Quy Nhon for Easter
Our Easter holiday kicked off bright and early at 7am when the car rolled up to whisk us away. Packed inside were Yumi, three excited aunts, a cousin, myself and two other partners, and our ever-patient driver. We were headed to Quy Nhon city. Taking first the infamous Mang Yang pass then the An Khe pass to descend from the heights of Pleiku to the coast.
After a nap in the rented flat we hit the town for a wild Good Friday feast of snails and beer on the seafront. After some pressuring I sang a karaoke song in front of the whole restaurant, then after more pressuring another!
Saturday was a special day, marking Yumi’s aunt’s 32nd birthday bash. With Yumi’s mom being the eldest of a whole troop of sisters, there’s hardly a generation gap between Yumi and some aunts! We decided to celebrate by cruising around the coast to Nhon Hai, a charming fishing village. It’s a hot spot for tourists, thanks to the platforms dotting the shores around a little deserted island called Hon Kho.
The day was a whirlwind of aquatic adventures—snorkeling, paddleboarding, and even hitching a ride on one of those long inflatable “banana” boats towed by a jetski. Little did we know, our banana boat ride was supposed to end with a splash, courtesy of a jetski trip to flip the boat. But with our crew on board, we were too heavy to tip over!
We ate seafood in Nhon Hai then headed out for a surprise birthday dinner which the restaurant had set up with balloons and a photo display then out for more karaoke and more drinking. We came home on Sunday but not before I took the chance in the bigger city to buy a Pikachu chocolate egg for Hannah for Easter.
Plei Boi
Let me tell you about a little village that’s been catching my eye on the map—Plei Boi. Every time I see it, I can’t help but chuckle because it sounds so much like “playboy”. This quaint highland village sits snugly on the west side of my favorite hiking area, and I figured it’d be fun to approach my hike from a new angle.
Plei Boi could be the posterboy (or boi) for highlands villages, with its majestic stilt houses standing tall against the backdrop of the nearby mountains. The air was ripe with the sweet scent of cashew fruit.
On my trusty Honda Blade moped (highly recommended for steep dirt roads!), I set off into the foothills on dusty dirt roads. All around were rubber and cashew tree fields. From the tracks on the road, it looked like most of the traffic had 4 legs and went “moo”.
After parking the bike just beyond the last fenced field, I decided to tackle the rest of the journey on foot. It wasn’t exactly a walk in the park lugging my camping gear in the scorching heat. The weather app was saying it “feels like” a sweltering 36 degrees even by 4pm! It was slow progress, to say the least. I’ve been on buses in Cambodia that after a bit of a climb have to stop and open the bonnet; that’s how I felt that day!
With the melody of cowbells serenading me, I trudged on, barely making it over a kilometer from where I ditched the bike as the crow flies. I think this hike marked the end of the season for me. I’ll have to wait until the rainy season cools things down before I attempt another adventure like that!
I eventually stumbled upon a nice spot—a flat area in the midst of recently cleared forest, perfect for setting up camp. On the edge of the clearing I stumbled upon something straight out of a horror film—a spooky jungle cave with dangling fig roots. I couldn’t bring myself to go in; I’m a wimp with caves. Naturally, I couldn’t resist making some observations for iNaturalist too.
Above all, despite the challenges, it was a peaceful getaway. There’s something magical about drifting off to the symphony of jungle insects under the vast expanse of stars.
