A cruisy morning of cycling 55 kms, was a misleading start to our day. We witnessed coffee plantations everywhere, and the coffee beans outside drying in the sun in front of almost every house we went past - driveways aren't for cars afterall. Also growing in the region (going between Kon Tum and Buon Me Thuot) are cashews and black pepper. It made for quite different scenery to go past, but still with plenty of smiling cheering kids. We were feeling pretty good at that point and our guide assured us the afternoon was mostly downhill.

It turned out he was revealing his sense of humour, because after lunch we did definitely the hardest ride of all as you will see in the profile it was mostly uphill and the heat was searing. (Rain didn't seem so bad in hindsight) We slogged our way through many more villages, and gratefully guzzled a cold green tea at a roadside stall. We are missing ice - because the water is not drinkable having ice is not recommended.

The one downhill we were promised turned out to be a great one (though hard to distinguish on the altitude profile) mostly because it was mad - roaring down a huge hill in the middle of a bustling country town - people, scooters, animals, waving kids - there was everything you could think of to contend with and all at high speed. Yeehah!

It was easily the hottest day riding I have ever had. 

Once we passed the 100 km mark, we stopped and clambered on the bus then the real journey began - we hit Sunday evening traffic going into Buon Me Thuot. There were hundreds of little tractors (Rex thinks they are adapted rotary hoes) pulling carts. Each one was piled high with bags of coffee beans from today's harvest, and piled even higher with the whole family (generations) on top! What a sight. Our bus wove its way through the mass of them, and other vehicles, with the greatest skill - it was so thrilling even exhausted cyclists were sitting upright to watch.

Another amazing day in an amazing country.