protected we always are. But yet I find their lifestyle extremely carefree & thrilling.

So, tied with my intro, this is the only lead I can provide you with. Look up on it some time? Yea, more school children. It's how they spend their afternoons huh? I've always doubted that we, in our pursuit for the so-called 1st class lifestyle, lead very ideal childhoods. The way these Vietnamese youths lead their lives only serves to further confirm this perception of mine. Of course, that's just my opinion. A bourgeois clinging on to his elites mentality would probably not agree. But well... This is only a choice in our less than puny lives.

No I couldnt say more about the next place I went to. Horrendous track compared to the previous refreshing one. My limbs looked gross from the countless mosquito bites. & how about some cuts from twigs entwined with the limbs amidst the woody mess? The path wasnt one laid out easily ahead like the previous one. Not beaten, is that how you'd call it? In this way it made me appreciate Chung all the more. His knowledge of the place was amazing.

Climb climb. Steep? Years of climbing cupboards, wardrobes, shelves, & playground traning during childhood really made this one easier.

Loving wilderness. Not really 'wild'. Do you see that path?

A more than century-old tree so gigantic that Chung had mentioned earlier. Glad I was able to keep his directions in mind & find this.

Vicious humans. They have to leave a 'legacy' wherever they lay their foot on.

I'm trying to find something to blame for this overexposure, yet I can find none. I refuse to admit it's my skills that suck. But I do think so, it's only logical. Gross attitude. Fault me. I'm human!

Some volcanic rocks we saw along the way. In our layman eyes we probably couldnt detect any difference. These simply look like regular rocks to me. Like seriously!

Back to civilization all stinky & sticky. & this is yet another common sight in Vietnam. A moving banana stash.

The family-owned rice noodle factory was another stop in the late afternoon. Look at those delicious-looking kuey-teow-like things. They taste so much like kuey-teow, but a tad more chewy from the additional glutinous rice not found in kuey-teows. Different flavors too! Some with added mushroom bits, while some are plain like the ones below.

The very rice from which the rice cakes were made out from.

The rice cake served with a little fish sauce, chilli, fried onions & oil. Simple yet delicious. Uniquely Asian taste.

Household pet dogs taking care of the pet pigs in their darkened sty.
Below was taken after a storm, during which we'd rested at a coffee shop drinking passion fruit juice, & a dramatic episode some zinc roofs being blown off houses, plus people chasing after their roofs along the road.

Motion blur. Need more practice. Even my object-in-focus is rather blurred out too... *Sobs* A bike transporting rice paper to be sold in Buon Ma Thuot city itself. I think I like the picture's composition. Questionable.

Eden Hotel in Buon Ma Thuot city, where many other Easy Riders also brought their peeps to. Rather popular. Friendly staff. Despite my insistence to carry my own backpack because of its weight, the staff still lugged it all the way to my room for me. & once you stepped into the room you'd realise why it's that popular. Compact, yet comfortable it was. Most importantly, clean! I realise I always ended up in double rooms. One bed I'd use to place all my things (scatter them out like pasar malam, for I hate clutters), the other for me to sleep on. It's great to travel alone in this sense. No clautrophobia.

A classic bathroom at Eden Hotel. Ok you can ignore my dirty yellow socks. If only disposable clothing really existed. I dread washing, really!

Dinner was chicken with glutinous rice. Just 15k VND. But I made up the difference by spending another 15k VND on the dessert below. Quite a healthy choice of dessert considering the range of fruits added, a very generous amount too. Just that it was too sweet for my liking. Coconut milk & syrup (I presume).

Campuran yang istimewa ya? There was even agar in it! It's not something I'd find back home... Even so would be a dessert at this price! I'll miss it. Thanks to Chung who introduced this street delicacy to me.
So this was the last part of my indulgence for the day. It was followed by more washing, hanging to dry, before I could peacefully retire to bed.