‘Da Lat’-ful!!

(*cringe* I just couldn’t help myself)

My last post resulted in a number of concerned messages from friends and family (thanks peeps!). The post, however, was meant to be a bit tongue-in-cheek and while we did have a rough couple of days, I can probably admit that we didn’t deserve some of the sympathy. It’s left me feeling mildly guilty for alarming people.. so no need to panic people, we are back in action!

Ho Chi Minh city really was amazing- such a trendy city which now totally dwarfs any of the other cities we’ve visited in South East Asia. We had a lot of fun finding the next coffee shop to visit or just hanging out in the streets, looking for the most “original” North Face gear. Little did we know that the latter-mentioned task would be quite important given the surprisingly cooler temps we were about to encounter.

Shopping in Ho Chi Minh- looking for essentials?

This city has a cool energy- with tree-lined streets and bursts of blossoms, it really is pretty. Plus it has pretty people. This was the first time during the trip I really felt a bit self-conscious about being a tourist. Stepping into some of the trendy coffee and wine bars (my favourite was L’USINE-coffee to die for!) in Ho Chi Minh left me longing for my high heels and hair straightener (haha yes, I’m that shallow- if any of the Plastics are reading this, can I get a “hell yeah”?). My cut-offs and vest tee’s just didn’t cut it in this trendy town (never mind my flip flops- now looking a bit grungy from the walking the city streets). Still, my passion for all that is aesthetically pleasing could only delight in the sights of the city, and left me feeling style-quenched.

L’USINE coffee

Our trip to the Mekong delta was where we encountered the suspicious hot-pot meal that left us feeling queasy (that’s an understatement but the details are better left unmentioned). The trip to the floating market made our little sojourn in Can Tho worth it though- the pics don’t do it justice. The sights and smells, plus our very sweet and eager long boat driver, made it all worth-while.

Bless!

Our next spot was Da Lat – queue a seven hour bus ride which I wasn’t really looking forward to. I was pleasantly surprised though, the further we travelled the more the vegetation changed and soon we were slowly (very slowly) making our way up into the mountains. The cliff views were gorgeous and, clichéd as it is, I felt my soul replenishing as the scenery continued. It seemed to be a good day for a wedding.. and as we passed through the tiny towns, I caught glimpses of the brides in their bright red wedding dresses standing outside their colourfully decorated reception halls, greeting their guests with their grooms. It’s quaint and so far removed from our local wedding scene where every detail is so beautifully thought out; yet even though the scene here can come across as amateur and kitsch, especially when the karaoke-style wedding singer starts their set, you still feel the authenticity of the occasion.

Zen Cafe- our spot!

As you arrive in the town, it’s a bit bizarre because you really start to feel like you are in some European town in the mountains, except every now and then the scooters transporting a massive bunch of disney helium balloons and other paraphernalia bring you back down to Earth Asia. Our accommodation was gorgeous and we could only laugh when we discovered, not only a one-man sauna in our bathroom, but a stereo-playing shower too! Whilst the Da Lat wine cannot live up to South African standards, we needed something to warm us up from the inside and promptly tucked into a bottle of Da Lat’s finest red.

Oh yeah…

Getting the hang of these chopsticks!

Mark hadn’t packed any long pants for this trip, and received many strange looks as we wandered the streets in slops and shorts, whilst I sported the proverbial fashion faux pas takkies and jeans (*another cringe*). But whilst the mid-teen temps chilled our bones, we relaxed and plotted our next beach destination. Onwards and upwards…

Gorgeous Da Lat

My personal tour guide

Brekkie in the sun