From our Hotel in Hoi An, we jumped on a sleeper bus that wasn't nearly as pleasant or new as the bus from Hue to Hoi an...but just a little foreshadowing here, it wasn't the worst to come! The bus had a bathroom on board – but it was out of order..and it had a T.V. That kept playing cheesy Vietnamese music videos, using really bad late 80's/early 90's graphics...but hey, there was entertainment! Later we were treated a Bruce Lee Film – but it was all in Vietnamese even though the majority of the bus was foreign. After driving for about 4 hours we stopped at our “Dinner Restaurant” which was really casual and had plenty of school aged kids waiting for us at the bus driveway to hawk their delectable snacks and sodas to the foreigners after the long ride. We chilled there for about half an hour more and jumped back on the bus with no restrooms on board..Mind you, a bus of 30 to 40 people just had dinner and drinks ( although I, along with a few forward thinking individuals refrained from hydrating properly due to the lack of accommodating facilities for our bodily functions.)
A few hours into our night drive – we stopped in the middle of nowhere – where, that somewhere on a busy highway, which almost look a bit too residential for my comfort...I noticed the driver and a few passengers hop off the bus...a bathroom stop?? We all had to go...and yet I didnt see a facility in sight...and then, as I stepped out of the bus and peered into the darkness...it was then that I noticed and heard that there was a line of men simply doing their business on a front lawn of some building...Now, if I was male I would have probably done the same...but I couldn't. Taryn, I, and a few other girls quickly power walked over to another area we appropriately deemed for the gals. Many of the gals were relieved, but I left the area unable to do anything and was tortured for a few more hours until our bus made the next stop. It was a hellish ride and incredible – since as we left the impromptu restroom sight – I happen to notice a mere couple of blocks later there was a gas station. It was closed, but it was a gas station nonetheless. Only in Vietnam, folks. In all fairness, perhaps south east Asia. :)
The ride went by quickly due to me trying to sleep time away and in the morning we finally found ourselves in Nha Trang. Another beach town, we would have loved to be in, but had to wait for another bus bound for Dalat in. Oh, what a long ride. We waited another hour or so – and then hopped on a regular upright seated bus where the air con was HALF working in the hot and humid weather we endured...it was a long ride, after already enduring a hell of night from Hoi an. Taryn and I both tried to sleep – but the approaching turn and bends in the road combined with sudden uncomfortable,busts of heat kept waking us up. We stopped for lunch at yet another quaint lunch stop...in the middle of nowheresville. But this place had character. It had the interesting combination of a minature golf park and the home of a family. What rocked about it, was the it had really strong fans and water misters – so that we were cooled down as we waited for the foreigners' version of Vietnamese food.. ( It was funny, the Vietnamese passengers and drivers sat with the owners of the restaurant where as the foreigners sat in our little section – where each traveler group sat at their own table) After lunch at "Alice In Wonderland", we reluctantly hopped back onto the bus and 2 to 3 hours later were taken to cooler and refreshing climates that Lonely Planet appropriately referred to as “ Swiss Alps” esque.
Due to the fact it started to sprinkle and we were tired, we decided just to keep it simple and simply stayed at a hotel that was $10 a night due to the proximity of it and where our bus stopped. Mind you- that we look hilarious with our overgrown backpacks. ( Taryn with 2 – one on her back and one on the front of her body) Our hotel was everything but glamorous, which was fine with us. We decided to set out and make the most of our few days. We walked around and grabbed some hot cocoa and Taryn got Vietnamese coffee. After our warm beverages we walked over to the “Crazy House.” As we were on our way to the “Crazy House” we were stopped by a kind Vietnamese Gentlemen on a motorbike who offered his services as a guide. We had read about the tour guided who show you around in Dalat in Lonely Planet – and felt that due to our time constraints that this was a good way to go. We felt a genuine good vibe from him and gave him our o.k. To go on a tour with him the next day. After that we were pointed in the right direction to the Crazy house, which was "This an ode" to “Alice in Wonderland.” It's a crazy house that also serves as a guest house, although I myself wouldn't be able to get a good nights sleep there. It's a huge house that still is a work in progress – think winchester mystery house, minus the stairs that lead to nowhere and add many stairs that lead to kitschy themed rooms with spooky red eyed animals gracing your presence. After the visit to the crazy house we had dinner and called it an early night for our next adventure on the back of the motorbikes.
The next day we woke up early and greeted our friendly guides. These cool cats were what made our time in Dalat. Warm, full of life, and just plain happy to share their stories and culture of their country and community. Ray was a former soldier for the southern Vietnamese military; ( the side the U.S. Was fighting for) the many stories he had shared were heartbreaking as well as inspirational. After the south lost to the North – he was kidnapped essentially; and sent to the jungle where he was “re-educated.” He was kept there for about 2 years. Who knows or who could imagine just what he was going through day in and day out. I just felt so humbled by his life experiences...At the time I was reading “The Girl in The Photo.” It was the story about Kim Phuc, the girl who was in the picture that was said to have changed the worlds view on War in Vietnam. This book discussed a lot that I didn't know about the war in Vietnam. For one, it was a war that was rarely discussed in school and had heard a little about in College. The book shed a lot of light on the origins and effects that war had on the Vietnamese and world at large. I was grateful to be able to merry my new found information and lessons from the book with Ray, our real life historian. His friend and our other guide ( i can't remember his name - I had it written down but ..it's gone due to theft ) also was very helpful in painting vivid pictures about his daily life and what brings him joy. They both proudly shared their memory/guest books in which former customers enthusiastically gushed about their times with the duo. Everyone from around the world got the chance to make a meaningful connection with these two kind fellows. This for me, is what travel is all about. Being able to meet great locals of whatever your visiting and simply learning and living their way of life. Thats it. I feel so lucky and privileged to be able to do it.
Our day was filled with fun moments. We started off on the back of their motorbikes and listened to their colorful commentry as well sped along on the roads of Dalat. We stopped by at flower farms – beautiful photo op! Dalat translated meets – flower city. Loosely. We also visited Coffee farms, Silk Worm farms, chili farms, saw rice wine making, mushroom growing, ( gross – but I still like mushrooms) and saw a silk factory. It was an awesome time to check all of these things out. The smell of the silk factory is forever seared on my mind! It's really crazy how they get the silk from the cocoons...but very interesting to see it at all stages of the process!
After the motorbike ride we shared some coffee with our guides, talked about the day, thanked them dearly and then Taryn and I headed to the Sofitel to share some dessert and a glass of wine, the hotel overlooks a beautiful lake. Such a perfect way to end the day. For dinner we went to a wonderful French Restaurant and headed home to get ready for our night of travel.
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