More from Vietnam

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We have left Saigon and continued to Mui Ne, where we stayed in little bungalows on the beach for 3 days. I was really glad to get back to the coast. Saigon was really cool, but I was looking to get out of the big city metropolis for a while. Its the low season here so there isn't a lot of nightlife going on. The streets are quite deserted, or so it seems after the 24/7 non stop traffic in Ho Chi Minh City.

We had 3 days in Mui Ne which were spent going to 2 different areas with sand dunes (white and red), and relaxing on the beach. I am not suffering from culture shock like I did when I was in Malawi. Its nice to be back in this kind of lifestyle. I am finding so many little familiar things that I saw in Malawi that I forgot about. The only thing that bothers me is the garbage everywhere. This is such a beautiful country. The people here don't realize how nice it is. They don't take care of the land. Its sad. So many places could be so beautiful if the water wasn't brown and there wasn't garbage floating in it.

I am finding contentment in the smaller things. Its really nice to travel and see all the monuments, visit the temples and laze on the beaches, but I am really enjoying my time here paying closer attention to the smaller things. People are genuinely interested in our lives. I think one of the first few questions Im asked are how many brothers and sisters I have and how old I am. I am really enjoying talking to the locals and learning about their lives. There are a lot of people that spring the questions on you and then try to wheel something out of you, but at the same time, that is how they make money, so even still its not so bad.

I am in love with the kids. I love the tiny 3 year olds that grin ear to ear at you as you walk by. I love hearing their tiny little voices yelling "HELLO!!". Its the small things like that that are humbling me, making me truely appreciate the Vietnamese people for who they are. I have also learnt that people are exactly the same where ever you go. The kids still play hide and seek in the streets just like I did in my younger days. Girls still share drinks and gossip with their friends. Canada is very different from Vietnam but I think both countries have a lot to learn from each other.

So right now we are in Dalat, in the mountains. Its not cold here for us at all, but people still wear tuques and scarves at night. They really bundle up here. Its a little amusing. Tomorrow we leave for the coast to start our first Vietnamese diving/snorkeling. I am looking forward to being underwater again. It seems like forever ago we were diving in Byron Bay😊

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Photos

School girls
riding in uniform to class

island hopping
On our way to the coconut candy factory, where I would eat too many sweets and curse myself for the next 12 hours

wheeling and dealing
Some fruit dealing going down at the floating market

Please don't eat me
a gecko pleading for his life

Bungalow heaven
Tenneal and Tims first shared home

I think its a....fishing town?
Something is giving me that idea but Im not sure what it is....

My sand boarding buddies
Sand boarding is super fun untill you hit the bottom and get sprayed in the face with sand...mmmm....crunchy...

Pre-elephant ride shot
Elephants scare me, but the closer I got to them I felt less scared and more sympathetic.

My new mate
First time touching an elephant. I wasn't too keen about them being chained up. I felt even less keen riding them. They seemed a little skinny....

My new pad
A little small but cozy. This was taken at the "Crazy House" in Dalat

Comments

[ben]

very lovely....
luv the photos!

[ravenlynne]

Beautiful pictures!
Love the sand dunes!