Dak Glei was uneventful, it’s a very quiet village in the mountains where we only stopped for the night, but the people were extremely friendly. Kids were preparing for the full moon festival by banging on drums most of the evening and running around singing and laughing. We did baptise it “oil town", as we decided it was the Vietnamese cradle of oily dishes. I mean we have now been through the cradle of wine, of dragonfruits, of flowers, of coffee, of milk… so why not of oil? Dak Glei is not famous for its oil, really, but after being served two dishes bathing in it, we declared it was. (Photo: would you like some Pancakes with your oil??)
We stayed in a very cheap guesthouse where the shower was outside(litteraly I mean not in a room outside but just outside in the backyard) and we weren’t given towels anyway, so I must admit we skipped the shower. I know I washed my face and feet, but I can't promise anything about Dan.

In the very early morning I discovered My Quan, a noodle dish I didn't know yet: thick noodles, quail eggs and bits of pork and shrimp. Perfect for breakfast but in good Dak Glei style, a little too oily.

Then we set off on the Ho Chi Minh trail towards Hoi An. The ride was stunning. We had a coffee around 7am in a tiny mountain village, altitude 1900m. We shared a table at the cafe with this adorable little girl and her father. I don't have a good picture of her, but she had one of the most perfect prettiest face I've ever seen.The air was pure and once again, the locals were very friendly. Women would come out of their little wooden houses, baby on the back, and when seeing us, looked a little startled before waving at us with a big smile. Some of them didn't speak Vietnamese, so obviously they were from a mountain Ethnic minority but we don't know which one.

The road was virtually empty. That mountain ride took several hours and it became very hot very early, but it was the most beautiful of all.