HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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Yellow😊

My tour outside of Dalat really exceeded my expectations!! It was fabulous!!! The highlight would have to be the visit to an aboriginal village, we were able to sit and talk (our guide translated) with a family! And we learned about their way of life, the most interesting part of the conversation was when we learned that the family must buy their daughter a husband, you cannot just fall in love with anyone, your parents usually choose and sometimes you don’t meet until the wedding. The woman we were talking with had been married 3 times but her family failed to make the payment (which is usually 3-5 buffalo within the first 5 years of marriage) so her husband’s family took him back. She also mothered a child from each husband, and the children stay with her when the father leaves.

I met some great peeps on the tour and we went out for an awesome dinner, followed by a great evening of karaoke!!! I was having so much fun that I thought it would be a great idea to not go to bed and just sleep on the bus the next morning! Usually this wouldn’t be a problem but the bus ride proved to be hell on earth, the woman sitting beside me had crying baby but even worse the Chinese couple behind me took turns throwing up every 30 minutes which really made me want to vomit myself!!! And of course the 4 hour trip turned into 6 because the rain had washed out some roads so the bus kept stopping to figure out if we should just drive through, which we usually did, and I thought the mini rivers were going to sweep the bus away!!! I swear the water was about a foot from my window!!! Needless to say once I arrived in Nha Trang I found a little hotel and slept the day away!!!

The next morning I felt much better and ready for a day of action!! I was determined not to let the rain keep me indoors!! I started on my search for the “Giant Buddha”, I ended up meeting a girl from Sweden on the street and we spent the day together. We hit the market and tried some exotic fruit and then started the hike to the mineral springs and mud baths!!! The mud bath was amazing…. Literally a wooden bath tub filled with mud!!! A body massage and a swim in the hot mineral pool!!! We then had a great supper together but were both yawning so we said happy new years at 9pm and went our separate ways! She was taking a bus the next morning in the opposite direction.

The next day it rained and rained so I bought a book and found a cozy corner in an open air café and spent the afternoon drinking shakes and reading! I caught the sleeper bus that night to Hoi An, which was 11 hours of pure fun :p Sleeper buses are interesting to say the least! Next time I will snap a picture!

Anywho this little town is wonderful!!! It has a historical French flare to it!!! And is “the” place in Vietnam to have clothing made, of course I took full advantage of this! 2 pairs of pants ( cause I have none!), a sweater and 3 dresses, after a few adjustments everything else turned out great. … oh and I also had a pair of sandals made!! Honestly it sucks backpacking because I cant carry anymore or I would have a whole new wardrobe!!!

Today I visited My Sons, which is an ancient Cham empire site, It was nice but didnt compare to Ankor Wats!! Then went on a boat ride in the river, I ment a great girl from Czech on the tour and were meeting for dinner on the river tonight!! Tommorrow we are both heading to Hue, about 4 hours away!

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