Travel with Hafeez - Vietnam II

I continued my travel towards north. My first stop was Nha Trang, about 321 kms away. The bus fare was $ 10 and travel time about eight hours. The bus was very comfortable but there were a few foreign tourists who were talking loudly all the way. However, the locals exhibited appropriate manners and genteel behavior.

The bus mostly went through forests. Firstly it passed through Phan Rang, a famous air base during Vietnam War. It was lush green, mostly with jatropha curcas, a small tree for biofuel better than sugar cane, corn and palm oil. Next was Phan Thiet, famous for its fish sauce industry. The area was fertile with orchards laden with Green Dragon fruit which grows only in this region.

The bus reached Nha Trang at about 6 a.m. The moment I got down, I was surrounded by a number of touts, drivers of mottos and taxis. But they were not aggressive. I showed a taxi driver a card on which Van Hotel was scribbled in Vietnamese script. One dollar was agreed upon and soon I was in the Van Hotel, (19 Hai Ba Trung St Nha Trang City, Viet Nam ( 0903 – 503434). A young man, apparently receptionist, greeted me but could speak no English. He fetched the manager, Van Hue Phuong, a graceful and well-mannered lady. She just asked me for my passport and instructed the staff to take me immediately to my room as she could see my red-eyes and disheveled attire due to night- travel.

After about 5 hours rest, I went out to explore the area. I could easily find the seaside famous for a long beach with year round warm water. I walked along the beach on Tran Phu Boulevard lined with lovely villas, luxurious hotels and restaurants interspersed with museums, libraries, clubs and souvenir shops. The place was relatively calm because of few motorbike, the primary mode of transportation.

People were walking or cycling which made it pollution free and tranquil. The sea was dotted with islands in the clear ocean blue water. I was mesmerized by the water touching white sand and gentle onshore winds.

While walking, I ran into a scuba diving joint. A salesperson tried to lure me for amazing seabed, startling beauty of soft coral, colorful species and butter-fly fish. Having been to Great Barrier Reef of Australia and Los Testigos in Brazil, her sale pitch did not impress me and I moved on.

While walking on the coastal highway, I noticed two signboards, one of “Hot Spring” and another of “Po Nagar Cham Tower”, both in the same direction.

Through hotel, I booked tour to Hot Spring paying about $6. A van picked me up from the hotel and dropped me at the gate of the spring Centre. A guide briefly told me that the place is popularly known as mud-bath. The mud comes from rocks and volcanic ash from the nearby mountain. I was further told that the mud helps cure inflammation.

The affairs at spring centre were well arranged. First, rent a box and put your clothes and shoes therein. Second, take a shower and purify you body. Third take a dip in the mud bath. Being alone, a caretaker requested a small family to accommodate me in small wooden tub. For about 20 minutes, all were soaked in mud. Thereafter, it was time for a sun bath which dried the mud into crusty shells. Finally, there was a massage by warm spray of water strongly ejecting from two parallel stone walls hardly 1 meter apart. This completely cleaned the body from all the mud.

Afterwards, I moved to another area where there were hot-water falls and large swimming pools.

Had a hearty lunch and walked around till 3 p.m. which marked the time for return to the hotel. However, I asked the van driver to drop me at the temple.

Po Nagar is a temple. It consists of 3 levels. The highest level has two rows of towers. One, known as North Tower, has terraced pyramidal roof. Two musicians flank a dancing four-armed Shiva. The doorposts contain inscription carved centuries ago. Besides, there are another three towers. All form part of a complex perched on Mountain Cu Lao. Standing in the courtyard of the temple, one can have a magnificent view of the beautiful landscapes of the coastal region.

People of all faith visit the temple and place offerings. A guide pointed that quite a few childless couples pray for fertility. .

Though main festival begins in March, a group was performing dances at the time my visit. Five girls were dancing on the beat of drum and chanted songs which resembled Hindu devotional songs like Bhajans and aartis. Their rhythmical movement, in costume matching with the wall of the temples was soothing to eyes and ears.

A visit to temple marked end of Nha Trang and onward travel to Dalat, my next destination

At about 10 p.m., I left for Dalat on a minibus. The driver handed over to me bottled water and a pack of perfumed wet tissues. With usual honking, bouncing and swerving, the van went through city traffic. The area was lush green with paddy fields and trees. Soon it entered mountainous region on a winding road flanked by cactus plants, scrubs and wild flowers. The speed slowed down as the road gained height to reach its destination some 205 km away at an altitude of 1500 meters. There was a brief stop to take a leak behind the bushes and to buy fruits like tamarinds, custard apples, mangoes and some sort of green fruit with sweet white flesh. The scenery became awesome when the van crossed thick forest of coniferous trees and aloe wood.

The van stopped at various places and passengers got down one after another. At one point, the driver asked me where I wanted to go.  I said “Dalat”, and he replied with a broad smile, “This is Dalat”.  Only then, I decided to leave the van.  I looked around and found three adjoining hotels in a corner.  I checked all and selected one having a window with a view.  The manager did not know a word of English.  He disappeared for a while and when he returned he had with him a sleepy girl barely 12 years old.  But she knew perfect English and helped the manager, probably her father, to negotiate the terms: room rent $10, no breakfast, no internet, no guests, check-out 12:30 pm; nothing unusual, only a poetic name: Hotel Mai Hien, Hoang Van, Dalat,  ph 063 837733.

After about two hours rest, I went out to have a feel of the town. Nothing extra-ordinary: same small shops, malls with foods on the ground level and garments upstairs. The stores were filled with rows and rows of dried fruit, sweets, and coffee. Some had live fish and frogs in big pans with a transparent lid.

Leaving markets, I moved towards the residential area. There were old buildings mostly French styled like King Bao Dai Palace. It was architectural delight to see old and fine houses and mansions.

While wandering around, I came across a familiar face, a Japanese who was in the same tour I was for Ku Che Tunnels. We met like old friends and joined forces to explore the area. Hashimotto was well versed with the history and told me that Dalat was same as it was century ago as, by a tacit agreement during last Vietnam war, both Hanoi and Saigon refrained from bombing the city. Indeed, it was great place to chill out, literally and metaphorically.

By strolling around, we came to lake lying in the city centre. Named Xuan Houng Lake, it was in the shape of a crescent moon. Seemed a poetic site as it had attracted a lot of visitors. I am always on the look-out for an opportunity to have un-interrupted long walks. I persuaded Hashimotto to have a complete circle of the lake, somewhere 7 km. It proved very rewarding as the path was under the shade of pine trees. The lake surface was smooth like glass reflecting shadows of trees and plants. It was a little windy but it waved trees reflection in the lake adding ripple effects.

There seemed a lot of festivities: some sitting under the ancient conifers to fish, some paddling the boats looking like a giant swans. Just by sticking to the path we passed by several of Dalat's main sights, including the flower gardens, golf club, Thuy Tu Restaurant famous for its exceptional architecture and, of course, the majestic hilltop Hotel, Sofitel Dalat Palace.

While moving, I asked many passers-by about Cremaillere Railway. Most could point out the direction but hardly anyone knew if it was still operative.

In the evening, we went to a popular place, Trong Dong, for dinner. Starting with shrimp grilled on sugar cane, we had bananas, green papaya, and rice crackers.  In the next round, we gulped venison with onion, flat bread with sesame seeds.  As if this was not enough, we got rice, fished in tamarind sauce, chicken with ginger and mixed vegetables.  We washed all with pineapple and watermelon juices. The cost came around  $8 per head. 

Next morning, I went to Dalat Flower Park situated on a hilltop covering a vast area. It was full of species of beautiful flowers and fuchsias. There were a number of shaded buildings where orchids were grown in coconut palm trunks and in terracotta pots with innumerable ventilation holes.

In the afternoon, I braced myself for a 16-hours journey to Danag, about 746 kms away. Though a bus-ride is cheaper, there is a price to pay: neck stiffens, back aches and bottom burns. But one moves on.