You So Pretty, Like Model, Cheerleader

We have met and befriended our first lady boy. Holler. Quick recap:

Last Thursday, we left Saigon (after some awesome nights of drinking Vietnamese beer and singing karoke with my cousins and uncle- a priceless time) and went to Buon Ma Thout, where my uncle made us wild boar and porcupine. Yum. We saw some cool ethnic minorites and sweet waterfalls. Then, we headed to the city of Da Lat. Da Lat is awesome, as it was untouched by war and has really maintained its French influence. It's pretty awesome having been to Vietnam 11 years ago, then to Paris 2 years ago, then back to Vietnam because now I understand the French influence in the architecture and the city structure. There are large streets built around flower islands and many buildings might have well come from France itself.

Dan and I loved Da Lat, as it looked so much like San Francisco. It was even cool and foggy. We drove around Lak Lake, which was covered with kids flying colorful kites, and young lovers. We drove in a janky jeep up to the top of the city, and also rode up and down a "rollercoaster" to visit a waterfall. The rollercoaster was gheeeeeto and freakin scary, but we obviously survived to tell the tale. Our last night in Da Lat, we saw some tribal dancing, and said tearful goodbyes to my extended family. I now understand why foreigners rave so much about the Vietnamese people. They may have little to give, but will offer you everything they have. This has only been my 2nd trip to Vietnam and my family members have treated Dan and I to experiences we could never have imagined.

That morning, Dan, my mom, and I left for a day in Nha Trang, which was crawling with tourists and awesome nem nuong. Dan shall rave about how good it is in his post.

These past few days, we spent in Hoi An, a charmingly awesome city that has been our favorite so far. To get there, we were on a sleeper bus for 12 hours. Beds piled on top of each other with little cubbies to stick your feet. Asian people are so weird. On the bus we met a French couple; they are accountants in their early 30's. The man is Vietnamese and left Vietnam at 5 years old for Paris, where he has stayed since. They have pretty much had the same travel plans thus far so it's fun running into them and talking to them in 3 languages- Dan speaks to the wife in English, while I speak to her husband in Vietnamese. Then we translate to each other with our respective languages.

All throughout Hoi An, Dan and I kept talking about who we know that would love such and such place. It's a tiny little town with ancient Chinese, Japanese, and French influence. We spent the day visiting temples, the famous Japenese bridge, and museums with architecture that was incredibly unique. In addition, Hoi An is known for its silk and its tailoring, and where there's fashion, there's trannies. Out of the dozens of stores, of course I am lured in by the prettiest Vietnamese man I have ever seen. My mom and I each get a wool coat made, and Dan gets a silk shirt and a linen shirt.

Hoi An was crawling with tourists- more than any other city we have seen. And, since the people are so used to them, there was little begging, pushing, and pursuing from the sales people. We were happy to be left alone for at least a few days. I also fell so in love with the stores and restaurants that were devoted to helping the villagers. Hoi An is a UNESCO Cultural Heritage site, which means money is invested in the city to perserve its history. We ate at a restaurant that help pay local children's school fees, and at another that helped keep the city's river clean. We went twice to a store/workshop that is completely run by people who are physically and mentally disabled; their work was amazing. On both visits, we also had to stop by the French bakery next door to fulfill ice cream and pastry cravings.

Today, Dan and I are on our own, as my mom has flown back to Saigon to be with her family until she goes back to America this weekend. We came to Hue by noon and are now completely over the city, and it's only 6:30pm. There is little to be impressed by; even the little things about other cities are more charming than Hue's massive citadel. Tomorrow, we leave for Hanoi on the Reunification Express. I think it's something like 13 hours in a sleeper train. I'm hoping it has chocolate covered frogs and every flavor jelly beans a la Hogwarts Express. We'll let you know :)