"Another day in the Mountains"
We're spending our second day in Dalat, enjoying the temporary break from the heat. Yesterday, we enjoyed a few of the most popular sights around the area. First, we walked around the streets of Dalat, checking out the various shops, tailors, and eateries. Unfortunately, it started to downpour...and we had to head for cover. The rain continued for the next hour, so we decided to grab some lunch in the town center.
The rain died down, and we headed off to find a couple motobikes to take us to the Flower Gardens. This is a major attraction opposite the lake, and adjacent to the golf course. Thousands of flowers & other vegetation is spread out across a fairly large area. We walked around, enjoying the pleasant weather & the interesting plant life.
Again, we ran into an interesting situation regarding the Vietnamese. A few teenage girls were visiting the gardens & taking pictures of each other when they saw us walking around. Rachel offered to take a picture of all of them & did so...but afterwards, one of the girls walked up to her to request a picture with Rachel. Once the first girl had her picture, a second girl requested the same thing. It was almost like Rachel was some famous celebrity...crazy, eh?
From the Gardens, we hopped on a couple motobikes and visited the Dalanta (spelling??) Falls just outside of Dalat. The ride was nice because it gave us the opportunity to see some of the beautiful mountains that cover the area. Plus, it was pleasant to get outside of the city for a while. Even though Dalat is very small compared to HCMC or Bangkok, it's still a very active place. Motobikes, trucks, construction, and people fill the streets with different sounds...making a peaceful moment hard to come by. The Falls itself was about a 15-20 minute walk down a steep path, which took us through a rain forest & eventually led to the roaring of the waterfall.
By the time we arrived back in Dalat, it was about 5pm...so we decided to head back to hotel to relax before dinner (note - the sun sets around 6:30pm or so). Dinner was great...venison with chiles & lemongrass and pork in a caramelized sauce. We also enjoyed some local Dalat wine, which was alse pretty good.
Today, we'll check out some more of the attractions...including a famous architect's creation, called "Crazy House", and the last Vietnamese King's palace. If the weather isn't as rainy as yesterday, we might check out the golf course as well...possibly play a little too.
-Jeffrey & Rachel
[Dalat, Vietnam - June 26; 10:15am]
"The Sunny (sort of) Beaches of Nha Trang, Vietnam"
Greetings from the beach. It's nice to have a day to completely veg out, enjoying the warm air & the cool water. We arrived in Nha Trang yesterday afternoon via bus from Dalat (5-hour trip; $4 each). The ride wasn't too bad...a little bumpy at times, and coming down the mountains was slightly nauseating. We were dissapointed that the two nice hotels (about $30/night) we picked out were full, but everything had a way of working out. There's no pool or fancy rooms, nor an elevator to take us up 4 flights of stairs, but the room is across the street from the ocean and is only $10.
There's also a really nice "resort" like restaurant/bar/beach area about 1-2 blocks from the hotel, which is predominately filled with Westerners. The prices are a bit higher than Dalat, but the food & drinks are amazingly good. For a late lunch, we had some delicious chicken fajitas & pepporoni pizza that really hit the spot. Not quite the McDonald's Big Mac we were craving for most of the bus ride, but it was close enough.
Just as we were sitting down at the restaurant, a huge storm came through and it poured like mad for a half-hour or so. It was actually really cool to watch from the restaurant, which was sort of like a large hut, with only one main wall and posts supporting the roof, giving us a view of the sea. The roof itself was covered with straw (mainly for effect) and the water rushed off each individual piece, creating almost a wall of water. Very cool!
Last night, after cleaning up, we walked around on the beach a little. Later that night, we found a restaurant that looked appealing, but unfortunately, wasn't that good. Mainly, our server must have been having a rough day, or she's just naturally unfriendly, but she looked almost angry most of the time she served us. Plus, the food we ordered was not very good. Oh well...that'll happen from time to time. And maybe that's what we get for not ordering seafood at a seafood restaurant.
Today, we woke up early to watch the sunrise...although after about 5 minutes, we both were too tired to stay awake, so we decided to go back to bed. When we did wake up (around 8:30am), we headed off for a day in the sun. However, the sun wasn't really out most of the day. We rented a couple chairs & a tiki-hut from the same restaurant we ate at yesterday (less than $3 for both). For breakfast, we had a pancake, omelette, and hash browns (about $3).
There were some interesting sites from our chairs. A woman came by, carrying a large stick over her shoulders with two pot-like things on each side. It turns out that one side was a cooler filled with water & live lobsters, while the other was a pot of boiling water atop a charcoal grill. We overheard it was about $7-$10 for a lobster, depending on the size. Simply amazing. We may even try one before we leave Nha Trang.
Also, despite the lack of direct sun, we managed to get a decent tan for our first day out on the beach (only another 15 days or so left...haha). Another woman sold us a bunch of fresh fruit for $3, which consisted of about 6 small bananas, 1 pinneapple, and 12 spiky, red & green plum-sized fruits (which are very sweet & tasty in the inside - also they are clear). The taste of this unique fruit is something of a cross between a grape & tangerine.
There's live music & drink specials at the same place we've mentioned twice already (it's become our favorite place for basically everything). We'll probably head there for a bit, and then off to bed. We need our sleep for another day at the beach. haha
We fly to HCMC on Thursday, and plan on arriving in Ko Samui, Thailand by Friday afternoon/evening. The remainder of the trip will be in the soutern islands of Thailand (Ko Samui, Ko Pha Ngen, & Phuket).
Hope all is well back in the US.
-Jeffrey & Rachel
[Nha Trang, Vietnam - June 28; 5:30pm]
"Ko Samui - Island Paradise"
After another beautiful day on the beach of Nha Trang, Vietnam, we spent yesterday traveling across the region. We at least wanted to arrive in HCMC by last night, if not Bangkok...which would allow us to fly into Ko Samui this morning. Without any advanced reservations, we were not sure how easy it would be to book the 2 additional flights (HCMC-BKK, BKK-Samui).
To our amazement, we were actually able to arrive in Samui late last night (around 9pm) on the last flight available out of Bangkok. However, after the 3 flights and traveling from 5:30am until 9:00pm, we were exhausted. With only a slight idea of where we wanted to stay in Ko Samui, we just wanted to find a place to crash. To make matters more interesting, a couple storms were moving across the island last night during our arrival.
The rains were intense, flooding many of the streets...our taxi was driving through areas with at least 1 foot of standing water! About 20 minutes after leaving the airport, we arrived in Lamai beach, which is on the southeast coast of the island. The rains stopped for a bit, allowing us some escape from the downpours. The first place we checked out was okay, but for the money, we thought it wasn't worth it. About a block up the road, we found another place, which was recommended to us, that was pretty nice. Again, a little more than we wanted to spend, but the rains were intensifying and we were tired. So we checked in & relaxed. The lightning was really cool though...lighting up the ocean & the briefly offering a glimpse of the island. We were excited to see it during the daylight.
This morning, we woke up to a partially-cloudy sky, and very comfortable temp's. It feels about 80 degrees & there's a nice breeze. It's supposed to be in the low-90's by mid-day, but for the time being, it's lovely. We plan on staying at our place for one more night, then maybe up to Ko Toa to do our diving class. We both want to get certified & do some open water dives before leaving the Gulf side of Thailand. Then we'll be off to Phuket, where if it all works out, we'd like to do 1-3 more open water dives around Phuket and/or Ko Phi-Phi. We might also do some snorkeling, take a Thai cooking class, and/or do some rock-climbing.
We're doing great...we're both very excited to be on the peak of the trip. Cambodia & Vietnam were awesome, and quite the adventure. However, we've both been looking forward to the beautiful islands of southern Thailand for months.
Cheers,
-Jeffrey & Rachel
[Ko Samui, Thailand - July 1; 10:15am]
"Live and Let Dive"
Hello from Ko Tao! As one of the greatest dive sites in Southeast Asia, if not the world, the small island of Ko Tao is filled with dive schools, small bundles of bungalows, and people from all over the world. The beautiful turqouise water is crystal clear, filled with a wide variety of fish & other sea life.
We're staying on the west side of "Turtle Island" (although it doesn't look like a turtle) at a diving school/hotel called "Big Blue Divers". It seems like a reputable company...the equipment is relatively new, the staff speaks fluent English (mostly Aussies, Brits, etc.), and offers proper training. So far, we've completed 2 of the 4 days of the Open Water Certification course. At about $200 for the diving & accomadations (except food), we feel like we're definetly getting our money's worth. In Florida or Mexico, I'm sure it would cost a lot more. Everyone is really nice...both locals & other tourists. We're paired up with an Aussie couple in our dive group, and our dive instructor is Swiss.
The islands are great. Temperatures are much more temperate than the mainland (in the low 90s), obviously because of the cool ocean breeze that continually blows off the Gulf of Thailand. Our hotel room isn't great...no hot water, no A/C, and no TV. But after a day out at the beach, a cool shower feels nice. And there's enough of a breeze coming through our second-story room to make sleeping managable. As for TV, we still caught the Wimbleton Finals at the local bar.
If we don't post tomorrow, Happy 4th of July to everyone back home! We'll celebrate in our little way over here...maybe a couple other Americans will surface at the bar & join us.
-Jeffrey & Rachel
[Ko Tao, Thailand - July 3; 8:00pm]
"Done & Double Done - Open Water Diver Certified"
We are proud to report that we have successfully completed our Open Water Diving certification course. After 5 dives (which included 1 skin dive) in the warm, clear waters of Koh Tao, we are technically experienced enough to dive on our own. It was an amazing experience!! There were tons of fish & other sea life all around us: moray eels, parrotfish, angel fish, trigger fish, puffer fish, butterfly fish, Christmas tree worms, sea urchins, bannerfish, and many more!
Our maximum depth was 18 meters (about 55 feet or so), which was achieved on our 4th dive. The other dives were from 10-12 meters. Each dive was about 40 minutes in duration, which gave us plenty of time to descend, explore, and ascend.
If weather & money permit, we plan on doing some more diving in Phuket and/or Koh Phi Phi (the island where "The Beach" was filmed). Perhaps we'll earn our 'Advanced Diver' certification, which requires 5 more dives...but with some specific skill sets. These include skills such as deep diving (30-40 meters), night diving, navigation, etc. Not sure yet...we'll see.
On the second day, we both got sea sick...relatively big waves. It hit the hardest when we were preparing all our equipment on the boat while en route to the dive site. It was sort of like reading in the car...concentrating on something while everything is moving was very nauseating. :( We learned from the first day out, and took Dramamine (motion sickness pill). It worked fairly well, and today was much better.
Tomorrow, we head back to Ko Samui to bum around for a few days. We might take a Thai cooking class, do some rock-climbing, and/or do some shopping. Then on Saturday, we're off to a beautiful resort in Phuket for our last week in Southeast Asia. We'll be sad to leave such a beautiful part of the world, especially because our lives are so easy over here. However, at the same time, it will be nice to be back in the familar US, with our modern day comforts of Western life. Plus, we miss our friends & family.
-Jeffrey & Rachel
[Ko Tao, Thailand - July 5; 5:00pm]
"Sun, sand, and seafood in Samui"
Returning to Lamai Beach in Koh Samui, we checked back into the Mira Mare and negotiated a better rate with an agreement to stay for 3 nights. It's a nice place, good location, and right on the beach...hard to beat. Plus the price is considerably less than some the places surrounding it. We were all set by early afternoon, and we went to eat at one of the many restaurants in Lamai.
At a recently opened "Irish" pub, we had some incredible Pad Thai & Red Chicken Curry (about $2-$3 each). A friendly Irishman, whome we later learned was the owner, came out to ask us what we thought of our food. It was a nicely decorated place, with dark wood furniture, Irish sports posters & jerseys, and green & white table cloths.
Realizing how tired we were from the last few days of diving plus the day of traveling, we returned to the hotel for a well deserved nap. A couple hours later, we relaxed a bit on our porch area, reading & enjoying the rythmic crashing of the waves. By 8pm, we were on our way out to a restaurant recommended to us by Derek (via email) called "Samui Jasmine Resort", located on the northern end of Lamai. Although it took a little effort to find the place, we walked through the beautiful resort reception area to the restaurant.
A well maintained garden led into a gorgeous tiled pool area, complete with flowing water soothingly dropping off one end of the pool. Candle-lit tables with white linens were situated on the soft, sandy beach, and a few other couples were also enjoying a late evening meal. A Thai gentleman was quietly playing on his acoustic guitar, adding the last piece to the incredibly romantic ambience. Sitting down at one of the tables nearest the ocean, we carefully perused through the hand-made menu's. We ordered baked crab and stir-fried shrimp, as we were in the mood for some great fresh seafood.
After paying the bill, which was only about $12 or so, we returned to the main street of Lamai beach, walking back towards our hotel. We stopped at several of the countless shops, picking up a few trinkets here & there. Rachel also tried on the dress that she is having made at one of the local tailors. A black, halter-top dress that stops slightly below the knees, it looks like it could be very beautiful. However, it's hard to tell until it's complete. Dresses, according to Rachel, are a bit more touchy than suits, with both the design & fit being very important for each woman.
Today, we enjoyed the sunny, hot beach...laying out in the sun and having a couple cocktails. However, by about 1pm, the clouds moved in, and we were doused with a quick rain shower. Over the next few hours, we had lunch, read a little, and relaxed on our porch. After the day at the beach, we went back to that Irish restaurant again, enjoying some more great Thai food. Now we're about to go back for a second fitting at the tailor, maybe play some darts at one of the bars, and watch a movie back at the hotel.
Oh, we also heard about the bombings in London. This is another sad result of the spite & hatred in a few people of the world, causing so many others to suffer. We have seen so many poor & less fortunate people throughout our travels in Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand, and despite their hardships, the vast majority seem content with the world...smiling & laughing, enjoying life with friends & family. There's a sort of general happiness over here...something that is desperately lacking in the hearts of those men carrying out such horrible acts against humanity.
Goodnight,
-Jeffrey & Rachel
[Koh Samui, Thailand - July 7; 8:25pm]
"Still Alive - Enjoying Phuket"
We arrived in Phuket mid-morning this past Saturday, via a 40-minute flight from Samui. It sure beat taking the ferry to the mainland, and a 6-8 hour bus-ride. Thailand's largest island is beautiful...white, sandy beaches and beautiful, clear water. For the first time this trip, we're staying in top-notch accomadations, thanks to Randy & Anne Behm (Jeff's parents) who graciously gave us a week at a condo here in Phuket that is part of their travel club.
The resort is wonderful...a large two-room living quarters, with a king-size bed, living room, dining area, kitchenette, and a nice bathroom (for once). It's a nice change. Our pool-side room is part of the Allamanda Resort, which is part of a 5-hotel resort group. They're all connected by lagoons...and small boats come & go, taking guests to different parts of the massive resort area. The beach is very nice...however, due to the weather patterns this time of year, the water is quite dangerous to swim in. Consequently, guests are strongly advised to stay out of the water. For us, we've never seen waves this big before. Amazing!
Sorry for those of you who have worried about our safety, considering our last post was a few days ago. The opportunity to post is not as prevelant as it has been throughout the previous 4 weeks. We're sort of on an island within an island, so to speak. The resort world is one that is substantially overpriced, charging ridiculous amounts for food, drink, and internet service. In other places, beer has been about $1.50, internet $1 per hour, and a good Thai meal $3. Here on our "island", it's more like $4, $5, and $6...respectively.
Anyway, all is well here in Phuket. The weather has been great...we're spending most of our time laying in the sun, reading, and enjoying the pool. We went to Patong last night to do some shopping. We ate this incredible 'Latino' restaurant, serving tasty fajitas and near perfect mojito's (Ben...this are some of the best I've tasted) and margarita's.
Until next time...good-bye.
-Jeffrey & Rachel
[Phuket, Thailand - July 11; 9:45am]
"Diving in Ko Racha Yai (near Phuket)"
Our trip is winding down, with only two more days in Thailand. It's been an incredible adventure, filled with unforgetable memories. We added a few more in the last couple days, including a great dive experience off the small island of Ko Racha Yai, about 1 1/2 hours south of Phuket (by boat).
We dove twice today, both of which were purely "fun" dives...meaning they were not part of any courses nor any skills lessons. The water was very clear, allowing us to see all the beautiful & interesting fish & coral. Not too different than Ko Tao (on the Gulf side), the sea offered a variety of sealife; moray eels, bannerfish, butterflyfish, snapper, and others. There was a school of baracuda, plus a solitary great baracuda in the water today. Very cool. We also spotted a couple lionfish (very poisonous, but also very lovely fish), and tons of starfish. Both dives were slightly deeper than 20 meters (nearly 70 feet).
Not much else to report...we've enjoyed some tasty Thai meals at the Black Cat, and had a more "fancy" meal at one of the many Sheraton restaurants. We also ordered some food "to go", allowing us to eat for considerably cheaper in our room.
Tomorrow, we'll spend our last day near the pool and/or ocean, enjoying the last hours of gorgeous sun & sea breeze. We also have a lagoon tour schedule for the late afternoon. Then we fly back to Bangkok early Saturday morning, and depart for home late Saturday night, around midnight.
-Jeffrey & Rachel
[Phuket, Thailand - July 14; 3:50pm]
"We've Come Full Circle..."
At 10:30am this morning, we arrived in Bangkok...the city where all of the crazy adventures began 5 weeks ago. It's been a crazy, fun, sometimes stressful ride, and it's an experience neither of us will ever forget. Last night, we both recalled the first day in Southeast Asia, overwhelmed with culture shock and worried about how things would go the rest of the trip. However, we lived & learned...and by this morning, we have adjusted to life over here. The tuk-tuk drivers fail to grab our attention, the heat doesn't affect us (as much), and the communication barrier barely presents a problem.
We've enjoyed it all...the busy streets in Bangkok, the ancient temples of Siem Reap, the crazy capital city of Cambodia (Phnom Penh), the "interesting" bus-rides into & throughout Vietnam, the absolutely insane moto-bike filled streets of Ho Chi Minh City, the cool mountain village of Dalat, the sunny beaches of Nha Trang, the island living of Ko Samui, the diving classes in Ko Tao, and the fancy resort life of Phuket. Each place has offered a unique experience...some good, some not as good...and we've met some wonderful people along the way.
We send our love to our friends & family back in the States. Thank you for your patience & support throughout our adventures. We know some of you were a little worried about our safety (i.e. our parents), and we did our best to watch out for each other & remain safe. Also, greetings to the people that made our trip that much better. Pravit in Bangkok...without you, we'd still be searching for the tailor. Kim in Siem Reap...you enriched our experience at Angkor Wat & kept us cool with the air-conditioned car. "Black" in Phnom Penh, we enjoyed your crazy stories and we hope you're enjoying Phuket. Hai in HCMC, you gave us the priceless opportunity to experience authentic Vietnamese culture (and a great massage). The Nha Trang Beach Crew...our differences & similarities made for some great hang time over some great drinks at the Sailing Club...hope you all are enjoying your travels. Mike in Ko Tao...thank you for introducing us to the world of diving, we love it and hope to continue the sport in the future. And to all the randoms that guided us here and there, you truly made the difference in our travels.
Thank you all. We'll be home tomorrow night...for better or for worse.
Our last post,
-Jeffrey & Rachel
[Bangkok, Thailand - July 16; 1:45pm]
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