Dalat

I am now writing from Dalat. Its a mountain town and was a 4 hour drive here along the most car sickness, slow, single laned highway EVER. Altitude is only like 4000 feet or something, but its a really nice change from the coast and cities.

Visited a Zen monastary on top of the central peak in Dalat. Meditated in the pagoda while one of the monks clanged a big bowl that resonated sound like a gong. A memorable moment in my life I doubt I will be able to repeat.

Off momentarily to a home hosted dinner. Bought some local wine ($2) to share at dinner with our hosts. Wine is not very available in Vietnam - so this is a treat for me as well as our hosts.

Pictures are of Nha Trang in the crocodile shop, a gas station!!!, the Zen pagoda and the view from our room. Our hotel room is outstanding. Big and spacious with two windows as its a corner room. Breeze is wonderful from the mountains, thank goodness as hotel does not have air conditioning, because it is not needed.

Mui Island

What a great day. Took a boat to Mui Island to a little fishing village. They do not have running water on this island of 3000 people, but draw their water each day from the town well. We strolled through the village and out the other side to get a ride round the harbor in basket boats to meet back up with our big boat. The old woman in my boat let me paddle (add this to my skills I have learned in Vietnam: round basket boat paddling!) and her helper was a young 14 year old girl. Spoke pretty good english so it was nice to have a conversation. The woman looked about 100 and was apprently my age although I didn't ask. She had 3 children around Avery, August & Delilah's ages. Its a hard life here for some I guess.

After boarding our boat at another fish farm (lobsters, cuttle fish, blow fish, sea urchin, shark, crab) we cruised over to another side of the island that had a beach resort. Heaven. Swimming, snorkeling, etc. Had a foot massage ($5) while in my lounge chair after having just had grilled prawns and shish kebab for lunch on the terrace beneath the palm trees. We stayed her all morning and afternoon and was wonderful after having been on the go for 2 weeks straight. I did get a little sunburn, but not too bad.

And I also learned a new favorite cocktail - the Nha Trang Bay: gin, curacao, orange juice, lime juice.

Upon arrival at the hotel, Lilly and I ran down to the local spa (SuSpa) for an hours aromatherapy massage ($27). :) Felt like a noodle. A great wrap up to an awesome day.

Water Buffalos!!!

I knew I forgot a day in there somewhere!!! This is for August! The kids with their water buffalos was unbelievable. They were so relaxed and friendly. The animals I mean. Want to adopt a water buffalo when I get home!

Nha Trang

Arrived in Nha Trang by a short hours flight. Its a beautiful beach resort city. Lots of tourists from all over the world. Mostly backpackers and young beautiful people from Australia. Great restaurants, lots of fresh fish everywhere. Neat spot and definitely different from where we have been. Its a big city, but on the beach.

In the morning we took a ride out to a little village in the country to have lunch with the chief of the village. The lunch wa prepared by his wife. During lunch (shrimp, fish, cuttlefish, chicken, spinach, beef, soup....) outside in the yard, little chicks kept pecking my toes because of the nail polish. While the chief was speaking with us, a snake slithered under the table between me and the lady next to me. Then a bull frog hopped by. WAs bizarre. Noone even noticed. Then I learned how to make baskets with the chiefs daughter. WE strolled through their village streets (dirt path) and headed back to town. Sounds dull, but it wasn't. We called it A Day in the Life.

Dinner was in town, after we had some free time to walk down to the beach for a drink. Apparently, the Sail Club, was a big spot for GI's during the war. Too many uyoung beautiful kids in bikinis. Makes me feel really old.

Right now I am in the dining room of our hotel having just had breakfast and they are playing some english Happy New Year song BLASTING in my ear. Bizarre. Its 8:00am.

Hoi An and Thu Bon River

After peddaling my **** off to the beach (hot, sunny, bike seat too low, no gears)and passing the beach club several times, I finally found it. Parked my bike, sat on my lounge chair, walked to the water and.... it smells fishy. Really fishy. And is murky brown. And no one is swimming. And its a little windy so not as hot anymore. So I take a few photos and go back to my lounge. Immediately bothered by lady selling trinkets. Buy something to make her go away. She doesn't. I finally hold up my book in fornt of my face while she continues to place items for sale in rows on my leg. 10 minutes later, I have to head back to the hotel. Not a great relaxing excursion, but I did get some exercise.

This afternoon we took a cyclo ride around the neighborhood streets and canals. Its sort of like little islands everwhere connected by bridges and walkways. Really fun and interesting. Passed some shrimp farms. Stopped at a little old lady's house to see how they live there. She chews the beetle nut, which makes their teeth red. It gives them a little high. Not sure what kind of high as I was afraid to try to chew it. In addition to her red teeth from the beetlenut, the older Vietnamese dye their teeth black, yes black, for beauty. Its horrifying. Hope you can see it in my picture.

After the cyclo ride, we took a river boat cruise. It was like a little fishisng boat with eyes and the waterway was sort of like the Cape Fear River. People were fishing with nets and little wooden boats. Really neat. Then he dropped us off in the middle of town while the sun set. We had dinner at some hip fusion restaurant and then wandered around town shopping, but buying nothing. Lilly bought one of those coconuts they drill the center out of and stick a straw in. Its huge and green. This one was not sweet and tasted terrible.

Da Nang and Hoi An

I am writing from Hoi An right now, and I think I missed a few days in here??? Not sure what day it is right now.

Drove from Hue yesterday through Da Nang, where China Beach is, and am now in a great resort in Hoi An. The South China Sea is cool, but not cold, and no one seems to be swimming in it. Every beach we stopped at along the way down south was empty. Except for fisher men's "basket boats". I couldn't get a good photo of them, but they are cool. like big baskets. Don't know how they steer them.

Hoi An is an old cinty and very hippie like. Small streets a long a river. Lots of shops and restaurants. This town is known for getting custom silk clothes in a day. Don't have the patience for it, but I did buy some silk sleeping bags (sacks). :)

This morning we we went to see the Champas ruins nearby. Built in the 4th Century, they are ancient civilization that became Vietnamese in the 1800's after being conquered by the Viets. Hindu influence. Very cool. Haven't been to eastern style ruins like this before.

Now getting ready to take a bike out again to the beach. Will check back in later with some photos.

Hue

Another great day. A short ride through town, we arrived at the Citadel. Reminds me a lot of the Forbidden City in Beijing. Same set up just not nearly as large, thank goodness as it gets pretty boring. Right now the Vietnamese are getting ready for the Lunar New Year so everything is decorated with flowers. The new year flower here is symbolized by the apricot tree. Beautiful yellow flowers. ACtually, everything is "bonzaied" in pots all over the city and flowering all different colors and shapes and sizes. I guess its a great time to see Vietnam. Anyway, place is old, an king's city surrounded by moat and along a river. Blah, blah, blah.

After Citadel we went to an orphanage that is one of the things supported by the foundation of my travel company, OAT. I was very worried how this would affect me, but it was wonderful. It is run by Buddhist nuns and houses children from a few weeks until they are ready to make their way in the world and complete college/university. The place was lovely and clean and happy and peaceful. The children all held hands and the older children held the babies. Like a family. Just lots of them. I brought them some school supplies and taught them how to play Toss Up, which I left behind. They were delighted. Lunch was at another monastary and was completely vegetarian, prepared by the nuns. Hearty and delicious. Funny side note, they say the buddhist's need to take a vow of eating vegetarian and sleeping vegetarian. Meaning they can't eat meat or have sex. Thought that was a funny way to express it.

I actually just got back from a great bike ride around the city and citadel and am using this time to write and decompress. Was quite an adventure to bicycle here, and certainly not relaxing. Bike was quite rickety and the throngs of motor bikes, etc. is very stressful. You don't ever stop or even pause and no sudden movements. Everyone just sort of flows around eachother with lots of horn beeping. And the fumes are overwhelming. I could only ride for an hour before I felt dirty and that I had enough. I did include a picture of myself riding over a bridge with all the traffic. Stupid, but I wanted to capture the moment as best I could.

Leaving in the morning for Hoi An.