Celebrity status!

Before departing our little town we went out for some morning coffee. Everywhere we walked on the street heads turned and stared at us. Little kids pointed and waved. We drank our coffee while a little old lady sat next to us just watching.

Waving goodbye we set off again. The road began to open up I to a major highway in no time. Buses swerving, dirt flying, construction, and motorbikes cramped the road. One look at Morgan confirmed my thoughts, we have to take the long way and get in the Ho Chi Minh trail for sure. The turn off could not come soon enough!

As soon as we found it the traffic dwindled. For a couple hours we drove straight cutting across west towards Laos and away from tourism. Soon the only things we passed on the road were a few cars and motorbikes and many cows. The views were beautiful with mountains in the distance and beautiful farm lands on the flats we were driving in.

For a late lunch we stopped at a tiny town we were passing through. Restaurants are usually built right into the owners house and they whip out some plastic stools. Since we wanted a quick stop so we could get back on the road we opted to buy some snacks and a drink from a store. These are also built right into the owners houses. After we have a few snacks Morgan asks to use a toilet. Five minutes to by and then ten minutes. Ummm where did she go? I walk towards the house they had ushered into no there she is sitting on a stool with a mom and child. Oh man they have us now. I'm shown to another stool and we sit and chat. We learned all about her child and how she is not married but is looking for love. 

We try to leave many times but she slaps our legs and tells us to stay. Stay stay stay! No no no. Yes yes yes you stay with me. As much as we would've loved to stay with this lovely pair we still had a good distance to go before reaching our goal. We say our goodbyes but only after they get pictures with us.

Back on road we are greeted by tons of dirt roads and cows upon cows. At one point while trying to navigate through a herd of cows I nicked one. No hard done I swear. The best moment is when we turned a corner and a whole group took up the entire road. I'm not talking five or six cows. I mean an entire herd of cows blocked the road. Not even budging the cows just did their own thing. I tried honking and yelling at them. Then a little vietnamese guy pops up out of no where in the middle of the pack. Laughing his head off at me he pushes a little path through them for me.

Finally reaching pleiku we are surprised to find its a pretty developed city unlike the villages we had been driving through. We find the first hotel we can and check in. Immediately we Rock Paper Scissors to see who gets to scrape the dirt off them first. I win!

After getting clean I do a quick google search to see what there is to do for an evening. Ummmmmmm travel fish is kind enough to tell me there is nothing. It says the trickle of seldom tourists should eat at certain restaurant because its popular with the locals. Well considering its a city I doubt we are going to find it so we decide to take a stroll and eat at the first place we find. To our shock it was the first place we found!!!! All heads turn and stare as we take our seats and order the chicken and rice dish. The place is packed and the food is delicious.

After dinner we go to a market to pick up some snacks. While there I debate buying flashlight. It might come in handy since my bike light is broken. I consider it and decide to get it. We also pick up lollipops to hand to village children and so,e little kid vietnamese books. Some of the things for sale in the store are bizarre. It's interesting to see the different types of toys they come up with.

Before heading to bed we decide to chill at the coffee shop next to our hotel. We expected it to be a small hang out place. But with everything we do it wasn't what we expected. It was actually three floors of jam packed action. People were dressed nicely sipping coffee and cocktails. We were ushered up and up and to the back corner. As we walked through everyone people took out cell phones and snapped our pictures. So this is what it feels like to be famous? So funny because we are both wearing our dirty baggy backpacker clothes. While we sit drinking our iced coffee the one table of two guys stares and stares and stares some more. I'm pretty sure these guys know my face better than me and have an entire phone full of pictures of us. We clearly are not on the main tourist trail anymore.