Not Dalat To Do

Our (intended) last night in Dalat, following our amazing bike ride, concluded with a dance between myself and a waiter. Then it was back to the room to pack up and prepare for our sleeper bus the next day to Nha Trang.

Plans changed. At lunch, Nick was stricken with sudden and extreme stomach pain and began sweating profusely. He retreated to the hotel, checked back in, and stayed in bed/bathroom with extreme food poisoning. Poor baby!




Thankfully we were allowed to change our bus tickets and arrived in Nha Trang just one day later than intended. We checking in to the Kim Hoang Long Hotel and rented this sea-view room for $15 a night including room service breakfast in bed! By far the most beautiful room for the least amount of money we've spent so far in the 'Nam.





We hit the beach and the boardwalk. Check out the Dr. Seuss style umbrella's in the background. Only Whos are allowed to relax at that beach club.















The thing about Vietnam beaches is the European tourists donning speedos and posing like Superman. Someone should really tell them that this is not a good look, but we felt our obligation lay in snapping pictures as inconspicuously as possible to share with you folks.








Look closely. These are two separate men photographed on the same stretch of beach only minutes and meters apart.











More cute "Who" hats. The French used to come around and tax beach umbrellas...no, that's not right.











Nick and I had a discussion regarding the shape of this building. He is convinced it was built to resemble a banana. What do you think? Please keep your comments PG.










The friendly folks at the Why Not Bar, invited us in for dinner and we couldn't resist because, as they liked to say, "Why not?"

When we returned to the room we thought it would be interesting to check out their TripAdvisor ratings. Well, through their reviews we found the answer to the question, "Why not?" Apparently, the lovely staff that greeted us during dinner time eventually go home and are replaced by power enraged bouncers when the restaurant turns into Nha Trang's late night dive bar. There are numerous accounts of these bullies bashing in the heads of drunken tourists. As a penalty for "dancing crazy" one tourist was beaten to the point hospitalization for swelling in the brain. One firsthand account on TripAdvisor reports the bouncers kicking in one tourist's head "like a soccer ball" even after he lost consciousness. Apparently you're not supposed to get too drunk there, as made evident by this promotion. Scary!

We, on the other hand, opted for sobriety trading in our free headaches and potential beatings for this amazing sunrise.










Many Vietnamese businesses winterize their establishments with tin foil for the holidays.












Another case of us being summoned for our picture while sightseeing. This time we were smart enough to get our camera out too!










Nick asked these guys to look "gangsta" for the photo. Language barrier.












Vietnam doesn't have copyright laws. Same same but different.
















Our trip to Dalat was a bumpy ride!

















Dalat is in south central Vietnam (not as gangsta as it sounds) so it is still pretty cold. Once again we went from sunburns to freezer burn! Brrrrrr! How much for one of those coats?











At the Dalat market you can buy mix-tapes with handwritten song lists. Hello 1987!












You can also find eclectic art up for grabs. From right to left:
Virgin Mary, Buddha, something angelic, naked girl holding vase, flowers, and of course, cats wearing hats.

We couldn't decide so we bought them all as Christmas presents to send home. Check your mailbox.




We actually went to the market with every intention of eating lunch.














Snakes or eels?












Moments like these lead to my intermittent vegetarianism. We opted for meatless pizza at a nearby restaurant.












As our pun-ny title would suggest, we're struggling to find inexpensive activities that don't involve "Easy Rider" tours (don't get Nick started on these pushy salesmen) or waterfalls. We did find an awesome hike to occupy our time however.

Most tourists elect a jeep ride up to the lower viewpoint, but we're on an increasingly strict budget so we hoofed it, providing entertainment for the baffled , picture-snapping Vietnamese tourists. We're getting used to being part of the tour.

Semi-wild horses grazing on the roadside.












About half of the hike is paved and at a ridiculous incline. Not what we pictured based on the guidebook description.

















But the trees reminded us of the Mountain Loop Highway. Big up Granite Falls!















We even found time for a little Christmas celebration with our miniature tree. The whole mountain smelled of fresh pine which made us both nostalgic.











After about two hours of walking the paved road, we made it to the trail head leading to the higher peak. Another 3km to go!














Dalat city is prettier from a distance.













The steep, slippery clay made for slow going and my anxiety about the trip back down, but still we pushed on.
















Gives me the willies.

















Precisely the moment that we (I) chose safety over summit, sacrificing our view, and submitting to my fear. Wuss!
















I'm not holding on to Nick to be friendly.

















We learned this survival technique on Man Vs. Wild.

















Although not the entertainment capital of Vietnam, Dalat, you did serve a purpose. Washington, we miss you!











Hunkering down here for two more nights to save a couple bucks then it's off to the more expensive Mui Ne for sand dunes and surfing! We'll be spending Christmas in Ho Chi Minh City. At this point in our travels we're missing home, friends, and family more than ever. Blog comments, emails, and skype calls sure would make great Christmas gifts!

Hugs, misses, and kisses!