In Da Lat still-didn't want an early start to get the bus down the mountain so took it easy. Had hot frenchsticks from down the street with avocado for breakfast - this white bread isn't get worked off despite allthe walking! Also bought a white creamy hot drink with breakfast that the locals drink but the shop asssistant couldn't explain what it was apart from soy - I thought maybe corn, cinnamon and sugar as well but delicious for the cool morning. Found a bus heading East around lunch so got bags ready and looped the town once more taking in the markets again - mainly food. For lunch we had the local deal (upper floor of market looking down on sellers) - rice, marinated pork slices with salad and their fishy dressing. Bought some sweets as well from a patissierie in a hole in the wall- noodle samosa, coconut pastries, red banana cake, mung bean cake, pineapple puffs and custard profiteroles. Tookthese on the bus for treats as we went. The ride was unexpected (as usual). We though leaving the 1500m town that we would be going DOWN the mountain but as we headed seaward we climbed steeper mountains of which the peaks were 2500m. the scenery was breathtaking but within a short period we were in and out of the clouds hugging the cliff's shoulder and occassionally seeing waterfalls and natural forests. We were told we were on the new road, though it wasn't long before we were set upon the unfinished new dusty tracks which slowed us down but this gave us the opportunity as we declined to take in the glorious villages and their people and animals - pigs everywhere! Stopped at a roadside, outdoor "cafe" and bought some potato chips to settle my tummy. The road continued to be bumpy but we didn't care as we were seeing the real Vietnam - the tightly packed communities with scruffy kids chasing mangy dogs, Mum's feeding their babies (while squatting) on patios and vegie patches in gardens - a first since the start of our trip. We abruptly arrived at Nha Trang, as the mountaing hugged this coastal town. We were only 30 minutes late - we've been lucky with transport times so far - touched wood! The bus company gave us a lift t backpacker central and we quickly were pushed uinto alleyways of cheap mini-hotels. Accomodation was chosen quickly - Thank goodness. Got a room at Song Linh for 15 dollars - no breakfast and the room was a bit run down - mouldy and crumbling bathroom but fine and in a good spot. Cruised the surrounding blocks and realised quickly that we were in the Byron Bay of Viertnam - has some benefits. The beach was crystal clear teal with perfect rows of palm trees and thatched huts with comfy recliners to sip one's cocktails - we skipped this scenario. Had a lovely cheap dinner (under $10) at a nearby restaurant - various soups and rice again. Tummy started grumbling later in the night and I wasn't hungry!
11/3/10
Nha Trang
Awoke with numerous trots followed by mild exhaustion. Thought I would need to spend a day in but popped a few drugs - panadol, for an oncoming headache (dehydration)and some probiotic tummy bug capsules to fight the naughty invasive creatures. I felt better fairly quickly and put on a positiove face to go see what the town had to offer away from our domain. Walked a few km's over a lovely bridge which was surrounded by lived-in, half creamted stilt houses. We noticed some housed cattle-tied up to internal beams. See the photos for views from the bridge ofthe lovely blue fishing boats with the "eyes" painted on to spot the fish. This was the first place we'd seen the round fishing baskets in which the paddler stands to manouvere. On we marched to the Cham towers - ancient ruins that had firs't been built numerous centureis ago (around 700-1300AD I think). Some tacky restorations had taken place but at least you could tell the genuine from the fake. The kids loved entering the thick smog of incense to witness all the Buddhists taking prayer and making offerings. It was a nice place to relax and take our time to look around. Back over the bridge we found the outdoor markets - the dirtiest we had encountered which was such a shocking contrast to where we were housed. It's incredible what one finds with just a few minutes walkaway from the majority of tourist set-ups. Down one street I notice a large monkey tied to an upper balcony - on the outside-with a rope only around it's neck as it was swinging wildly to and fro with it's toes gripping the rails in order not to hang itself. When I ponted it out, Ni'mah was very upset. It's fair to say it's the only animal cruelty we've seen top date. When leaving the market we sat upon a dusty step of a deserted house to get our bearings when a family approached us with a young girl - wanting her to communicate with Nim, however she was very shy. The Mother then brought us a cool, iced drink and we tried our best to have a yarn. After reading a Lonely Planet recommendation and checking out TripAdvisor sight, we decided the best, cheaper, place to have some local seafood was at "Verandah" and we were soooo satisfied with our decision. Nim and Ash shared a cyrry seafood with naan bread while Adrian and I had a seafood, vegetable and noodle brioth cooked at the table - see photos which had a tomato and fish stock, packed with herbs, lots of pepper and alittle sweetener - it was divine and our best meal yet. The hotpot for the 2 of us was $98000 dong which is around $6.50 total and this was an upmarket, professionally serviced restaurant. I added a glass of the local Da Lat wine at $1 a glass while Adrian continued to find another beer he hadn't tried - yes, Gai and Bob, he's had Anchor and he likes it! Our hotpot had fish, prawns, oysters, scallops and squid - I wish I could have shared it with you all!
12/3/10
Made a decision last night to do something out of the ordinary for our family - a kids day to the local "disneyland". It was our kids first time at any sort of theme park although it was mainly water slides. We walked to get the cable car and after three k's or more realised it was a little further than we expected and we probably should have got a taxi so we allthe energy to enjoy the day, however we quickly forgot our weariness and boarded the swiss-made, longest water cable car in the world over to VinPearl Island - another extreme experience - the grounds were absolutele pristine and beautifukl with shady lounges everywhere to take in your children's joy. It was a great day. We strated with the waterslides - Adrian and Ni'mah took on the scarier slides while Adrian and I (the sensible ones) chose ours wisely. After that we wandered through their "underwater world" very much like the one at Mooloolaba without shows though. We skipped the animal circus in case it contained bits and bobs that we wouldn't approve on and continued to the outdoor rides. After the kids went on the thrilling chairoplane (which was wilder than we had anticipated and they loved it) we took shelter from the heat in the indoor arcade. We all had years worth of games including simulated horse races and skiiing, motorbikes and cars as well as a 4D movie - our group of seats rose in the air as we were thrown into a hilariously fun roller coast ride - the wind blew our hair wildly as we were jostled in every direction - another hit with the kid. The games were amazing and a lot more varity than I've seen before. Finally, Adrian, Ash and Nim took on the real roller coaster (nim pushed everyone into it and I was woried it was going to backfire after I heard her first scream and anticipated her running off in tears at its conclusion). They all loved it and the kids hopped on for a secong ride! After a Vietnamese made iceblock (Merino brand - with flavours such as soybean and coconut) we boarded the cable car once more to the other side and then flagged a taxi to head home as we had to pack to leave that night on an overnight sleeper bus. Had dinner at Cafe Des Ami - another fulfillimg cheap meal _ I forgot what we had as everything's becoming a bit blurry now. We booked our trip through our hotel with a company we hadn't heard of. She told us it was very good and that it red, double decker and had a toilet. Well we waited outside our accomodation for around 45minutes for our ride ( we were VERY worried that nothing was going to fall into place). We were shoved into an already full mini-bus and dumped on the edge of town to wait fopr our glorious sleeper bus. It arrived - our yellow, one levelled, no-toilet converted-sleeper withg dodgy pillow and blankets - ever washed - I doubt it! The 12 hour ride was a continuation of our theme park fun - up and down and thrown wround - pot hole after pot hole as well as staying on the wrong side of the oad as our struggling to make 80 k and hour bus wanted to overtake anything smaller than itself. I was in the very middle of the back row and concerned all night that one opt hole toop big I was going to be somersaulted down the ailse and through the sindsreen. Got the kids off to sleep quickly so they couldn't watch the daedly driving - though they all seem to know how to overtake 2 trucks at a time on a bend in the road and drive three aside on the narrow "highways". Nimah was excited about watching the traffic but her tiredness took over. We had a couple of stops - the first a toilet break before the lights were switched off. I took Nim to the girls and had to shoo away the mossies around her...as she used the brown squat toilet. Our next stop was at midnight which the kids slept through and Adi and I took turns to have a stretch. We didn't get much sleep and even though the kids did we arrived in Hoi Ann all very tired and grumpy! Chow for now!!!
