highlux's photostream  

A very common sight on the road sides are propagandist billboards - and in the more 'rebellious' highlands they seemed to be everywhere. Socialist themes of union and equality are the voice and military might, industry and peace are usually symbolised.

Much of the road - even where sealed - was silted from monsoon downpours and burst creeks and rice paddies. Montagnard minorities are marginalised by the Vietnamese government (historically due to their allegiance with the South Vietnamese and US during the Vietnam War), consequently their communties receive little funding or support.

Tradiional rong house (meeting house) of the Montagnard (Central Highlands mountain people). They're often seen with thatched roofs too.

The seal ended after a while but the road suface was mostly pretty sweet as we wove through some really nice countryside. Spot the rider...

We spent a night in Plei Kan and the next morning started out on the backroad of highway 14c. After 12km we turned left an followed an even more minor road as it wove through rolling hills covered in rubber tree plantations. There was widespread fighting in this region during the war and the consequent destruction of much of the original jungle and forest cover, hence plantations like these are very common.