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Hey guys, just an update of the nest stop on our journey :-) This one on Da Lat, a city in the central mountains of Vietnam.
We decided to go there as it would make a nice change from beaches, and the weather would be cooler. And we were right. Stepping off the bus at half 1 it was definitly chilly, and jumper weather :-) The bus journey from Mui Ne only lasted 6 hours, but was the bumpiest journey we have ever been on, with potholes everywhere!
We arrived, and stayed at the 'recommended' hotel where the bus company gets some commission as it was cheap with free breakfast and internet. In the afternoon, we went to the central market, which is not too great for touristy shopping, but has some really good cheap local food.
After the market, we walked to the 'Crazy House'. It is a house designed by an architect to breing people back to nature apparently but it is just really bizarre. It has about 9 rooms, with loads of tunnels ladders and hidden corners.
In the evening we ate at Peace Cafe which is run by the craziest lady we've ever met called Tu Ahn. She's lovely and talks crazy fast, but is very passionate about her food.
The next day we had booked onto a canyoning tour, part of Kates present for me for my birthday. We drove out with a tour of 5 other tourists and 3 guides to a river 15 minutes away. We walked for about 20 minutes to get to the first abseiling point. It was 18metres! As we're both not great with heights it was pretty scary, and the worst part is when you lean back over the edge. Walking and jumping down the cliff is not too bad after that. We walked and and swam to the next dry abseil, before abseiling down our first waterfall! It was 25 m, and was very scary, the water hits you so strongly, it is hard just to stay standing. You ended with a 5m drop into water.
We had lunch of baguettes and fruit before walking to the jumping point. You could do 7 or 11metres, but for the 11, you had to run and leap forward to avoid the rocks :-) But we both managed it, which we were very surprised at, and Kate admitted to thinking that she might actually be about to die as she began her runup!
There was a bit more walking and a final abseil down what they call the 'washing machine' where you get soaked before walking back to the bus.
We were both pretty knackered in the evening, but we wondered to the night market where we ate a very strange dinner. It started off with a rice paper pancake type snack with egg, herbs and shrimps, a corn on the cob for Tom, a bag of buttery sugary popcorn to share, a bowl of tomato fishy noodle soup to share, a cup of a hot sweet drink of a flavour we couldnt decide on, but sort of like dough, another rice pancake each, then finished off with apple crumble and fruit smoothie at the Peace Cafe!!!
At the cafe we were put by another couple, who lived in Nottingham, so was pretty cool chatting for the evening with them.
The next day we relaxed in a cafe for the morning, and had an early lunch as we had a bus jounry to Nha Trang on the coast. We had another bag of popcorn for the journey as it tasted sooo good. :-) Arrived in Nha trang a few hours ago, in the rain despite it being dry season,and jsut realaxed and wondered around. Going to watch the Charity Shield football match in a bit :-)
Talk to you soon,
Kate and Tom
- comments
the best evans family member hey tom and kate, sounds like you are having an amazing time :D well done in completeing the 11m canyoning jump! sounds like health and safety regulations is a lot more lax over there :) I hope the dry season lives up to its name in Nha Trang, and that you have an awesome experience I cant believe how different things are, and cant wait to travel myself :) Cant wait to here for your next posts and for you to phone, yet i will be away from the 16t to the 20th on a bball camp :) love will xx