Quickie Update: Vietnam

The nice thing about traveling without concrete plans or a schedule is the freedom it has given us to improvise and choose our own adventure. It's that freedom that allowed to us extend our stay in Hue after some nasty food poisoning, and may have found us the greatest way to tour the Mekong Delta region. More on that another time.

We're currently in the small central highlands city of Dalat. It was founded by some French dude looking to beat the heat of the lowland summers. While it offers a respite from the already seething heat, there is little else to do in the town. It's nice for that reason, too. I've been a bit travel weary after a month of constantly moving, and just needed a day or two to recuperate. The chilly nights have been excellent for sleep, and probably the last we'll need a blanket for the remainder of our trip. In mid-March, while we were in the North, Saigon was already registering temps of 90+ degrees F.

Tomorrow we leave for a beach town south of Nha Trang for some time in the surf and sun, before heading into the Mekong Delta for 5 days. Our last stop is Ho Chi Minh City. I promise to start posting pictures as soon as we get to Seattle. Well, maybe after a day of dealing with jet lag - sleeping.

Favorites:
  • Going to see the well-preserved Ho Chi Minh (aka Uncle Ho).
  • Touring a portion of the central highlands on the back of a motorbike.
  • Having clothing tailor-made in Hoi An.


Not so good:
  • The devious soy milk that kept me in a hotel bathroom for 2-days.
  • The equally devious wine that kept Alex in a hotel bathroom.
  • The fruit & postcard hawkers on Hoi An's beach that felt Alex was made of money (I think I need to carry a paper with the latest exchange rate that highlights the Euro and GBP).

Comments

Anonymous said…
Some friends of mine will be back from their round the world trip in 2 weeks. While I envied all of the incredible things they saw (and hope to replicate their trip in small bursts as opposed to one 6 month absence), I never really considered Vietnam until they posted about Hoi An. Talk about envy.
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