Vietnam: Hue, Hoi An, Nha Trang and Dalat

So the places mentioned in the title are the places that I've stopped so far on my way down to Dalat. I was only in Hue a day, and there was really no need to spend any more time there. I did a motorbike tour of some of the surrounding historical sights, and then spent the rest of my day visiting the local market and soaking in the other sights of the city.

Hoi An was an absolutly delightful little town. Known for it's tailor shops and custom shoe-making shops, it was a shopoholic's dream (or nightmare - whatever way you want to look at it!). At first I decided not to have anything made because I didn't really need anything. Then I thought I had to have something made because that's what Hoi An is all about. So I decided to get one dress made. Well let me tell you - once you start you can't stop! A few too many dollars later I practically had a new wardrobe. But it was all lots of fun, and for the things I had made I would have paid practically 10x more in Canada. And it was absolutly amazing how you could give them a picture of anything and they could make an exact replica, which would fit you to a tee. And the woman in the stores were so nice - they would bring in local foods for you to eat and drink while you waited for your clothes to be altered. They were also lots of fun to visit with, and I got to learn more about life in Vietnam and Hoi An.

I was in Hoi An for three days, and besides becoming addicted to having clothes made, I also took a cooking course, which was fantastic! The beginning of the course was an introduction to the local market and it's produce. Vietnam has many fruits and vegetables that I've never seen before, so it was great to have someone tell me what everything was. After the market we took a boat on the river to the cooking school where we visited the herb garden and prepared some Vietnamese dishes. I even learned how to make rice paper, which is famous in Vietnam for making spring rolls. The class was a lot of fun and I look forward to re-creating some of the dishes when I get home.

My next stop after Hoi An was Nha Trang, a very touristy and commercialed beach town. While the beach was nice and refreshing, it was a bit too over-the-top for me, so I decided to leave after only one day there.

I am currently in Dalat, which is a city in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The weather here is refreshingly cool, and I've immensly enjoyed what it has to offer.

After arriving last night I took a visit to the market and then to a local diner for supper. The people at the diner were extremely friendly and were happy to have someone to practice their english with. Their friendliness and good food took me back there this afternoon for lunch, and I ended up staying there over three hours. After I'd finished my meal one of the girls pulled out her english workbook and asked if I would help her with some words. I said yes, I would love to help, and I think there ended up being 5 of them gathered around, including her father, and they pracitced their english with me and I practiced my Vietnamese with them. It was a great trade-off, and I had an absolute blast. At the end of our "session" I went to pay for the meal I'd eaten three hours earlier and the father kindly refused my money. He invited me to come back for supper - an invitation I happily accepted. These are the kind of people and experiences that have me enjoy my time in Vietnam so much. The Vietnamese are all such happy, friendly people, eager to learn more about the world outside their borders.

Earlier today I took a motorcycle trip out to the surrounding area of Dalat. Unlike Sapa, Dalat is turning into quite a wealthy place. About 10 years ago the locals started growing coffee trees, and Dalat and surrounding area - the only place in Vietnam where coffee is grown - is now the world's second biggest producer of coffee. It is evident throughout the coutryside that their economy is starting to boom, as new houses are going up all over the place. I had an excellent guide who spoke fluent english, so he was able to thoroughly answer any questions I had about the area. He informed me that a plot of land for a house in the area is now worth about $17000 US dollars - a hefty amount in Vietnam. And most of the nice, new houses are worth about $14000.

Not only does the Dalat area grow coffee, but also many other things: tea, cashews, rice, broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, corn, peppers, pumpkin, pineapple, bananas - you name it, Dalat grows it. I've never been in a place with such diversity in the agriculture. Greenhouses filled with flowers of every kind also dotted the landscape. These flowers are exported outside of Vietnam as well. I might also mention that Vietnam is the world's #1 cashew producer, #7 tea producer, and #2 rice producer. Dalat is also the only area in Vietnam where pine trees can be found. Altough they look different than the pine trees found in northern Sask., it's still odd seeing one next to a banana tree!

Besides coffee, tea, fruits, and vegetables, the Dalat area also produces silk, and I had the opportunity of visiting a silk-making factory. It was very interesting seeing how silk is made: the silk worms form a cocoon, which is what the silk comes from. After the cocoon has been formed, they are taken to the factory where they are put into hot water and then spun into thread. 5 kg of cocoons make 1 kg of silk. The things I'm learning these days, I tell ya!

Tomorrow I take a 9 hour bus down to Ho Chi Minh city where I plan to take a 2 day trip out to the Mekong Delta - Vietnam's biggest rice growing district. After my trip to the Mekong I will return to Ho Chi Minh city, where I will do a homestay with a Vietnamese family. I met a girl in Hanoi, and it is her friend's family who has offered to host me in HCMC. Needless to say, I'm really looking forward to the experience.

I fly out of HCMC on August 29th to Bangkok. From Bangkok I will be taking a bus up to northern Thailand, and then over to the Laos border.

Well folks, that all for now! Hope you've enjoyed the update!