I'm currently 2 hours into a 14 hour bus trip from Da Lat to Hoi An - sitting bus - fun to be had tonight, yes.

Da Lat. A fairly developed Swiss/ French influenced city in Vietnam (close to) the central highlands. The cleanest and most developed city we've been to, and the coldest, with teenagers and the sort seen to be wearing pretty nifty pants and jackets. To be honest I felt as though I could have been in a eoropean city and got the vibe from several locals that they may well be in such a city.

Over the past 3 days I've had some amazing experieces. At the top, a visit to a hill-trib family, some way from the city. We (Anna, tour guide and a couple from holland) spent around an hour and a half with the mother of the family, with our tour guide interpreting the whole time. To learn how this family (and many families) live, was amazing. I mean, you know there are people in the world who live basically, but it was incredibly surreal being in a house and in the presence of people who do. In the family, the female is "at a higher level", with the male marrying in to her family and taking on their name. This marriage is arranged through the exchange of buffalo, chickens, other animals and materials and money. The fatter the dude, the more he's worth. I think she said I was worth a chicken. They had dirt floors, with the kitchen doubling as the dining room, being sheltered by a tin roof. Outside of their house they had a mostly dirt backyard with clothes hanging from line, 3 pigs and 2 dogs. Here, in the yard, the lady would spend most of her time creating colored mats to sell.... Anyway, it was an eye opening experience.

On that same tour we saw markets, magic mushrooms, coffee fields and a beaut waterfall.

Da Lat also included a rush to several ATMs and banks, which nearly resulted in missing our 14 hour bus to Ha Noi, a market purchase of a terrible terrible puffy jacket for twice the price I should have paid (receptionists at hotel dropped a word), an exchange of this same jacket ("faulty" zips (but really I realized I looked like a doushebag wearing it) for two nike hoodies (ripped off again - receptionist), great hot chocolates, a peddle-boat ride at Da Lat's lake, a visit to a crazily designed local house and some great market food.

Until next time