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Published: December 18th 2008
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We left Nha Trang on Sunday, taking the bus up to Dalat in the highlands. The trip there was a bit different to the rest of our journeys so far, as we climbed to 1500m and away from the flat lands we'd been in up to this point. We climbed for about 45 minutes on a steep mountainside road which clung to the cliff and turned sharply as it went. All the while the driver continued to take calls on his mobile whilst overtaking small trucks.
About an hour further up the road we reached the small city of Dalat, which has a more laid back feel then many of the other places, and felt a bit like an alpine ski resort without any snow. Our first day in Dalat was spent walking around post offices looking for telephones and walking around the centre looking for a tourist office. We eventually found it in a run down hut tucked away behind women selling strange models of chicks.
Our guide book led us to the Stop and Go cafe, at the end of a small lane and down into the garden of a villa. I'm not sure why it has
such a western name, but it is run by an old eccentric poet man called Mr. Duy Viet. We approached at dusk and could see no sign of life until I knocked on the glass door into the conservatory. Mr Viet, with his long grey beard and corduroy jacket, was sitting inside and jumped up to welcome us. He sat us down with a selection of his poetry, served up some amazing cherry tea and pottered around. It was quite a strange experience, especially when he planted a flower in Catherine's hair, but a bit different and really enjoyable. Before we left, Mr. Viet played us a tune on his guitar and walked us to the gate, where he picked a long hanging flower and stem and put it on Catherine's head like a crown. All very well, but she had to walk down the street with flowers all over her head for fear of taking them off and offending the old boy.
In Dalat we also managed to get on the old train that goes down to a local village. It only runs with more than five passengers, and we were the only ones there to begin with.
Luckily for us, a coach load of Japanese OAPs saved the day and we trundled along, past rows and rows of poly tunnels and vegetable patches, horn blaring all the way (of course). We also went up in Dalat's cable car, which gave some amazing views across the city and the mountains.
On Tuesday we went for a hike (and a bloody strenuous one at that) in the countryside, which took us through the forest, across valleys and coffee plantations. The coffee is being harvested at the moment, and we visited a small village with less than 100 inhabitants, who were drying out their beans. The village is totally cut off to anything bigger than a motorbike and the villagers don't see westerners very often, which explained why they were very shy. They blatantly didn't want us around. I took some photos anyway, like a true tourist.
We boarded another bus yesterday and seven hours later emerged in the bustling Ho Chi Minh City. Most people still call it Saigon so I have decided to copy them and it makes me feel cool to be old school. We found a hotel in the backpacker area which has a
lift and an industrial kitchen in the bathroom, but it is decent enough.
Today we did some of the historical / informative stuff. First we took a trip to the Cu Chi tunnels, northwest of Saigon. The tunnels were dug out by the Viet Cong during the war, and are a massive complex on many levels. We got to climb through part of them but most of it is still pretty dangerous. Our guide delighted in showing us the various traps used to kill and maim Americans, which were all pretty gruesome, potentially. We passed up the opportunity to shoot AK47s at the end. Me because of cost (about 8 quid for ten bullets), Catherine because of ethics and that it was too loud.
This afternoon we visited the War Remanants museum, again pretty gruesome and some of the pictures of deformed victims on the walls were quite disturbing.
We go off on a boat trip to the Mekong Delta tomorrow and then across the border into Cambodia. Vietnam has been brilliant but it'll be good to get out of the city and onto the water again.
Hopefully the photos have uploaded this time!
Stay
safe
Nic
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Rich, Kat and Owen
non-member comment
Hey, your trip is looking great. Loving the blog, and im impressed to see cath using her journal! Everything is good here, nearly broken up for xmas hols. Look after yourselves and try and be a bit more choosy with your choices of transport - my mam is horrified! Take care, Rich, Kat and Owen x