We booked our bus from Nha Trang to Da Lat and packed our bags ready for the off. We were told its a long arduous journey as Da Lat is high up in the mountains so we made sure the booking office wrote SITTING BUS in big block letters on the form, NO MORE SLEEPING BUSES FOR US!!!!! Why would they run them in the day anyway?

Thursday Morning [We have now been here for 2 weeks!!!] We scrambled down our breakfast as the coach was due at 7.15 and waited, and waited and waited. At 9am up rumbled the SLEEPER BUS to Dalat! We started having a hissy fit but suddenly no-one spoke English or understood our animated gestures so we had no choice but to get on and lie down. The bus was an older model than the one we had before and we were relieved to see we didn't have to put our feet in a box and there did seem a bit more room and the seats did rise to a semi sitting position even though our legs were straight out in front of us. I buried my head in my book and tried not to think, if we crash or go over the side of a mountain how the hell would we get out or how would anyone get in to rescue you [I don't think they bother with all that rescue palaver here mind you, they'd probably just have your luggage away and leave you to rot].

Just as I thought it couldn't get much worse, we arrived at an unmade part of the road and, apart from the innard shaking, we were following a lorry which threw up clouds of dust and for a good half hour we were driving with a bus full of dust, I had to breath through my top pulled up over my mouth, and all the windows shut. The downside of having the older bus with no box for your feet is that there is no air con. When we arrived at our destination the luggage compartment door had been left open and everything was covered in a thick layer of dust which then transfered to our clothes when we picked up our bags and I can still taste it now, the next day, as I am writing this. Well I finished my book on the journey and, once we were back on tarmac and having stopped off at a very pleasant watering hole by a river and overcome my fears of entrapment [for now] I have to say it was a very pleasant journey, lovely scenery up-up into the mountains.

We were dropped off at a delightful Lodging house called Pink Villa which is very pink and run by 'Rot' He is a lovely guy and he informed us he runs his own trips in a mini bus for 10 people away from the tourist traps to see the countryside and visit his family who live in a hill tribe in the mountains where no other tourists go [we will see] he says he is the only guide who speaks their language [we will see that as well] He says its a bit more expensive than you will normally pay but it is worth it and we can have a free lunch with his sister in the hill tribe village[hmmm] Well he seems like a genuine guy and we have been taken in and will be going on his 120k trip tomorrow . I must admit it does sound fab and I will let you know when we get back how it all went.

Our frst impressions of Da Lat were; its just another Vietnamese City, we could be anywhere, with the same noise, the same bikes, the same street sellers, cafe's, markets etc. We've driven miles to get here and, apart from its colder, there doesn't seem much to see. Basically we were expecting some where smaller and quainter and felt a little disappointed. But we've had time to explore today and it really is a nice place. We visited the 'Crazy House' 'A freewheeling architectural exploration of surrealism' [roughly translated as fascinating and fun, anyone who visits Dalat should go and if you can, push the boat out and stay the night] We also went in a cable car, to the Linh Phouc Pagoda, which was described in the Lonely planet as 'Not for the fainthearted'[The cable car, not the pagoda] so we were very proud to have faced our fears once again. We ended the afternoon engaged in our favourite pastime; having a beer on a street corner watching the scene unfold. It amazes us that this scene is played out in every Vietnamese town and city virtually 24/7. Vietnam towns and cities are non stop hustle and bustle. there are no quiet times, every hour is rush hour and it's fascinating. I don't think we would ever tire of just watching and marveling at everything that goes on. Try to have a look at our photo's they by no means capture it totally but will give you an idea of how constantly busy everything is.

Early night tonight, we have our tip with Rot tomorrow and want to be on top form!