Dalat and Mui Ne: October 2006

In this issue, the second part of our two part feature by our special guest Travel Correspondent, Gran D. Tour, we follow Ray and Nikki as they travel to Dalat, in the Central Highlands. We then go with them to the coastal resort of Mui Ne, the final stop in their two month visit before they make their way back to Saigon for their departure from Vietnam. If you missed the first installment of Gran's fascinating feature, you can read it now: Part One.

And this is your last chance to enter our "T Shirt of the Year" competition, in which you can vote for your personal favourite that you may have seen Ray wearing in many of The Daily Lama photographs this year!

Following the successful completion of their 'filming mission' in Nha Trang, Ray and Nikki boarded an early morning bus for the five hour journey to Dalat, considered to be the 'Jewel' of the Central Highlands region in Vietnam and the country's most popular honeymoon spot. Once famous for big game hunting (in the fifties), the deer, wild boar, peacocks, panthers, tigers and elephants have long since gone, driven to extinction by hunters.

Above: Map showing Dalat (see red arrow in bottom right corner). The yellow arrows show the route that Ray and Nikki have taken through Vietnam, as reported in previous issues of The Daily Lama

Below: "Am I in the right place?" wonders Nikki - she was handed this piece of paper by an attendant at a roadside stop, in order to gain access to the toilet. The lady said something to her in Vietnamese, which roughly translated means "No, this is not to be used as toilet paper - you have to hand the ticket over when you want to go!"

Dalat is located in a temperate region dotted with lakes, waterfalls, evergreen forest and gardens. The cool climate and the park-like environment make this one of the most delightful places in all Vietnam. "We were told that there was a tacit agreement between all parties during the Vietnam war that the town was to be 'off limits', as all sides wanted to use the location as a training base and recuperation centre, hence there was no damage caused and there is no problem with leftover mines or ordnance" Ray told me.

"The thing that excited me the most about coming to Dalat was the reputation it has as the 'Fruit & Vegetable Capital' of Vietnam" said Nikki. "I was half expecting to find somewhere like Kent in the middle of South East Asia" added our travelling vegetable lover.

Above: Dreams really do come true, as Ray and Nikki discovered when they found the 'Dreams' guesthouse - "A truly delightful experience" said Ray

Having arrived and sorted out a place to stay, Ray and Nikki started to explore the centre of this pretty little town on foot, starting with a walk around the Xuang Huong Lake, which was created by a dam in 1919 and is about 7 kilometres around it's circumference. "As we were walking, we were joined by a rather eccentric Buddhist monk" said Ray. "He was very chatty and seemed to enjoy talking to us, as it gave him a chance to practice his English" he added. "After he left, we continued taking in the amazing views and wonderful fresh air of the surrounding countryside and started to get the bug once again for some really good trekking" said Nikki.

Above: Ray stands beside the Xuang Huong Lake in the centre of Dalat, and notices the towering peak of Lang Biang Mountain in the distance - "Let's climb it while we are here" says Ray to Nikki

The town of Dalat was once called 'Le Petit Paris' and to this day, there is a miniature replica of the Eiffel Tower behind the main Post Office. "Unlike the real Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Vietnamese have decided to paint it white and red, as it doubles for a mobile phone mast" Nikki told me. "It is the second 'replica' tower I have seen on my travels, the other one being on Sunset Strip in Las Vegas" added Ray.

Whilst Ray and Nikki were taking the picture you see below, a small group of children stopped to talk to them. "They were a very energetic, confident and cheeky group of kids on their way home from school, and I think they saw Ray and me as an opportunity to speak a bit of English and have some fun with us" said Nikki.

Above: Nikki (in the bottom right corner by the red and white pole) stands in front of Dalat's very own Eiffel Tower, which looks a bit garish in the daytime, with its red and white paint scheme, but lovely at night (below)

Above: Nikki instantly made friends with, and had a lot of fun talking to these local children near the tower, on their way home from school

Below: Ray and Nikki came across this odd sign near the Eiffel Tower - "We thought it might mean 'no trumpet playing allowed', thereby ending any similarity with Paris" said Ray. "We later discovered it was outside a hospital and was designed to let drivers know not to sound their horns whilst driving past - a virtual impossibility for these drivers!" added Ray

Next on Ray and Nikki's walking tour was the Central Market, which is the best place in town to find fresh produce. "Having been here, I can really understand why Dalat has earned such an excellent reputation for its fruit and vegetables" said a very impressed Nikki.

Whilst Nikki was squeezing the plums on one side of the market, Ray was distracted by some strange shouting noises on the other. "The sound was a kind of weird, rhythmic chanting, so I went to investigate and found out that it was not some sort of prayer ritual, but a group of market traders selling second hand clothes" he explained. "It was brilliant to stand amongst them with my eyes closed and listen to their almost musical chants - I hope Daily Lama readers will like the short film clip we managed to get of them" added Ray.

Above and below: Vietnam's Fruit & Vegetable capital is a title that is completely justified. Fresh organic produce is available in abundance and is very cheap. If you would like to see Ray and Nikki's short video clip of the market traders chanting as they sell their wares, click here: Second hand clothes sellers

It's not only fruit and vegetables that are on offer in the Central Market. "When I saw the buckets of live snakes, crabs, frogs, snails and eels, I almost jumped out of my skin" recalled Nikki. "They looked so disgusting, I couldn't believe that they are considered a delicacy here" she told me.

Above: "Get your snakes and snails here!" Dalat's fish market is a wonderful place to experience how the Vietnamese people live. If you would like to see a short video clip of Nikki looking at the various products on offer, click here: Dalat Fish Market

Dalat is a favourite haunt of Vietnamese artists and avant-gard types, many of whom have made it their permanent home. "We had heard about one place, called 'The Stop and Go Cafe' and decided to pay a visit" said Nikki. "It was a split-level, low ceilinged, Bohemian kind of place, tucked into a row of small shops" she added. "We had to go down this little back street and we came across this house (rather than a cafe). We nearly didn't go in, thinking that it was a private residence, but we soon realised we were in the right place when Mr Duy Viet, the owner, invited us in" added Nikki.

Above: Mr Duy Viet's 'Stop and Go Cafe' is tucked away down a little back street - Ray and Nikki spent over an hour there and really enjoyed the unique, tranquil space he has created for his guests

Mr Duy Viet is a soft spoken, eccentric Vietnamese artist and poet who is rarely seen without his beret. "He was a lovely man, with a cigarette between his lips and a cup of tea in his other hand" recalled Nikki. "He had a long, greying goatee on his chin and is the exact image of a revolutionary thinker (a gentle one), poet or literary professor" she added.

"He keeps a set of Japanese felt pens with which he will write out, in flourishing style, poems composed jut for you - in French, English or Vietnamese" said Ray. "And although his presence at the cafe is the main attraction, he kept quiet and left us to our reflections" added Ray.

Above: Nikki enjoys the company of the charming Mr Duy Viet (who gave her the flower she is wearing in her hair) whilst having coffee and cake, and reading some of his poems

The natural beauty of Dalat inspired Bao Dai, the last Emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty, to build a Summer Palace there and it is an interesting site for visitors. Set in a pine grove, the art-deco royal villa, with 25 rooms, was built in 1933 and the decor has not changed that much since then.

Above: "This place is a bit weird" says Ray, as he stands outside the art-deco royal villa that served as Bao Dai's Summer Palace in the thirties and forties

I spoke with Ray and Nikki as they came out of the building, having had a good look around. "Frankly, the Summer Palace was a real dive" said Ray. "It was dirty, and struck us as a bit tacky and surreal, as it has seriously dated since it was built" he told me. "Nonetheless, we looked at various parts of the house, including the throne room and his office" said Nikki. "We were made to wear these clumsy protective shoe coverings, like little sacks on our feet, to protect the well worn carpets, which added to the surreal experience" she added.

The Palace is particularly popular with Vietnamese tourists, who brush aside the ropes intended to keep them out, and happliy plonk themselves down on Bao Dai's bed, or on his throne, for a snapshot. "I wanted to have my picture taken in his office" said Ray. "I stood for a little while by his old desk, trying to imagine what it might have been like to be an Emperor in the modern world, whilst Nikki caught the moment for me on film" he told me.

Above: "If I ruled the World...." Ray contemplates what life might have been like as a modern day Emperor

Below: Photographs of Bao Dai in the thirties

In August 1945, Bao Dai abdicated when the communist Viet Minh seized power. He then lived in exile in Hong Kong until 1949, when with the support of the French, he returned as Chief of State. In October 1955, after the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu, Bao Dai was overthrown by a referendum, just as South Vietnam was being declared a Republic. He died in 1997.

Returning from their visit to the palace, Ray and Nikki thought they would make a brief stop at one of Dalat's more unusual attractions, the Hang Nga Gallery and Guesthouse (known locally as the 'Crazy House'). It is owned and designed by the daughter of former Vietnamese President Truong Chinh. We saw her while we were there" Nikki told me. "She dresses in pure 1960's hippie garb and definitely has something of an air of mystery about her" she said.

Above: The 'Crazy House' is a very bizarre collection of unusually designed rooms which leave you wondering if you have accidentally swallowed some hallucinogenic drugs

"We soon found out that each room has a unique theme, such as the Termite Room, Bamboo Room, the Eagle Room and Kangaroo Room, and are decorated in such themes" said a bemused Nikki. "Climbing up and down crooked staircases, looping around twists and turns and becoming transformed into this fairy tale world was all part of the experience" she added.

Ray could not quite believe his eyes. "The architecture is something straight out of Alice in Wonderland or a Grimms fairy tale - caves, giant spider webs made of wire, concrete tree trunks, a concrete giraffe with a tea room inside, and caged turkeys providing a surreal soundtrack" he told me. "It was very tacky and commercialised but a great find!" added Ray.

Above: "Is this real, or am I just a victim of some unknown hallucinogenic susbstance that I have unwittingly eaten?" asks a bemused Nikki

Daily Lama readers may be aware that Ray and Nikki have been noticing the way in which motorcylces are used in Asia, informing us about them in some of our previous issues. "In Dalat, we christened the phrase 'Babies on Bikes' as we kept noticing that many parents drive their very young children, some only a year or two old, around on their motorbikes" said Ray. "With no protection whatsoever, it could be seen as quite a risk, but the kids seem to absolutely love it" observed Ray.

Above and below: These photo's, on loan from Ray and Nikki's "Babies on Bikes" collection, are great examples of how the motorcycle is the dominant form of transportation and how the kids love riding on them with their parents

Above: Perhaps Ray and Nikki should start a second photograph collection, called "Whole Families on Bikes"!

Nearby the 'Dreams' guesthouse, where Ray and Nikki were staying, is a fantastic American company called "Phat Tires", that sets up unusual treks and tours, custom built to travellers own requirements. "When we heard about them, we headed straight to their office as were interested in doing some cycling a bit further south on our route" said Nikki. "But we soon found out that there were a couple of places in the Dalat area that were great for trekking, with a good guide, and Phat Tires had the perfect person, so we arranged a trip straight away" added Nikki.

Above: Ray off on another challenging trek, this time with their Vietnamese guide, Phuc, from Phat Tires in Dalat

Driving for about half an hour into the mountains, Phuc took Ray and Nikki to a clearing in the forest - the starting point for their full day trek with him. "Daily Lama readers may think that we do rather a lot of climbing and trekking, and they would be right" said Nikki. "Each route we choose is very different from the last and the exhiliration that Ray and I get from the exercise is fantastic" said a very active Nikki. "Most of the early part of this trek was downhill, as our start point was quite high up, which meant that we had to make a very strenuous push up to the top of the crest where we going to stop for lunch" explained Ray.

Above: Phuc took Ray and Nikki to some absolutely breathtaking places along the way, including this one

Below: After a long, strenuous climb to the top of this crest, Ray and Nikki were rewarded with this spectacular view, as well as a packed lunch that Phuc carried for them!

Our two trekkers had some great moments with Phuc as he guided them through the Dalat hills and valleys. "After lunch, we stopped at a villagers home, where they had a small coffee plantation and Phuc explained to us how they grow the beans" said Nikki. "We also had a real dare-devil adventure, crossing a couple of dilapidated, swinging wire and wood suspension bridges, like the ones you see in action adventure films" she added. "Although it got our adrenalin going, we were really glad we got the chance to have a go at these crossings, which were nearly ten metres above the rapidly flowing water in some places" added Ray.

Above: Phuc explains to Ray and Nikki how this villager is preparing his coffee beans to maximise his crop

Below: "What? - you want me to climb across that bridge, there?!" asks a slightly hesitant Nikki as Phuc explains what to do

Nikki recalled one moment which was a bit scary. "As I approached the last 15 metres of the wire and wood bridge, the side cables, which are used to help you keep your balance, were getting wider and wider apart, to the point where I could no longer reach both of them at the same time, even with my arms fully outstretched" said Nikki. "Phuc was immediately on hand to help and I quickly worked out another way of reaching the end, so there was no need to panic" said a much calmer Nikki, as she told me what happened.

Above: "That's our girl!" Our very own Daily Lama action adventure heroine strides confidently across the rickety old suspension bridge

Below: "I think I might be able to master this bridge crossing thing after all" says Ray as he slowly and cautiously makes his way across. If you would like to see a short video of Ray and Phuc completing the crossing, click here: The Suspension Bridge

Another physical challenge that Ray and Nikki had earmarked was the conquest of Lang Biang Mountain, which at 2,613 metres high, is the tallest peak in Lam Dong Province. "After speaking to Phuc about the climb, we made the decision to go without the help of a guide" said a very adventurous Nikki. "We had met a couple at our guesthouse, who had done the same thing so we thought "why not?" she added.

Above: Ray points the way to the mountain - the Vietnamese just love to commercialise everything they can, including this tacky sign at the start point of the trail that leads to the top of Lang Biang

Starting their 'ascent' at about 10.00am, the climb to the top and back to the start took about four hours. "We got a bit lost at the beginning, trying to find the trail, but once we got going, we kept up a pretty good pace" recalled Ray. "The last 500 metres was the hardest, as it was near vertical in some places and some wet weather had made the trail very slippery" added Nikki. "But we managed to get the better of it and the sense of satisfaction on reaching the top was immense - I can begin to understand why mountaineering is such a turn on for the people that do it" said a triumphant Nikki.

Above: Ray pauses for a moment as he heads towards the 2,613 metre peak at Lang Biang, directly in front of him

Below: "Top of the world, Ma!" - Nikki celebrates as her and Ray conquer Lang Biang

With the days on their Vietnam visas fast running out, Ray and Nikki were under pressure to leave Dalat for the last stop on their two month tour - a beach town about 120 kilometres east of Saigon called Mui Ne (pronounced Moo Knee). "We knew we had to leave Dalat, but had not done any cycling, which was a bit of a disappointment" said Ray. "We then found out that Phat Tires could organise a 90+ kilometre cycle ride for us, from Dalat to Mui Ne, complete with guide and support vehicle, so we signed up immediately" said a very happy Nikki.

Above: Phuc prepares Ray and Nikki's mountain bikes for the long ride to Mui Ne - "Make sure you check the brakes" says a cautious Ray

Below: Map showing the route that Ray and Nikki were going to follow. Dalat is circled in the upper right section. The support vehicle took them 75 kilometres from Dalat to Di Linh (top of the red line), where they started their ride to Mui Ne. Their route took them through small minority villages and jungle forested valleys to the beautiful beaches below

Once again, Phuc was their guide. "The first section of riding was through coffee plantations and forest, and included a five kilometre uphill climb to get us warmed up" recalled Ray. "I knew this was going to be hard and I'm just delighted that they were able to rent us some decent mountain bikes, with plenty of gears" he said. "Nikki and I completed the first phase without stopping for a break, which was our objective, even though at times people walking were overtaking us!" joked Ray.

Above: With the uphill phase completed, Ray and Nikki were able to turn their attention from their aching legs, to the wonderful scenery

After the strenuous first stage of the journey, it was mainly level or downhill for our two riders. "At one point, we had a ten kilometre stretch, twisting and turning around a number of hairpin bends as we rapidly descended" said Nikki. "Ray and Phuc loved this part and shot off at a very high speed, whilst I caught up with them a little bit further on" she added. "Over the whole ride, we descended about 900 metres, which meant that we got some very fast sections indeed" added Ray. "In the thrill stakes, this experience topped the list for me" he told me.

Above: Ray and Nikki abandon their bikes for a few minutes, whilst they stop for a break at a small village en route

Below: Nikki in full flow, is relieved to get some moments in the shade, as her and Ray enter the hottest part of Vietnam during their marathon bike ride

After about five hours of riding and a fantastic riverside lunch in the mountains with Phuc, Ray and Nikki arrived in Mui Ne, making the final part of the journey from Highway One in the support vehicle. "It was a great way to travel from Dalat, as the minibus carried all our luggage as well as taking the bikes back for us" said Ray. "Having said that, after five hours in the saddle, we were ready for a really good rest, so we were delighted when we found a lovely little guesthouse for the next couple of days, right on the beach" added an exhausted Nikki.

Above: Ray and Nikki were delighted to find a guesthouse in Mui Ne that was right beside this glorious beach

Below: Home for at least two days - the funky Hiep Hoa guesthouse. If you would like to see a short video clip of Ray talking to our readers from the beach, click here: Mui Ne Beach

Mui Ne, in the district of Phan Thiet, is Vietnam's newest seaside resort, and is fast becoming known worldwide for having prime conditions for wind and kite surfing. "We were quite lucky to visit Mui Ne now as the developers have not yet taken the place over and it is still relatively relaxed and quiet" Nikki told me. "It was the perfect place to chill out before heading to Saigon to catch our flight back to Bangkok" she added.

Above: The journey is nearly over! The red arrows show Ray and Nikki's progress from Dalat and the last stop in Mui Ne, before they return to Saigon to say goodbye to Vietnam (for now, anyway)

Our two travellers welcomed the two day break they had organised for themselves. "It was coming up to my Mum's seventieth birthday and I wanted to make her a little movie which she could watch on her big day" said Ray. "So once again, Nikki helped me with the filming and we created a wonderful message for her, which I was able to deliver over the Internet so she could see it in London" he added.

As well as making the movie, Ray and Nikki made sure they got up early one morning to see the sunrise over the red sand dunes, one of Mui Ne's top attractions. "We love watching sunrises and sunsets, as I am sure Daily Lama readers will know" said Nikki. "We made sure we reached the dunes in the darkness, so we could see all of the changes occurring as the sun slowly came up over the horizon - it was really beautiful and very serene" added Nikki.

Above: Ray sits quietly on top of the red sand dunes as he watches the start of another day, moment by fascinating moment

Above: Our sun lovers are glowing inside and out

Below: "Opportunities like this don't come along every day" says Ray, as he walks across the untouched dunes and feels the fine red sand squeezing between his toes

As they prepared to leave Mui Ne, their two Slovenian friends, Luka and Tina, showed up and gave Ray and Nikki a fantastic send off. "It was great to see them again" said Ray. "Nikki and I enjoyed our time in Mui Ne and were a bit sad to leave after a couple of days, but seeing Luka and Tina and spending more time with them was a lovely way to complete our experience" Ray told me.

Above: Ray and Nikki get a fantastic send off outside their guesthouse from their charming travel companions, Luka and Tina

Returning to Saigon on the express bus, Ray and Nikki checked back into their favourite guesthouse in 'Mini Hotel Alley'. "Some Daily Lama readers may remember the story of 'Nikki and the scary foam', so we made sure we chose a different room this time!" joked Nikki.

After two months in Vietnam, during which time Ray and Nikki covered virtually every part of the country, I asked them how they felt about their visit. "The Vietnamese people are the most warm and friendly of all the Asian countries I have been to so far" Ray told me. "I especially loved Hanoi, with its lakes, coffee bars, old French colonialism and laid back way of living, and hope to return there one day in the not too distant future" he added.

Nikki also had a brilliant experience. "What struck me most about Vietnam, compared to Thailand, is there is still so much that is untouched and unaffected by the tourist industry, and we were able to experience many things that could still be called the 'authentic' Vietnam" she told me. "I will leave the country with images of hill tribe women, snakes and dogs being eaten, wonderful colourful fruit markets and the smiles of young children firmly planted in my mind" reflected Nikki.

Above: Back to where it all started - Ray takes one final look at The Independence Palace in Saigon, which they had visited two months earlier, as he and Nikki make their way to the airport for their flight to Bangkok

Editors Note: Our special thanks to our guest correspondent, Gran D. Tour for contributing this wonderful feature about Ray and Nikki's adventures in Vietnam. If any of our readers have any questions for Gran, please let us know at the Daily Lama office.

This is your last chance to enter our "T Shirt of the Year" competition. To enter, all you have to do is look at the T Shirts Ray is wearing in the six pictures below and decide which is your favourite.

Send us a message telling us which one you want to vote for, and why in not more than 20 words. When all of your votes have been received, we will know which is the most popular choice amongst our readers. We will then draw one name from all of those received and send a super "mystery" prize to the winner!

You can send us your message via email, or to The Daily Lama blog site. The closing date for entries is 5th December 2006.

AMBER SOLAIRE & MOZZIE BYTE

Post A Comment