Break out the woolly socks and fleece!

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Dalat - aaahhhh - cool so cool .... I'm cold!!!! Who would have thought that eh?? First things first our last day in Nha Trang we visited the Oceangraphic Museum. We saw lots of brilliant coloured fish, reef and zebra sharks and turtles in not so big tanks. An interesting insight was gained to more of whats hidden under Vietnams waters - we must learn to scuba dive soon - we are missing out on so much!

So off we trotted on the coach to Dalat. We left the hot and steamy plains for the cool and wet very green mountains of Vietnam and wow what a difference. We passed cabbages, cauliflowers, lettuces and chillis all being grown in the valleys. Decidious trees have turned to pines and we were met with beautifully laid formal gardens containing buzzy lizzies, geraniums and azaleas next to the exoctics including poinsettias the size of small trees - no throwing those away after the christmas celebrations!! On the coach we met Jerry a Vietnam vet who has given us a wonderful and interesting insight to his time here when he was serving and from when he started coming back here some ten years ago. Thanks to him we have learnt an awful lot more from personal recollections, always the best way.

We took a quick trip round the lcoal market where everything is available - I am still on the hunt for the Koala that sings Waltzing Matilda!! David doesn't believe I will buy it - oh trust me I will!!! We haven't found the market quite as interesting as Nha Trangs but that's ok by us as everywhere is different. Lots more textiles for sale here instead of a large fruit and veg market.

Yesterday we visited the Crazy House which is a cross between Hansel and Gretel meets Alice in Wonderland. It is actually a hotel which has individual rooms set in a design of carved out trees and hollows. All done in concrete but painted brilliantly. There are lots of nooks and crannies, ponds and stairways, plants and spiders webs and creatures peering out. We saw it in the daylight but I would imagine at night it looks even better. An interesting diversion for half an hour or so!

The afternoon saw us taking the cable car over to the reservoir. Despite the best efforts of the weather to dampen our enthusiasm (and views) we soared high above the pines and over the valleys to the reservoir. It was all very peaceful a world away from the constant hustle and bustle that comes with the roads. It's definately worth the trip although we didn't walk on down to the reservoir or take the boat trip.

We tried to go on the cog railway today and failed. Four of us turned up and we were told we needed five people. Then we had six, they said we needed seven - can you see where we are going here?? Unfortunately they said the train wouldn't leave for another 30 minutes so the the extra two had to leave as they were catching a bus to Saigon at 1.00pm. So we hitched and hovered and then four more people turned up! We're on we thought!! Back we went to the driver and associated staff and his face dropped!! We have eight we exclaimed and quickly he said it would cost 560000.00 dong. That's ok we said that's cheaper than buying individual tickets. His face dropped even further, that was not the reply he wanted. He replied 'you haven't given me thirty minutes and now its my lunch (it was 11.30am)'. We all waved goodbye at this point!!! And I'm sure one of them said we now needed nine people! It was just never going to happen, so we resigned ourselves to our fate and gave up. Now we are going to the afternoon exploring a bit further (and searching out the koala bear!). We have found a restaraunt to eat in tonight where David is going to try Anteater, Gerry is on for the Porcupine and me well I think I might have the rice!!! Tomorrow we head to Saigon and scooter heaven!

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