Absolutely Dalat-ful!!
We are now in Dalat, Vietnam after a stint in Saigon. It was a beautiful city and we were able to get caught up on the history of the Vietnam-American war, and see some of the fighting grounds (including the Vietnamese tunnels). It was difficult to see everything that each side endured, but I think it is really important to realize exactly what happened during that time, especially from another point of view. The Vietnamese perception (as I am sure you can imagine) is quite different then the American view of why and what exactly happened. We caught the World cup Semi's and found our way on foot around the city to round out our time in Saigon.
Dalat is a South Central city in Vietnam located in the mountains of the country. The bus ride was beautiful to get into the city and it is nice to have the cooler temperatures and elevated land. It is a smaller city, but I find much appeal in the lack of tourists and modern buildings; to me it feels a little like Victoria, BC. Our first night was quite enjoyable as we meet three other Canadians in the hotel and headed out for a market visit and a few beers. It was great to get a taste of home and share stories of our travels, we actually plan to meet up with one of them (Ester from Montréal) in our next stop Nha Trang.
The next day was spent on a motorcycle driving through the country-side on what the locals like to call an EZ-Rider tour (the guide was sure to show me his official EZ-Rider License). It was absolutely beautiful and we were able to stop anywhere along the road to take pictures and or reflect. We also stopped at several designated areas such as the beautiful Elephant Water Falls which was the highlight of the journey. We even made our way into the depths of the drop to experience the full power of the falls in a barrage of mist. It was exhilarating to say the least. The rest of the journey involved stops in local farms, temples and hillsides. I was even proposed to by one of the local farm girls working in a rice field, I was forced to decline based on the fact that she could not speak English and I had only met her 2 minutes earlier. We thought we had found the utmost of what Dalat had to offer; we were wrong.
Today we experienced arguably the best day of the trip to date: a 20km trek though the mountains and coffee fields of South central Vietnam. We were picked up early morning at our guest house and headed out on the 30 minute drive down a rickety stone road to the start point. From there we began a decent into a farmers valley (with no road access) to find ourselves immersed in young coffee plants among several other local farmers produce. After crossing what could only be described as a 'treacherous' suspension bridge we wound our way through the fields and forest for another hour. I forgot to mention that Amar and I had lucked out on this journey based on the fact that we were the only two trekkers besides our guide and his trainee. The guide Thung was a very intelligent guy who like us had just finished University. His knowledge of plant growth, local custom and geography was outstanding allowing us to learn quite a lot along the way. After another interesting suspension bridge crossing we began our ascent to one of the two peaks we would eventually climb. It was difficult climbing but the combination of good company, outstanding weather and the prospect of lunch at the top made short work of the journey and we were there before we knew it. The peak was unbelievably beautiful and I could do nothing but feel thankful to be alive as I sat and stared out on the valley below eating my cucumber and tofu sandwich and delectible dragon fruit. A truly memorable moment. After lunch we conquered the much shorter climb to the second peak, this time meandering through shoulder-high long grass, the sun still beaming down on us while the swift breeze kept us cool. After another spectacular panoramic view of the Vietnamese country side we continued our journey to a matriarchal local tribal village. The people, who speak their own language and live mostly independent of the rest of the country, were startled to see us and the sight of cameras sent the small children running for their huts. Another moment for the books. As if this was not enough we found ourselves at the bottom of the violent Tiger Water Falls to end the day. It was a great place to reflect on all that we had seen and accomplished in the past hours, and the combination of sunlight and mist brought about silence and peace. Incase you couldn't tell, I loved the day. One that neither Amar nor I will ever forget.
Our next stop is the beach town of Nha Trang. It is a more touristy place but it will be great to relax and enjoy the beach for a few days. We will send update of the journey there along with the local sights once we arrive. For now, it is off to find some cheap wine and candied ginger to settle the stomach. Miss you all and I will talk to you soon.
Peace,
Dave
Dalat is a South Central city in Vietnam located in the mountains of the country. The bus ride was beautiful to get into the city and it is nice to have the cooler temperatures and elevated land. It is a smaller city, but I find much appeal in the lack of tourists and modern buildings; to me it feels a little like Victoria, BC. Our first night was quite enjoyable as we meet three other Canadians in the hotel and headed out for a market visit and a few beers. It was great to get a taste of home and share stories of our travels, we actually plan to meet up with one of them (Ester from Montréal) in our next stop Nha Trang.
The next day was spent on a motorcycle driving through the country-side on what the locals like to call an EZ-Rider tour (the guide was sure to show me his official EZ-Rider License). It was absolutely beautiful and we were able to stop anywhere along the road to take pictures and or reflect. We also stopped at several designated areas such as the beautiful Elephant Water Falls which was the highlight of the journey. We even made our way into the depths of the drop to experience the full power of the falls in a barrage of mist. It was exhilarating to say the least. The rest of the journey involved stops in local farms, temples and hillsides. I was even proposed to by one of the local farm girls working in a rice field, I was forced to decline based on the fact that she could not speak English and I had only met her 2 minutes earlier. We thought we had found the utmost of what Dalat had to offer; we were wrong.
Today we experienced arguably the best day of the trip to date: a 20km trek though the mountains and coffee fields of South central Vietnam. We were picked up early morning at our guest house and headed out on the 30 minute drive down a rickety stone road to the start point. From there we began a decent into a farmers valley (with no road access) to find ourselves immersed in young coffee plants among several other local farmers produce. After crossing what could only be described as a 'treacherous' suspension bridge we wound our way through the fields and forest for another hour. I forgot to mention that Amar and I had lucked out on this journey based on the fact that we were the only two trekkers besides our guide and his trainee. The guide Thung was a very intelligent guy who like us had just finished University. His knowledge of plant growth, local custom and geography was outstanding allowing us to learn quite a lot along the way. After another interesting suspension bridge crossing we began our ascent to one of the two peaks we would eventually climb. It was difficult climbing but the combination of good company, outstanding weather and the prospect of lunch at the top made short work of the journey and we were there before we knew it. The peak was unbelievably beautiful and I could do nothing but feel thankful to be alive as I sat and stared out on the valley below eating my cucumber and tofu sandwich and delectible dragon fruit. A truly memorable moment. After lunch we conquered the much shorter climb to the second peak, this time meandering through shoulder-high long grass, the sun still beaming down on us while the swift breeze kept us cool. After another spectacular panoramic view of the Vietnamese country side we continued our journey to a matriarchal local tribal village. The people, who speak their own language and live mostly independent of the rest of the country, were startled to see us and the sight of cameras sent the small children running for their huts. Another moment for the books. As if this was not enough we found ourselves at the bottom of the violent Tiger Water Falls to end the day. It was a great place to reflect on all that we had seen and accomplished in the past hours, and the combination of sunlight and mist brought about silence and peace. Incase you couldn't tell, I loved the day. One that neither Amar nor I will ever forget.
Our next stop is the beach town of Nha Trang. It is a more touristy place but it will be great to relax and enjoy the beach for a few days. We will send update of the journey there along with the local sights once we arrive. For now, it is off to find some cheap wine and candied ginger to settle the stomach. Miss you all and I will talk to you soon.
Peace,
Dave
posted by Amar | 7:09 AM
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