Dalat, its surroundings and the easy riders

More than 3 weeks in Vietnam so far and the 3 days trip with motorbike guides (called Easy riders) finished to convince me this was a nice country. The negative impression of Hanoi (see with my European eyes instead of viewing it as a traveller) is totally erased and I really enjoy myself here.

Pity this is almost the end but there are 11 months and probably as many countries remaining to visit (from the original 10 I will probably add Bolivia and Peru following advice from other travellers). I still have more the feeling to be on vacations that on a world trip but many other people told me they had the same feeling at the start. When I go from countries to countries I will definitively realise.

The easy riders took me and my fellow traveller Jasmijn to the Central Highlands with the aim of showing us how locals live and to off-beaten tracks. Indeed, we haven't seen a tourist the last two days. Our guides were very nice and we could really speak about anything (including politics, the first time in this country). I really learned a lot and the landscapes were well worth it. Check the pictures called easy riders.

I have added also two new slideshows: Hue and Hoi An in "getting into Vietnam" (see post below) and "Jungle Beach" where I really relaxed. Jungle Beach, whom I heard on the road is basically a place far from the tourists spots where the water is blue like I had never seen with my own eyes before and where the important questions sound like :Do I go for a nap or for a swim? Furthermore they were very nice people and I ended staying 5 days instead of two.



Finally I want to show you the fashion I have started: the layer tan

Probably my next post will be once I am in Phnom Penh (it takes so much time to upload and put comments on piuctures) and luckily I will have beautiful pictures from the Mekong Delta.

Thanks for all your comments/messages/suggestions and sorry that I do not answer more. I hope I can share a bit this already great experience with you.

Travellers, get your backpack!!!

Next to my impressions about Vietnam I met so many travellers that I cannot help thinking about you all back in Europe who told me you would like to travel. Here are a couple of people i met:
-An American couple who were on the road for 17 months and had visited 28 countries,
-A kiwi couple touring South East Asia for a couple of months before heading to live in Berlin,
-A mother where her own parents (age: 60) backpacking a couple of weeks in Vietnam,
-A Belgian couple with their 13 months (Caludine/Tom c est pour vous!!) touring South East Asia before visiting Eastern Europe with a van.

And so many solo travellers (ranging from 20 to 60) doing the South East package (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam), or adding India/Nepal to it. And many of them having actually quit their job.

The point of this is not make you quit yours but just to confirm that travelling many months has nothing exceptional and that if you really want it, it can certainly happen :-)

I hope I have convinced a few undecided.

Getting into Vietnam

It's been now 2.5 weeks down the road and because I cannot upload pictures I would like to quickly share my feelings so far.
I realised that my first post was rather negative and I reckon it was simply the culture shock (especially because Hanoi offers rather the negative side of Vietnam (messy, dirty, people harassing you to sell something and not as nice as Vietnamese in the South)) but this is now over.

Over the past 10 days I realised that I need to be in phase with Vietnam and it starts with adapting myself with the time here: Vietnam wakes up at 5.30 (before the sun gets too strong) and school children are all out at 6.30 etc.. Just by doing this I have been able to see more of the life here like sun rises, kids biking to school or Vietnamese exercising in the morning.

I also have been able to meet more locals which is always a good sign. Bus rides are very helpful for that. I had three funny ones: 1) a 16h night seeting bus being the only non-Vietnamese 2) one to come to Dalat through a new road that is actually not finished yet and 3) a "sleeping" night bus ride in which my legs did not fit and during which I realised that the roads in belgium are actually in a pretty good state.

Overall I think Vietnam is a good first destination because is it still pretty easy (with regards to accomodation and food especially) while I heard from fellow travellers that Laos and Cambodia will be more challenging. I should be in Cambodia (crossing the border on the Mekong river) probably in about a week.
It is hard to tell if I really like Vietnam because I simply had to adapt to many new things that probably I did not enjoy the country as much as I should and I cannot compare it to any similar country (yet). Landscapes are nice (beautiful beaches and I am about to visit the hills) but the fact that the country is so disorganised and therefore you cannot do much by yourself bothers me. I love just getting lost in the streets but here you always get a motorbike approaching you.
The real Vietnam should have been visited 10 years ago and if you plan to visit it do it quickly otherwise you will just see concrete everywhere (the pace at which they build is sadly very fast).

I hope to be able to post pics of Hué (nice), Hoi An (very disappointing because far too touristic and especially to much set up as the Westerners want it to look like) and Jungle Beach where I have spent 5 wonderful relaxing days.

First week: Impressions

This is now a week that I left and I am still into the integration period (trying not to get screwed/scammed, getting my first words of Vietnamese, etc...): have a look at the album Vietnam: Hanoi and Halong Bay (upper right) for the pics and most of the comments.

The best so far has undoubtedly been the food: This is really excellent (springrolls or squid here are fantastic) ; first I stuck to restaurants only but now I try from time to time street shops: I never know what I eat but it is always good. Next time I'll take pictures.
One very nice thing I enjoy is bargaining. I never really thought I would like it but if you don't do it, they really screw you so bargaining becomes a game and sometimes I even go to shop just to see how I could get their first quote down.

The worst has been the hassling by taxis and motorbikes trying to give you rides all the time. With the backpack on, you look like the perfect target for them and it is even worse when you get off of any public transport.

I had the junior traveler experience last sunday when I had forgotten to change my clock from Hong-Kong time and because of that I was certain I did not have time to visit the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum whereas the locals told me I could do it. They must have taken me for a fool!!
Another mistake is the clothes I packed: I am equipped for a 30 degrees climate not a 15ish with lihgt rain but this is easily adjustable.

Since the weather has been too close to what I had in Amsterdam I'm going South to Hué et Hoi An in order to get the sun. I hope I'll be able to have pics with blue sky in the next post.