Stopped by a selfie fan
N 13°12'42.1'' E 108°12'21.3''
Date:
18.02.2017
Day: 599
Country:
Vietnam
Province:
Gia Lai
Location:
Ea urge
Latitude N:
13°12’42.1”
Longitude E:
108°12’21.3”
Daily kilometers:
105 km
Total kilometers:
22,168 km
As the crow flies:
88 km
Average speed:
22.6 km/h
Maximum speed:
54.3 km/h
Travel time:
4:37 hrs.
Soil condition:
Asphalt
Maximum height:
900 m
Total altitude meters:
63.842 m
Altitude meters for the day:
887 m
Sunrise:
06:08 am
Sunset:
5:53 pm
Temperature day max:
28°C
Departure:
08:10 a.m.
Arrival time:
2:00 pm
(Photos of the diary entry can be found at the end of the text).
At 28 degrees in the shade, it is a very warm day for us. The rising temperatures herald the arrival of summer and give us an idea of how hot it will be in a few weeks’ time. At lunchtime, we take a break at one of the many shady rest areas directly on the road. The owners offer fresh coconuts, which you can enjoy lying in a hammock.
Although we are back on Ho Chi Minh Road, the traffic has increased. Not comparable to Highway 1A, but it looks like this route is also getting busier the further south we go. Here, too, the ditches to the left and right of the road are misused as waste channels, which burn in many places. If there is a lot of smoke, we hold our breath for a short time to inhale as little of the sometimes toxic fumes as possible. “Hey!!!”, I shout in shock as a motorcyclist almost jumps in front of my bike and forces me to brake hard. “Damn it!” I hear Tanja shout behind me, who only manages to avoid a rear-end collision thanks to her good reaction. “Almost ran into you. Why are you braking so suddenly?” “He jumped in front of my bike,” I apologize, pointing at the grinning motorcyclist who is just coming up. “Sorry sir, can I take a picture of you?” we are taken aback by his question. “Man, you almost caused an accident with your actions,” I complain. “Can I have a photo please?” (Can I have a photo please?) he repeats. “Well, because we’re already standing anyway, please,” I reply, a little annoyed at his impertinent action. “Thank you,” he says, takes off his helmet, takes off his leather jacket and rummages through his luggage. “What’s wrong with the photo now?” Tanja asks him. The young man is still grinning, combing his hair, putting on sunglasses and pulling a headband over his head. After he has finally finished his styling, he slowly shuffles over, hands me his smartphone, takes my bike and wants to get on. “Have you gone mad?” I ask in German. He looks at me with a laugh. “The bike is very difficult to hold, moreover, I would not want you simply climb up,” I say. He then goes to Tanja, who is still holding her bike, puts his arm on her shoulder and wants me to take a photo of the two of them. What the hell, I think to myself and press the shutter button. Then he comes over to me, grinning, and hugs me like his best friend to take a selfie of the two of us. “All right, we have to keep going,” I urge as the man comes up with other poses. “Thank you,” he says as we continue our journey…
If you would like to find out more about our adventures, you can find our books under this link.
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