Fulfilling a dream in Chiang Mai

I have always wanted a chance to be near elephants. I am an avid Animal Planet watcher, and have watched countless documentaries about elephants which lead me to fall in love with these creatures for as long as I can remember. When I knew I was coming back to Thailand, I started researching elephant camps. Basically there are a few types of excursions involving elephants, firstly there is elephant riding where you can ride the elephant in carriages placed on their backs. Secondly there are elephant shows that you can watch where the elephants are trained to do sports or paint on canvas. Thirdly there are the elephant training camps that you can stay at and learn how to be a Mahout (which is an elephant trainer that spends their entire life caring for a single elephant) I would just like to mention that I feel very uncomfortable about the elephant shows, I find the whole thing so shameful that a giant and sacred beast should have to go on display and do such unnatural things like kicking a soccer ball~ but that’s just my opinion.

Baanchang Elephant Park:
In Thailand using elephants to log has been illegal for many years and the primary job of the elephants in Thailand are for tourism. As mentioned before, there are many types of things that elephants can do for the purpose of tourism. The amounts of wild elephants in Asia are scarce (3000 out of 30 000 approx), and the majority of elephants spend their entire life in camps. There are many camps that are dedicated to providing their elephants with a habitat that is close to what they would have in the wild.

I am extremely happy with our choice of going to Baachang Elephant Park. I really wanted to learn about elephants and not only ride them for a short time in a basket and I was adamant about not choosing a camp that preformed the shows.

For the first part of the day our trainer taught us some basic commands and actions for right, left, forward, backward and stop. After we had the theory down he introduced us to the elephants. He instructed us to keep on feeding them the ripe bananas and sugar cane until the bags ran out. The whole time he was watching us to see how we interacted with the elephants and to see the response we got back for the elephants. I must admit that I was super excited and psyched for the experience but as I approached the elephant I began to feel a little nervous. Standing next to them and looking up I realized just how massive and powerful they were. All the elephants were very friendly and gentle, each Mahout stood next to them and showed us how to put entire bunches of bananas into their mouths. Elephants don’t like green bananas, and they are bad for their teeth. They really enjoy things that are sweet. Once the treats were finished, we started our practical training.

Lesson I – How to get on an elephant:
Every elephant is trained by a Mahout, therefore the way to get on it can differ from animal to animal. Some lie down, some lift you on their trunk, some you climb on their legs etc. For our training we learned and practiced on two elephants that did it the same way. We used a command to get the elephant to raise her front left leg then we stood on it while hold tightly to her ear. After stabilizing we had to basically jump and hoist our self onto her neck then wiggle our way up close to her ears. It was frightening at first, but the Mahout and guide really helped us by boosting us onto their backs and holding on to us in case we slipped. Looking at the distance from the floor to the top of the elephant it literally seems impossible that we could somehow manage to be on top, but luckily our entire group was able to do it without too much problems. After making it on top of the elephant of course we had to get down, which was equally as challenging. Again, luckily the guide and Mahout were there to help us down. We each tried getting on and off three times, then it was time to move onto our second lesson.

Lesson II – learning how to use our commands
Knowing our commands in theory is different than actually using them practically. It seems when you are sitting on top of a huge elephant, your mind wants to go blank. After trying the commands a few times, we were tested by maneuvering the elephant around a tree and back to the beginning and stopping. It was so exciting to learn the commands and actually see them work. I never felt unsafe, as the entire time the Mahout was walking with the elephant. Mahouts train the elephants from babies, so the elephant listens and obeys them entirely. Even though the elephants know we are not their Mahout, they are use to being with different people… but on occasion we were told they can be naughty, that is why the Mahout is always near by.

Lesson III – riding through the forest
After a delicious lunch, our guide informed us that he had picked elephants for each of us. Luckily our group was only six people, so we were all able to get our own elephant. During our morning the guide has been watching and studying us so that he could pick an elephant that best suited us. My elephant was such a sweet girl. I was told that she is extremely gentle, walks very slow and carefully and doesn’t wander off to eat a lot. I guess the guide could sense that I was a bit nervous and could see I have terrible balance. Andrew was put on an elephant that was a fast walker… but always needed to go at the back of the group behind my elephant who slows her down. It was so fascinating to learn about all six of their different personalities. We learned that an elephant can sometimes not like a person, for example one of the elephants at the camp didn’t like the guide because he had a loud voice and once head butted him over two metres.

It was easy to get on my elephants back, she layed down and I climbed on her leg and shimmied up to her neck. The guide was right, she was such a gentle soul and immediately I fell in love with her. She never veered from the path and while going down muddy and rocky paths she would step with preciseness and it seemed that she would contemplate here every move.

The grounds for the elephant park were gorgeous, it was a huge forest with winding paths that went up and down with many trees. Some elephants stopped to eat trees and scratch themselves on the tree trunks. Half way through we dismounted our elephants to let the Mahouts take them for a walk to get water and food. The second half of the trek was even more spectacular, the terrain became steeper and a bit more challenging. Even though we all shouted out commands to our elephants and did the things we learned in theory, we knew they were truly being lead by our Mahouts who were walking next to us the entire time and by the fact they naturally follow each other.

Lesson III – bathing the elephants
After our two hour trek, we took our elephants to the pond for a bath and a scrub. We used buckets to throw water on their entire bodies and scrubbed their skin with brushes. It was our last time to be with them and I tried to soak up those last few minutes. My elephant was so cute and she layed on her side with her head under the water, when she needed to take a breath her trunk would pop out from beneath the water.

Oh my eyes are burning!!!
Just before lunch was served, we were washing up when the guide yelled “Come over look at this!” We all ran over and to our surprise there were two elephants trying to…. make a baby, mate, do the deed etc. In retrospect it was a privilege to witness such a thing, but at the moment it was… shocking!!! The whole scene was very “Animal Planet”

The entire day was such a great learning experience; it was great to be so close to them and to witness the bond between the Mahout and the elephant. We will always remember and treasure this day!!!

The following day after the elephant camp:
O U C H !!!

~ Nicola

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Baan Chiang Elephant Camp

Chilling in Chiang Mai....

One week in Chiang Mai:
We really loved our time in Chiang Mai. We decided to stay one whole week, which at the rate of speed that we have been travelling lately is a long time. We could have easily spent much longer here, but luckily in one week we were able to accomplish and see a lot of things.

Chiang Mai is located in Northern Thailand it has all the amenities of a modern city like Bangkok, yet it lacks the chaos. Not only does the city have an important history but it is beautifully surrounded by mountains adding to the appeal. Within the city and on the outskirts there are many Wats (temples) to visit. For the adventurous tourists there are things to do like bungee jumping, zip lining, visiting Tiger Kingdom, Bamboo rafting and much more. There are also treks to the jungle, meditation retreats or elephant camps to name a few. Basically there is something for everyone

Meditating in Wat Suan Dok:
The second day in Chiang Mai we were signed up for an overnight meditation retreat in Wat Suan Dok, which is a temple located right in the city. But since there were only five people in our group we couldn’t go to the centre to stay overnight, but instead we spent a full day with a Buddhist Monk discussing basic Buddhist principles and learning and practicing a few meditation techniques. Both Andrew and I really enjoyed the class, the Monk was so inspiring and insightful and his message was easy to understand when he spoke to us in that peaceful way that only a monk can do. Obviously completing one day is only an introduction to meditation however we started the day with no expectations and ended it with a thirst to know more.

Monks in Thailand:
While writing this blog it occurred to me that if someone has not travelled to South East Asia they may not know that most countries here are predominately Buddhist. Coming from the West the sight of a Buddhist monk is not very common and I can probably count on my one had how many times I have seen one on the streets of Toronto. Here in Thailand monks are a common sight not only in the Wats but on the streets at any time of the day. They dress in bright coloured robes usually orange and live a simple life. During my first trip to Thailand I was very surprised at the amount of monks I saw, but quickly I became use to the sight. I realized just how much they were woven into the Thai daily life and culture. However, even now occasionally I will catch myself starring at them on the street with curiosity. Every morning you can see them receiving offerings of food from lay people on the streets. In Thailand there a different types of monks, some spending their whole life draped in robes or others only entering monkhood for a short time. It is common for boys to enter for a few months and it is considered a great honour for the family. I’m not expert on Monks but that is a few facts that I have learned during my stay in Thailand.

Chatting with Monks at “Monk Chat” at Suan Dok:
The following day after the meditation clinic we decided to go back to the Wat for something called “Monk Chat”. It is a night dedicated to foreigners at the temple to chat informally with monks about any topic. Andrew, Daphne (a Dutch girl that we had met at the clinic), and me were paired with three monks. There were quite a few people attending but we were all in small groups to keep things intimate. Our little group was perfect there were no awkward silences just light conversation. The monks were all students going to the University in the temple and we got the feeling that as much as we learned and gained from them, they also learned from us chatting about our countries and cultures. What a great night it was for us, and again I felt inspired and lucky to be able to experience the things that I have in my life!

Some other activities that we did during the week:
Muay Thai fight: On our first night in the city we bought tickets to watch a fight at a local stadium. There were five fights and it was very exciting to see it live.

Night Safari: It is a huge complex located on a 1.3 million sq km National Park. We sat on open sided trams and went through the park seeing lions, tigers, deers, wolves, birds, giant cats etc. It was definitely an interesting experience but sometimes we feel being in a zoo or something like that can be a somewhat uncomfortable feeling, although there it seemed the natural habitat was replicated quite well.

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep: located outside Chiang Mai near the top of a 1676m mountain is a Wat with amazing views. We had to walk up 306 steps to enter into the temple. Of course we also visited a few other Wats inside the city.

Thai food: Both Andrew and I love Thai food, and Chiang Mai had a lot of variety to offer. With our friend Dave that we met in meditation clinic we explored both the night market and the Sunday street market. (Shout out to Dave~ told you we would mention you!!!) Coincidently Dave is also a fellow Torontonian who lives not too far from us. There were so many stalls to choose from that making a decision wasn’t easy!

~Nicola

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Chiang Mai, Thailand

Thailand: third times a charm... Bangkok & Ayuttahya!

Bangkok again???
After leaving Hanoi in a really bad mood (argument with hotel staff) we took a flight to Bangkok. It was our third time in less than 1 ½ years. We felt only two days was necessary enough for us to experience the city. This visit we decided to get a guest house near the popular backpacker ghetto Khao San Rd. We stayed there for a couple of nights the first time we visited Bangkok, so we were curious to see if anything had changed. I am happy to report nothing has. The road is still lively aka noisy, there a still loads of enthusiastic tourists aka really really drunk foreigners and the street stalls still line the streets aka cheap Thai “bar food” I think Khao San Rd is definitely a guilty pleasure of a lot of backpackers, and after two nights we were certainly ready to move on. Of course during our short stay we had to go to Hanako, which is our favourite facial place located in the main shopping area.

Visiting ruins in Ayuthaya:
We left the hustle and bustle of Bangkok by train to Ayuthaya. We bought a couple of 3rd class tickets that cost combined CAD $1. Since we were in the lowest class we had no assigned seating without air conditioning and packed with passengers. Of course our fellow train passengers were less than happy with our big knapsacks looming over two empty seats.

Eventually we arrived in Ayuthaya four hours later, which was 2 ½ hours behind schedule. We found a really cute guesthouse named P.U Inn which really reminded us of the low key hostels we stayed at in South America.

The city is a former royal capital of Siam so the main reason to stop here is to visit the temple ruins. We hired a sawnghaew (a small pickup truck with seats in the back) for a few hours to take us around to all the ruins. Again, just like in the temples of Angkok they were a mixture of Hinduism and Buddhism. In the past few months we have visiting a lot of ruin site, but Ayuthaya we found to be quite interesting and easy to visit since the ruins were close together. Some of the sites were preserved nicely and during the night they are lit up with lights, something a little different than other places

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Ayutthaya, Thailand

~Nicola

We're alone in Halong Bay...

I now understand what all the fuss about Halong Bay is about. It’s breathtaking, mysterious and even a little eerie all at the same time. The islands look like they are tall green points looming over the turquoise water. They are varied in size and height, but all seem to be covered with thick vegetation that gives the islands a green glow. Our two day journey of Halong Bay was definitely a highlight of our time in Vietnam.

We were extremely hesitant about booking the Halong Bay tour because we had heard of people arriving at the port that is located three hours away from Hanoi and not getting the boat or services that were paid for. There are so many tour agencies to choose from and without the port nearby to verify the boat the only thing to go by is the pictures you are shown. Our entire time in Vietnam we used a tour company named Sinh Café to bus between cities or for city tours. It was a company recommended in our guidebook and it conveniently had locations in every city on the tourist trail. The weird thing about Hanoi was there were literally hundreds of tour companies called Sinh café, with the same logo. Now obviously not all the companies are legit, other companies used the name Sinh Café to capitalize on their good reputation. We decided to ask some guests in our hotel if they were happy with the tour that they booked through the agency in our hotel, all of the guests had positive feedback so we decided to give them our business and book the Halong Bay excursion.

The boats are known as “junks” and ours thankfully turned out to be great. We were a small group of eight passengers and our group leader was a kooky Vietnamese dude who asked us to call him Maverick. Maverick A.K.A. a character from the movie "Top Gun" (One of his favourite movies along with Sleepless in Seattle and Face Off) Our junk came equipped with a top deck for sunbathing, a dining room and cabins with two double beds air conditioning and private bathroom and A LOT of staff. I’m still not clear what each staff member did on the boat. We definitely didn’t go hungry on board, the cooks made us amazing Vietnamese meals.

On our first day we took a three hour minibus to the port where we boarded the junk. Thankfully our small group was composed of great people and almost immediately we became friends with a couple named Ray and Tara who were on their honeymoon. (Hi guys I told you we would do a shout out!) They were really nice people who had just started their trip of six months through South East Asia. For the next while we all sat and chat and became acquainted with each other. We docked at the caves and Maverick lead us off the boat and up to the entrance. Honestly, I was surprised at how cool the caves were. They were huge and as we walked from area to area each was lit up with coloured spotlights, which gave the stalactites an extra creepy quality. After about an hour of walking through the caves we were overheating and ready to board the junk again. In a few minutes we set sail and were off to another area to kayak around the bay. During this trip I have somehow been able to do the things that neither interest me or that I am afraid to do. A perfect example is kayaking, for some reason I have always been opposed to kayaking. Actually the kayaking was another highlight of Halong Bay. We were told to be out for an hour and we could basically go anywhere we wanted. It was amazing to be so close to the islands, each one standing so high above the sea level and the rock faces were rough and jaggedly shaped by the tide. The turquoise water was bright and completely still without any waves. We had information from Maverick that there were caves and we knew the general direction to where they were. Eventually Andrew and I found a small opening in one of the islands and we kayaked through. The water in Halong Bay was very calm the entire time, but in the cave it was dark, damp and eerily still. We both admitted it was a freaky feeling to be gliding on the water in dead silence.

After kayaking it was time to sail out to another section of the bay to go swimming and to anchor for the night. Maverick told us that it was ok to jump off the top desk into the water… everyone stood looking overboard with hesitation because of the height. Of course Andrew was the first to do a running leap over the railing and plummet into the water. As the night began to fall, we enjoyed a great dinner and some drinks and laughs. It was a clear night and the stars were bright, what a great way to spend an evening.

It was an early rise the following morning and we set out sailing towards the port. We had a few hours to relax on the junk then we arrived at the port for lunch then it was another three hour ride back to Hanoi. We agree that the experience was great, and we are glad that we were fortunate enough to see Halong Bay.

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Halong Bay, Vietnam

~Nicola

Hell-o Ha-noi!

Our second long haul overnight bus wasn’t quite as torturous as the first one. For starters we picked our seats and therefore picked the ones that were the most comfortable. The bus was 13 hours, and for some sections felt like we were off roading on a gravel road. We arrived in Hanoi bright and early the next morning and again were lucky enough to find an amazing deal on a hotel room. This really surprised us because we had heard Hanoi would be particularly expensive. Our room was only $8 and had internet in the room, air conditioning, hot shower and two beds. Honestly, who could ask for more?
Andrew unfortunately came down with a cold and therefore needed to rest. Since we only had three days in the city before leaving for Halong Bay, feeling better was very important. I’m a little embarrassed to say, but we did not see any sights in Hanoi other than the shopping streets. Hanoi has a few streets that are full of shops the sell shoes and bags. Every type of running shoe knock-off you can imagine. The prices are dirt cheap, and frankly you cannot tell the difference between real or fake. We were told that Nike's are made here in Vietnam, and in fact the sneakers are the “real deal!” So currently, Andrew and I are the owners of seven brand new pairs of shoes! Buying so many meant that we had to ship yet another package home. Andrew was absolutely giddy with his purchases, it was like watching a kid after Christmas.

Our first real “negative” experience during our entire time away:
We have been so fortunate to not have encountered some of the things that you read about in your guide book. Most people that we have met are genuinely nice people that aren’t out to harm anyone. We acknowledge that people are out to make a “buck” off of foreigners, but that’s ok, although it’s not ok to lie or to be dishonest. When I started writing this blog earlier this week, my view of our hotel was a little different than it is at present. My opinion was changed from the sweet hotel with an amazing price to the hotel with a terribly dishonest staff member. After returning to the hotel after two wonderful days sailing around Halong Bay, we sat and chatted with the staff and waited for our taxi to the airport to arrive. Two hours later as our taxi pulled up, one of the employees, who could speak English well, asked us to pay for the taxi and our hotel bill. To make a long story short… this is when my opinion of the hotel changed. He accused us of not paying our bill, when it was him that we had paid before leaving for Halong bay. Obviously we would never try to walk away without paying, and it was him being extremely dishonest. It was our mistake to not have taken a receipt when we paid, so we had no proof. But this hotel was not a big hotel, there were maybe eight rooms in the entire building. It became quite a commotion and in the end, we left without repaying, I was sobbing in tears (as that is what I do when I’m upset), Andrew was yelling at the guy, the guy was yelling at Andrew, the owner (a sweet lady that couldn't speak English) was trying hard to diffuse the situation and was holding the guy back. In the end… the others apologized to us. Maybe they understood that we were telling the truth, or maybe they just didn’t want a big loud situation. Regardless, it was upsetting and I left the country in a bad crusty mood!

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Hanoi, Vietnam

~Nicola

We in the Hue (pronounced "way" get it?)

This was a city that we enjoyed for many different reasons. It was definitely a different pace from Hoi An… the shopping mecca. We both think it was an important place to visit while travelling through Vietnam. Around Hue there are many pagodas, temples, tombs, lakes and palaces, so it’s the perfect place to explore and discover. Also located only a few hours away is the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), Vinh Moc Tunnels and other sites mostly related to the War. (Vietnam War as it is known by Westerner’s or American War as it is known by the Vietnamese)

Fortunately for Andrew and I, my good friend Terri Samuels was kind enough to get us in contact with her aunt’s father-in-law who is a tour guide & restaurant owner in Hue named Mr. Trung. Mr. Trung was not only a great guy, but he knew a lot of information about the city and sites. Also he served in the Vietnam War as an officer, 1st Lieutenant, for the South which gave us a different perspective of the war.

One tour we took with Mr. Trung was a motorbike tour of Hue which was fantastic. I rode with Mr. Trung, who was an excellent and safe driver. Andrew rode with someone else, who also was very capable. Mr. Trung led us through the countryside riding along the embankments of the rice fields. It was surreal to be on the back of a motorbike and going through winding paths with fields all around us. This day we visited a rice museum, two pagodas, a royal tomb of Tu Duc, saw conical hats being made and watched a women make incents.

Our next tour was a private tour of the DMZ with Mr. Trung. Like I mentioned before Mr. Trung was an officer in the “American War” and he fought for the RVN; South Vietnam. He told us many stories about the war some being very difficult to imagine. As I looked at Mr. Trung’s smiling face and uplifting personality it was hard to envision all the awful things that he must have witnessed. Some of the few major things we were made aware of were the order and steps in which the two sides were separated and how the war ended. The biggest revelation for us was what life was like after the two sides were united under communism. We learned that after the North won the war, Mr. Trung was jailed for 2 ½ years. A lot of the officers of the south were promised safe passage to America after their time in the “re-education camp” was complete, but Mr. Trung received notification that he would not be granted that option. We figure the best thing when learning about history, especially one as complicated as Vietnam’s, is to keep an open ear and a closed mouth taking in all that you can and only forming an opinion after you have exhausted all resources. Even then it is best to keep it to yourself or those very close to you… such as this blog!!!

Hue was another great stop and luckily the rain held off long enough for us to get a few tours and some sightseeing in… When the rain came, it poured for two straight days and we were glad our bus could still make the long journey to our last stop here Vietnam, Hanoi!

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Hue, Vietnam

~Nicola & Andrew

The Vietnamese version of the ice cream truck w. annoying song

check this video

Nicola's new wrist wear...

Here is a play by play of the event...

don't mind the angle of the video's we can't keep them rotated...

All done!!

Clothes + beautiful town = who could ask for more???

If you are in need of a tailor then look no further… Hoi An is a city where you need to be!!! The tailors can make you anything that your heart desires. Literally you can’t walk a couple steps without seeing a tailor shop that is willing to make you clothes or shoes for a fraction of the cost at home. Do you need a custom made business suite? How about a dress? Or jeans? How about shoes, boot, sandals? There are endless possibilities of options in Hoi An, and the best part is that it is all made custom fit for you. The tailors here are master “copiers” and they can complete a garment in 24 hours. Of course the workmanship differs from shop to shop so it’s best to shop around and make sure you check out the fabrics.

Andrew indulged and bought himself another business suit from Yaly’s, which is a tailor shop with a very good reputation in Hoi An. The process is easy, firstly you pick your fabric (which ranges in prices and quality) then you pick your style. Luckily for Andrew, he already was familiar with suitable styles for his figure so he knew the cut and fabric that he was looking for. The last step is to be measured. We went to Yaly’s in the afternoon and we were told to come back the following day for his first fitting at 11:00am. Talk about FAST sewing. The next day we returned and magically the suit was complete. A few adjustments were made and the suit was delivered to our hotel the following evening. Let’s hope this suit brings Andrew a job when we get home!!!

As for me, after much thought I decided to get myself a coat made. It was a great fit, and like Andrew’s suit it was ready for pick up the following day. It was hard not to walk away from Hoi An with a whole new wardrobe.

No pain, No gain… isn’t that how it goes???
I decided to be a good traditional Asian women and buy a Jade bangle. The process was a bit of a struggle….. But eventually I did end up squeezing my hand into a brand new Jade bangle. For those of you who don’t know, a Jade bangle should fit as tight as possible around your wrist. That means that it must somehow get over the thickest part of your hand. The process involved a lot of soap and a lot of elbow grease. There I was in the back room of a jewelry store leaned over a bucket (so that if I dropped the bracelet it wouldn’t break on the floor) the owner of the store instructed me to push the bangle with all my effort over my soap lathered hand. It got stuck somewhere around the thickest part of my hand, and then Andrew did the last shove and finally the bangle was on… and after all that struggle it will never be removed!
Now as for Hoi An, the city it is a beautiful capture of how Vietnamese towns looked in a time long ago. Hoi An was one of the original Viet port towns for trading with neighbours near and far. Luckily for the town it was surpassed as a viable port and thus maintained its old world charm. It also kept the mix of distant cultures that came here during the original trading days. The city has lot of Chinese influence and you definitely feel like you’re in Asia when you walk down the tiny streets especially at night when many lanterns are lit and line the street. The food here is very authentic and can satisfy all appetites. Overall Hoi An was a treat for the senses and should not be missed on a trip to Vietnam.

My Son
On our way up the country we read about and heard from other travellers about the archaeological site My Son, pronounced "Me Sun". It is one of the Chams largest religious sites with construction starting in the 4rth century and continuing until the 12th century and is a UNESCO world heritage site. The area is quite large and has many of the near 100 structures still standing though most were destroyed or damaged during the war. The geography of the area also shows signs of the bombings with many large craters all over the site. For our excursion we decided to take an early morning tour departing at 6am and arriving at 7:15am. The lighting was perfect and the tour was very informative. The Cham peoples building practices were carried all over S-E Asia and can be seen in Cambodia (Angkor Wat), Burma and Malaysia because of this the structures at the site reminded us of what we had previously seen in Angkor except in a more raw and natural state. Much of the site has been damaged from the war, but it has been left to the effects of time with little reconstruction and allows us to appreciate how well their temples stood through the ages.

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Hoi An, Vietnam

~Nicola

Nha Trang... Nah Man

Nha Trang:
Nha Trang is located on the coast, it is a beach town and many people go there to relax or to dive. We have to admit that we were a little disappointed with Nha Trang. The beach was dirty and the food in town was mostly Western.
One day we took a taxi to see the towers of Po Nagar, which is an archaeological site located just outside the main city. They were built by Champa people between the 7th-12th centuries for religious purposes. After the hot and humid morning of exploring Po Nagar we decided it would be nice to treat ourselves to a day at a mud spa that was located nearby. Actually the spa turned out to be one of our favourite days in Nha Trang. There were a bunch of small bathtubs and we picked one turned on a facet which filled the tub with mud. We were told to soak in it for about 20 minutes… it brought back memories of a few months ago in the mud volcano in Colombia only the mud wasn’t nearly as thick. Apparently the mud has many minerals in it, which is great for your skin. After the mud bath we sat in the sun for 10 mins and waited for the mud to dry. We then went in the mineral water shower to clean off all the mud. After showering we headed to the hot mineral baths where we sat for about 5 mins. (It was a little uncomfortable to sit there as the weather and the water was so hot) The last step was to go to the swimming pools and relaxed for a while until it was time for our 1 hr massages. It was a great massage, even if the masseuse held onto a bar suspended from the roof while walking on my back. Thank goodness, she was tiny!!!!
We were frustrated with the lack of Vietnamese food, so we consulted our guide book and found a restaurant that was recommended for both Western and Vietnamese food. As I sat at the table looking at the menu, Andrew looks at me with wide eyes and says, “Whatever you do, don’t turn around.” Anyone who knows me knows that I am a jumpy person and that critters really freak me out!!! So naturally I get really freaked out by the seriousness of his face and jump up and run to the other side of the table. It turns out that there is a RAT the size of a small cat climbing up the wall behind me. Hearing the commotion the owner of the restaurant came over, laughs and tries to shoo the “creature” out of the restaurant. The rat drops to the floor and scurries across the restaurant… like a moth to a flame it runs for me and touches my foot in its escape! Teetering on the verge of insanity/breakdown I scream on the top of my lungs and stand on a chair. I’m embarrassed to say, that the situation wasn’t pretty and that I did actually start crying… the whole time listening to the owner of the restaurant explain some crap about us all being one of God’s creatures!

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Nha Trang, Vietnam

~Nicola

Video of the market in Dalat

Here is a video of some typical items found in the market in Dalat