Welcome to the Jungle . . .

A visa extension delayed our departure out of Tho Duc and Saigon. However, exactly a week after we submitted our passports to Vietnamese officials, and thankfully not to a vengeful Mr. Bean type character, our passports returned with stamp #89. This one extended our stay. It also provided us the ease to roam Dalat and coastal Vietnam without having to unexpectedly departure to China.

The Cusco Of Vietnam

Cool mountain air and Vietnam are not synonymous. Yet standing on the sidelines of yet another random Saigon road, a bus left the muggy Mekong River delta and climbed towards the cool mountain Dalat air. This also marked the beginning of active travel again. No more vegging in one city for a month.

Dalat is the Cusco of Vietnam. Not because of massive Inca ruins and a kingdom that extended across the Pacific Ocean, but for its unique atmosphere. And just like Cusco, Dalat provided relief from the wet, warm, engulfing temperatures of the coast. We passed a lot of time commenting to each other on how cool it was in Dalat.

Artistic Dalat Flower Power

This is the city of flowers and crazy artists. Not from the centrally located man made Xuân Hương lake is the Crazy House. Not because it houses expatriated New Mexicans, but this house, like many artists is eccentric. Now this house was designed by the Vietnamese architect Đặng Việt Nga. Like Gaudi and his Sagrada Familia, this house remains under construction. Rooms bear names like the frog room, bear room, or some other name of an animal or plant. Very original indeed. Concrete giraffes stand guard around the premises.

Human creativity knows no bounds nor limits on taste. The house itself was interesting. When I asked a local artist about who designed it, her answer was vague. Regarding the location of an often visited church in Dalat, she gave a perfectly nebulous, hippy response. “Well . . . I am not exactly sure where this church is. . . maybe it’s by the hospital or by the lake . . . I . can’t . tell . you.” This q&a should have lasted 20 seconds. Maybe it was due to the fact that English wasn’t her first language, and shoot, I spoke three words of Vietnamese, but it took 2 minutes. And Dalat is not a big city. So what do those artists do when not being artistic? Hmmm.

Welcome To The Jungle

Two very cool days as two very cool people were cool, but gravity pulled down the mountain back to the beach. Jungle Beach that is. Jungle Beach had been described to us by other travellers as an off the beaten path beach with great swimming, tasty food, and basic wooden bungalows. All were correct. This was the most isolated beach Aitutaki in the Cook Islands. Those next two days in a hammock helped decide the remaining four weeks in Asia.

Good thing meals were included with our stay, there was no other place to eat. A long communal table welcomed everyone at the Jungle Beach for lunch and dinner. The owners placed all the food across the middle of the table. All you had to do was mix any meats or veggies with your bowl of rice. The food was simple, tasty, and satisfying, unlike my jokes. Good thing we had a little volleyball in the evening to offset the sumptuous food.

Can You Clarify That Vikoda?

I curiously read this label below from a bottle of Vietnamese Vikoda mineral water. It left more questions than answers. Really? All the way from Germany? Can you be specific about that one mineral? Do they really need to exploit Danh Thanh?

Vikoda natural mineral water which is exploited from Danh Thanh mineral source, is becoming the famous quality in Viet Nam. It was being exploited directly from the depth of 220 meters. The mineral water is conducted to the workshop and bottled by modern line from Germany. Vikoda provides necessary mineral for our body and it is very good for our refreshment.

Up Next

Life is still good and enjoying non-frigid weather. We’re now moving up the coast until China, Hong Kong, and Macau. By February 15th, we have to be in Hong Kong. Why? That’s our next flight out of Asia to the African continent.

Peace
JW