If you can believe it.

Yes, yes. I know I owe you more of Da Lat and our travels back to Thailand. It's coming. This one is short and called,

Holy Mother of Jesus Lifting Christ.

Traveled Bangkok airport to Pattaya yesterday. The driver had his wife aboard. If anyone on the bus spoke, she jumped up, scooted over to them, and told them to stop talking!!!!!! A commercial bus! And the driver brings his wife to ensure he can drive without hearing another human voice. Unbelievable.

Oh, and a picture of this beauty.

Da Lat

We've now been in Da Lat two nights, and it is, in many respects, unlike anything we have seen in Vietnam this trip. Of course, it is a couple hundred kilometres off the ocean and 1500 meters higher in elevation, but also of a very different climate. This morning while walking, I was dressed in shoes, jeans and three layers on top, complete with a wind breaker,  and despite this, I was chilled.

Agriculture is big here, though where tropical fruits and rice dominate production in the coastal areas, this is a land of strawberries, potatoes, leafy greens and root vegetables, and flowers, flowers, flowers.

It is temperate enough here that the use of green houses is extensive and they don't dick around, as can be seen in the photo below, taken just on the edge of town.

The topography here, unlike the monotone flatness of the lowlands, is all up and down - steep hill sides and deep valley lands, everywhere greened in young pines. The pine forests were planted by man after the indigenous forests were obliterated - thanks to our pals in the US army and Dow Chemical - by the use of Agent Orange. There are hills close by that still show the original, mixed species jungle, but it was not long ago that the hills here were bare earth, punctuated by dead, denuded tree stalks. The monoculture that has been introduced could easily be confused with the mountainsides in BC, the pine forests up Princeton way. 

*****

Yesterday Kim and I joined one of our housemates, Manfred, on a hike. The guest house offers a map of Da Lat and a suggested walking tour.  The tour took us through town, high up a central hilltop where we engaged a cable car to carry us across a wide valley to the next peak where lies a Pagoda. Nearby is a lake, and further out a waterfall. From the Pagoda a road leads back to town. Here are some photos of our day.

*****

The Eiffel Tower.....

.....the view from atop the central hill top, out over the forest.....

.....and over the town.....

.....and farms.....

.....the Pagoda.....

.....some of the topiary in the gardens.....

.....the monk's residence.....

.....the Koi pond.....

.....and another temple on the site.

Once we were back in town (the hike was about 25 kilometres) we were starving. The first restaurant that we came across boasted these dishes. 

Surprisingly, we opted to eat elsewhere.

*****

More from Da Lat to come.

Nha Trang to Da Lat

While Nha Trang is a town on the ocean, Da Lat sits to the west, 1500 meters high in the mountains. About 180km apart, the first 100km of the bus journey takes only an hour and a half over strait line highways, past endless rice fields. The last 80km consumes the other two and a half hours, winding steeply through beautiful pine forest and past dozens of cascading mountain streams until one is deposited on the high plateau where Da Lat sprawls.

*****

At the mountain's base, the bus stops for a pee break, and to take whatever Dong tourists might be convinced to part with - an ice cream bar is 4 1/2 times the price here as in Nha Trang - at a road side canteen. On offer are small cups of the liquid which bathes these beauties, presumably to bolster ones courage for the upward trek.

The vistas open as the bus reaches high in the hills, the hairpin turns allowing a glimpse back over the land below....

More on beautiful Da Lat to come.

 

Nha Trang

Nha Trang was a bit of a funny one for us. The bus ride up from Mui Ne was un-remarkable, and our days were less tourist-like than at other stops.

A little back ground.

As you know, I was in Thailand two months before Kim to get my dive master certification. When I enrolled, one of the requirements was that I had completed a first aid course within 24 months of enrolment. This was outlined in the the only publicly available PADI web site. I had done that. Two months and thousands of dollars later, I head to Bangkok to pick up Kim, the documentation for course completion having been sent to PADI the day before. Kim and I begin our travels, but I am eager to receive my DM certificate so that if I dive while travelling, I can show off my DM. I'm looking at my email every day for the certificate. Though I have been told it may take a couple of days to receive, three week go by without anything from PADI. I email them. I get an email from customer service telling me that my first aid is not current. My nose goes a bit out of joint as, one, it is current according to their web site, and two, why did no one contact me if there was a problem? But I play nice. I politely reply, doing the math for them. I get an, "Oops, my mistake" email from customer service and a promise of my certification anon. Then an email from a "compliance consultant", Justin,  telling me my Emergency First Aid is out of date and is not comprehensive enough for PADI. I politely reply, sending a link for the training manual from my EFA training that shows, in fact, that the training did include those skills he claimed were lacking and reiterated the timelines. Justin replies, "Oops, yes your training is compliant, but it's out of date". I reply it's not, referring him to PADI's website. We go back and forth like this for about eight more emails. He becoming increasingly dismissive and I am becoming, not rude, but way more official. I ask for the contact info for his superior. The next email I get cites a PADI internal document, unavailable for viewing by the general public (me) that says my EFA has to be taken within 24 months of my completion of the course, not at enrolment, as it says on their website.

So, in Nha Trang, though I have a perfectly good EFA certificate, I have to retrain. $125.00. US. The shop owner threw me, what he called, a deal. EFA plus two dives, $200.00. 

We arrive in Nha Trang on Thursday night. Our plan is to get a room for a few nights, on Friday morning be tourists, before I take the first half of the EFA training in the evening. On Saturday I'll dive in the morning and finish the EFA in the afternoon while Kim spends the day beside a pool, close to the beach. Sunday we will be tourists again.

I arrive at the dive shop on Friday evening (while Kim walks the town) and the instructor asks about my experience with EFA. I tell him I have been a certified first responder for 35 years. He shakes his head and opines on the stupidity of PADI. He asks if I really want to spend eight hours of my holiday being taugh shit I already know. I agree that it's not high on my list of things to do, and he suggests that I first take the EFA final exam and, if the results are poor, we'll do the course. If not, he'll certify me (!!!!) and I can go have fun in Nha Trang. I agree. An hour later, I have scored 96% on the exam and am EFA certified. Again.

(As I write, I have received an email from PADI. Now I'm a Dive Master.)

On Saturday morning I once again arrive at the shop, this time to dive. We bus to the boat and head out on the water. 

Now, one thing you will never want for in Southeast Asia is holidays. There are holidays which are recognized nationally, provincially, some celebrated in only certain towns, and all of the various religions, or sects thereof, observe their own special days. I get that it's confusing. This Saturday was one such day (nobody seemed to know what it was) and, unbeknownst to the shop owners, would be celebrated, at home, by a number of the Vietnamese staff, specifically those staff who's job it is to prepare and stow the gears for those customers who were diving. Soooo, that didn't happen. The non-Vietnamese staff valiantly dug out all the "needs to be repaired" gear that had been left on the boat (!!!!!) and came up with 12 sets of gear for the 18 divers on the boat. I think its called shift diving. The gear was ill fitting (my flippers were two sizes too small as was my wet suit) and leaky (my buddy's regulater set leaked from two fittings, as did his BCD). 

Regardless, we went diving (!!!!). Our instructor led four divers, all Advanced Open Water or better. We went to 30 meters right off the bat and the visibility was shit - three meters at best and not a lot better as we swam shallower - but we saw a few interesting things - lion fish, trigger fish, a very cool sea slug. At about the 40 minute mark we move to 5 meters and our instructor signals for a safety stop. The rest of us start rechecking our gauges and wondering what fool was sucking their air so fast. But no, we were all at about 100 bar, enough for at least another half hour of diving. And then it dawned on us. A short dive so that the second shift of divers could use our gear to get in their dive and all be finished in about the time it should have taken had everyone had gear.

I know it's been a long walk getting to this point, and I apologize for dragging you along, but I have just described a day of training and diving at PADI Vietnam's premiere dive operation, though keeping in mind that it would completely violate PADI's professional standards to issue me a DM certification should my date from EFA training fall 22 days outside their cut off. How could I imagine they would be that unprofessional. 

*****

The rest of Saturday was kind of low keyed - a bit of a stroll and dinner on the street, followed by drinks on the beach and an early night. Sunday I woke with a smashing headache and the need to stay very close to a toilet. Kim went walking but I spent the majority of the day in bed.

So that was Nha Trang. Got nothing for photos. However, we hope the trip to Dalat is much more engaging.

Adios Mui Ne

Our view as night fell.....

.....and Kim waiting for the bus.

Nha Trang, here we come.

A Mui Ne tour.

OK, Mui Ne is above and beyond what we have experienced so far in Southeast Asia. As I write we are sitting beside the pool under cloudless skies, the local folks are friendly and helpful, municipal buses run regularly up and down the strip from the fishing village through to the town of Plan Thiet, the food is good and cheap, as is the beer, and the frenetic pace so typical of Asian towns is completely absent. Big recommendations.

*****

Kim and I took the local bus into Phan Thiet yesterday. We disembarked at the Co-op, a newish supermarket in the centre of town. We picked up a few items to augment our already delicious breakfasts and enjoyed a short walk around town, stopping for lunch in a restaurant packed with locals. Kim ordered a dish that looks like squid, but when it came to our table, worried that it might be clam. Not to worry. It was frog and it was delicious. We re-boarded the bus on the wrong side of the street and had to ride all the way to the far end of the run and wait at the depot while the staff their had lunch before we could return to the beach. The bus ride was the highlight of the trip.

*****

Today we got up early and went on a tour of the sights that are usually packaged as part of a day in a jeep; visiting the fishing village, the red sand dunes, and what is called "The Fairy Stream". The cost with the tour companies is around $20 per person, but we did it using the bus system for a little over a dollar each. Below you will find some snaps.

*****

The Fairy Stream is a rivulet that over time has cut a course through an area of white sandstone, creating these beautiful hoo-doos. Later, shifting dunes of red sand have moved in, piling high atop the sandstone. It is only here that the buried rock is exposed.

Some hoo-doos.....

.....with the red sand piled on top.....

.....

.....

.....the obligatory selfie.....

.....a stream-side passion fruit blossom.....

.....? but also beautiful.....

.....not to be outdone.....

.....a view of Mui Ne harbour.....

.....and the view across Mui Ne harbour to Mui Ne beach.

Tomorrow, Nha Trang.

Mui Me

This morning we are off to visit the neighboring town of Phan Thiet, the capital of this provence. 

I was struck that in North America there are often debates about which historical figure will adorn the face of our currency. Not in Vietnam. Every bill pictures Ho Chi Minh. That's easy, right? Having only one national hero?

This morning we enjoyed another fresh breakfast on the balcony, followed by a swim. After we return we will swim again. Maybe a few times.

Later we will tell our hosts we will stay at least one more day.

Oops

Sorry to say that, in the previous post, an earlier, mistake filled but saved version ended up being posted rather than the final, corrected version. Don't know why. Pardon the gibberish bits.

Long Hai to Mui Ne

Sad to say but getting out of lovely Long Hai let a bit of a taint on our otherwise great experience there, and, unbelievably, it had to do with transportation. After packing up, our landlady called us a cab to take us to the bus depot. I asked that she get us a meter taxi, as there are lots of un-metered cabs that just charge what they want. The cab arrived and our bags were loaded when the driver says, "100,000 Dong". I tell him to use the meter and he just repeats 100,000 Dong. It goes back and forth like this until it is clear that if we are going to the bus depot it's costing us 100,000 Dong. 

We arrive at the depot and the bus to Mui Ne is waiting. Remember from our last blog post that I had been to the depot and knew, from the signage, that the bus leaves at 10:30 and the cost is 74,000 dong. (Mui Ne is 180km from Long Hai and we had just paid 100,000 Dong to travel the 5km from our room to the depot.) As it is Sunday, there are no staff at the ticketing office so one deals directly with the driver. I approach him to let him knew we will be travelling to Mui Ne and he lets me know the cost will be, per person, 400,000 Dong. I drag him over to the sign which states the price as 74,000 Dong per person and he smiles, shrugs, indicating how he understands my frustration, but if we are going to Mui Ne...... After more intense back and forth I was able to negotiate the price down to 100,000 Dong each for Kim, me, Kim's bag and my bag (our bags got seats). After 

This bus is clearly intended to transport goods - having people in the seats is just a plus for the shipping operation - and we stopped dozens of times to pick up packages, drop package, sit around and wait for the guy who needed to ship something but was delayed getting to the transfer point. A real milk run, but we made it to Mui Ne. After a bit of shopping around we found this little gem.

The view from our balcony.....

.....the view of our balcony.....

.....from the pool up to our room.....

.....the walk from the pool to the road.....

.....the reception area.....

.....the second pool.....

.....the view from the second pool out over the water.....

.....and Kim enjoying our breakfast of coffee, dragon fruit, mango, passion fruit, fried eggs, baguette and cheese, all purchased fresh from the street moments before this photo was taken.

Oh, and the room? $20 a night. BINGO! We might be here for a few days.

Siagon - Vung Tau - Long Hai

Bidding a melancholy adieux to Saigon, Kim and I rose early to catch a bus to Vung Tau, a small seaside town south east of Saigon. When we purchased our tickets for the the bus the previous evening, our agent told us the bus would pick us up right in front of their offices just around the corner from our Saigon digs. We arrived expecting to see our bus blocking traffic on the busy street but this was not the case. We presented our tickets to the agent on duty and he make a quick phone call before telling us, "five minutes".  "Wow", I thought, "the bus come once we are ready to go. Impressive". I was busy reading something when my reverie was broken by Kim yelling, "No way, I'm not getting on one of those". Two small motos with drivers had pulled up in front of the acency and, yes, the expectation was that Kim, I, our four bags plus a guitar would somehow manage to get aboard these bikes to make the crosstown trip to the location the bus actually leaves from. It was kind of funny the back and forth between Kim, terrified at the prospect of driving through Siagon traffic on the back of a moped, and the agent clearly dealing with the most unreasonable client of his career. Howwever, after a bit of spirited debate, it was agreed we would catch a cab to the bus, on our dime, of course. Crisis averted.

*****

There is very little to recommend Vung Tau for a tourist, though it seems a nice enough town for those who reside there. So that's what you get. A couple photos and I'll tell you what your looking at and we will move on.

Vung Tau is sandwiched between two beaches, Front Beach and Back Beach. Front Beach is a long stretch of sand with, when we took a look, four foot rollers coming in. Not that usable. Back Beach, pictured bellow, suffers from a muddy bottom, fishing boats and the stink that comes with having dozens of fishing boats baking in the afternoon sun.

The tourist area of town has some interestingly named businesses. I took a photo on this one.....

But neglected to get a shot of The Hairy Clam. Honestly.

Our hotel had a bed and a hot water shower. Enough said. A couple photos on the way out of town.

A random house......

....and the market.

*****

From Vung Tau we traveled by taxi to Long Hai. Everything the traveller may feel is lacking in Vung Tau, one will find in spades at Long Hai. Situated across a wide bay from Vung Tau, the beaches of Long Hai are in the lee of the winds that pound Vung Tau. The town of about 100,000 is impressively tidy given what we have experienced in most other Vietnamese locales. The long and broad white sands beaches face the South China Sea and enjoy full sun from sun rise to set. There are very, very few Europeans who venture here so Kim and I are a bit of an anomaly; most activity comes to a stand still as we walk down the streets, the citizens stopping to stare. The people are very friendly and thrilled to bits when we patronize their businesses.

We are staying at the Nam Long Hotel, a modern building in the traditional style. It boasts marble floors, mahogany doors and windows, great open balconies with views to the water. Our hosts really don't speak any English but are perfectly gracious. Here is a couple of photos of the courtyard where Kim and I have spent two cool and airy afternoons.

Once again, the food here is fabulous. We have been eating Pho virtually every meal and the broths  change with every vendor. Chicken, pork, beef, mystery animal parts. The only constant is mountains of fresh herbs served on a plate which we then tear up and add to our soup. Here is our dinner last night (I know, taking pictures of food).....

.....an idea of how street the food is.....

.....and our three dinner companions. Ang is in the middle and is very talkative.

Late this morning Kim and I spent walking all the beaches that Long Hai has on offer. Lonely Planet notes that while Long Hai is blissfully quite during the week, during the weekend, crowds of Saigonese beach goers descend onto Long Hai beaches, and holy crap, truer words were never spoken. Here are some photos from our Saturday, noonish walk. First the main beach.....

.....followed by the middle beach.....

.....and finally the outer beach.

You see him there in the distance don't you? His name is Saigonese Beach Goers. Kim and I are two people, therefore he, number three, is a crowd.

*****

Funny story.... When we were in Vung Tau and plotting our travels to Long Hai, our travel guides and every one we spoke with suggested that travel to and from Long Hai was difficult. No buses in and there was a possibility we would have to return south to Vung Tau in order to continue our journey north to Mui Ne. Therefore, first order of business once we arrived was to figure out how to get out. We decided Kim would wait at the hotel and I would grab a Xe Om (motorcycle taxi) out to the bus depot and see what was what. I found a gaggle of Xe Om drivers down at the beach and asked one how much it would cost to go the six kilometres to the Binh Xe (bus depot) and return me to the hotel. He told me 100,000 Dong ($6). It seemed a little steep, but I was having a bad day. Kim woke feeling blue about her dads passing, which I was concerned about, and I was having a frustrating time dealing with the new agency I'm working with in Victoria and with PADI. I just wanted to get to the depot and get back so I agreed. I knew it was too much because when I agreed he turned to his buddies with a great grin on his face, said something in Vietnamese, and all his buddies went wide-eyed. Anyhoo, he took me to the bus depot, I checked out our travel (bus to Mui Ne every day, 10:30am, 74,000 dong) and he brought me back to the hotel. Case closed, right?

Yesterday afternoon Kim and I went down to the beach, passing the Xe Om drivers. A great chorus went up, "hey mister, moto?", followed by pantomimes of motorcycle throttles being revved and great laughter. Walked another direction for dinner. Four guys on a street corner drinking beer, called us from across the road. Same same. This morning we passed a fucking construction site on our way to the beach. Their laughter lasted quite a while longer 'cause some of the guys on the crew had not yet heard about it. I can't go out in this town. And the person having the greatest laugh? Her name rhymes with Kim. Next time she finds a fricking bus depot.

*****

Some photos from around Long Hai. Tomorrow we go to Mui Ne.

This last one, Bougainvillea for Cathy.