Vrrrm Vietnam Vrrrrmm Part 2

So the last time I updated my blog I had just got to Dalat City in the Central Highlands. My first day there I did a tour around Dalat and the surrounding cities. The first part was a stop at a flower farm. I used to work for Krieger Greenhouses this was nothing new except they only grow flowers, nothing else. Also most of the flowers grown there are for the Tet Festival, the New Year, every year. It was pretty sweet. The next stop was a coffee plantation. This I had never seen before. They dried the beans by putting them out on a tarp to dry in the sun. Also they use all the discarded husks for fuel in a lot of the local industries around the village. Next we walked to a local rice wine distiller. I was the only one that tried it. It was being distilled right there so it was the freshest I had ever had. Next was a short bus ride to a silk factory. This was one of the highlights. We got to see the silk worms and how they got the silk from them. I even tried a fried silk larva worm. It tasted like a nut. If I had to I could survive on them. After that it was another ride to Elephant Falls. Which I think are one of the biggest in Vietnam. Right near there is the biggest pagoda in all of Vietnam with the happy Buddha statue. Finally it was back to town for lunch. This was a bit frustrating because the guy at my hotel told me lunch was included. For $17 I believed him. But alas this was not true. The bright said was I sat with a family from Malaysia and we ate family style. The guy was super nice and could speak English rather well. The first stop after lunch was the crazy house. This house has been being built since 1990. So far its cost over 1 Million and it isn't done. The ultimate goal is to have it function as a hotel. The rooms right now range from $65 to over $100. There are themed rooms like an ant room and a lion, giraffe, bear, and various other animals. I guess the locals are upset because all of this money is being invested in it when they think the money should go to the town. The final stop was the oldest train station in Vietnam. It was built by the French in the 1930s. There is only one train now that goes to a village in back 7 KM away. It takes something like 2 hours round trip. All in all Dalat was nice. It was good to have a laid back experience in a mountain town.


The next day I left via bus to Nha Trang. Geez this bus ride almost rivaled the one to Dalat. The only good thing was it was a sleeper bus so I could stretch out my legs somewhat and it was a lot bigger. I got to Nha Trang mid morning. I walked to my hostel while avoiding every attempt by bike taxis asking me if I needed a ride. The hostel was nice. It was a 14 person room but within the room there were 2 separate rooms. My room had 2 other people. Nha Trang was a tourist town. Lots of people wandering around. The beach was bad too. Well not that bad. The thing was there was brush washed up everywhere. You would think that the government would clear it out. But nope. I didn't really site see that much in Nha Trang. I went out both nights I was there with some Aussies. I actually met a girl from Iowa. She grew up in Cedar Rapids but has lived in Australia the last 10 years. In all my travels it was the first Iowan I met. Oh and I also met a guy from Omaha there too. Small world. I spent most of the time at the beach. The last night I was there I went out to eat with two Canadians and a girl they had met who grew up in Philadelphia but was Vietnamese and lived in Nha Trang. It was awesome because she took us out to the local areas for some local food. I would have never tried it if I didn't have someone there that new what it was. Sunday night I caught the overnight bus from Nha Trang to Hoi An where I am now. It left at 7:30 PM and got here about 7:30 AM. I wish they made the sleeper buses for Westerners. I mean there were a number of Vietnamese on there but come on. I needed to be at least 2 feet shorter to actually stretch out. Needless to say I didn't get much sleep. Before we left the city I had given my bus ticket to the lady that came and got me at my hostel. Well some new guy got on demanding tickets. He asked for mine and I told him I didn't have it and that I gave it to the lady that got me. He said, "She don't do that, she know better." To which I replied, "I don't know what to say. She asked for it and I gave it to her. I don't have it." "Just look. Why don't you look" he said. "Look I don't have it. Here see my wallet. No ticket." He got off the bus and yelled something in Vietnamese and came back on. He never asked for my ticket so I don't know what happened. I decided to stay at the hotel that the bus stopped at. See most bus companies have deals with certain hotels. So they stop there and the hotel invites you in to see a room and if you don't want it they will get you a cab. Well my room was $15 with tv, air, a pool, balcony, and free internet and breakfast. I didn't feel like walking around so I except it.

Yesterday I walked around for a good 10 KM in the morning. I ended up getting a cyclo ride back to my hotel because I was so tired from walking. I walked to the old town last night for dinner but then it started raining. Today I decided to rent a bike. I went to the beach and the tried to get lost in a few of the local villages connected to Hoi An. Its funny because I ride by the kids and they say hello every time. I couple of times they even stuck out their hands so I could give them a high five. I'm not sure what I will do tonight. This isn't much of a party town so we shall see. I'm headed to Hanoi tomorrow evening. I plan on spending the rest of my time in Vietnam split between Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, and Sapa. Here are pictures from Dalat, Nha Trang, and Hoi An. Until next time. Cheers. J




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The local food place Ive been eating at in Hoi An. Its very good and cheap.




My trusty stead in Hoi An.




Hoi An beach. It was much nice that Nha Trang. The downside is the peddlers don't walk away so easy when you say no or shake your head. They actually sit down and talk to you and then give you their name and say they will return.




Nha Trang beach.




Rice fields.