From Savannakhet we arrived in Pakse !! Pakse is not a very beautiful city, during our stay nothing was interesting to us. It has a shabby shopping center, the part that overlooks the Mekong River is covered with buildings that impede access … who has thought of not dumping the city into the incredible river that caresses it …? The street with the most guesthouses, hotels and restaurants for tourists is the one with the most traffic, it is the same road that crosses the country …

We were staying at Lankham guesthouse for 60,000 kips a night. We found a guesthouse for 50,000, Noknoi, but the first one seemed to have more traffic to sell our precious and precious companion, the Vietnamese Dynamite (a dramatic break in her honor …). That’s right, since we could not get the bike through the super corrupt Laos – Cambodia border, we had to sell it before. We place ads everywhere, even on the bike itself.

It should be noted an Indian restaurant that is not bad and is very cheap, Jasmin restaurant, vegetarian dishes are worth 10,000 kips, those who carry meat 20,000 kips, rice and naam 5,000 kips each … ñam!

We also found a vegetarian restaurant that surprised us !! It was very good, and cheap, Vegetarian Food Pakse, recommended !! Also, the Daolin restaurant was not bad but the price was a hair more expensive. As a counter-point, we went to eat a hamburger at the restaurant Pizza boy, next to our gueshouse, and they served us shit, yes, with bread, and the floor was a highway of cockroaches … so, if you can, avoid it.

Returning to the Vietnamese Dynamite … before selling it we had to make one last trip, the so-called Bolaven Plateau. A beautiful start and end in Pakse, such as the Thakhek loop, crossing the plateau of the interior of Laos at an average altitude of 1000 m (above sea level). This plateau is famous for the coffee plantations introduced by the French at the beginning of the last century. The specialty is Arabica and Robusta coffee. The complete route can be done in 3-4 days, but we did a reduced trip in 2 days.

We started the road proud with our Vietnamese Dynamite, the first stop was Mr. Vieng’s coffee plantation. It is a very well designed farm where you can taste coffee, buy a souvenir, stay for the night, and Mr. Vieng takes you on a tour of the plantation explaining curiosities of both the coffee and the fauna of the place.

It was worth it, it was interesting, we could see the process of growth and preparation of the coffee, from the flower to the roasted grain, we could also know about medicinal plants, we saw the peanut plant, fruits unknown to us, and huge red ants that They bite you and do not let your jaw drop until your death, so if they put you by ear or nose you have to go to the doctor … and if you also rub them (and kill them) they taste like lemon and have a strong smell of vinegar.

We had a delicious cup of coffee (we were jumping all day) it cost us 10,000 kips and the tour 20,000 kips per person.

After the visit we continue our way towards Tad Lo, a little village next to the river Se Set, bathed by three waterfalls.

We stayed at Sailomyen guesthouse, we paid 30,000 kips for the night, a shabby wooden cabin with a balcony facing the river, where the children played in the water … and there we went to take a bath after the hot trip.

There are three waterfalls, one is in the same town, the other two are walking upstream. On the way you find two elephants owned by a hotel. At 17:30 you can see how they bathe and feed them. It’s a pity to see them so docile chained to a stake that they could start without problems … We do not stay to not be participants. Once in the waterfalls, they are beautiful but not spectacular.

For dinner we went to Mama Pap, where the portions are giant … and the prices very reasonable, the dishes cost between 15,000 and 20,000 kips, recommended.

The next morning we went to Kok Phoung Tai, a nearby village where a Mr. O Captain Hook makes a coffee tour for his land and shows you his village. It is about the Khmu ethnic group. This ethnic group comes from India, and after passing through Cambodia they settled in the south of Laos.

The entrance to the town (they charge 2000 kips / person) is a mud road, on each side there are cabins, sometimes wooden barracks. Everything is full of farm animals, pigs, chickens, plus dogs and cats. Children flutter semi-naked playing.

We finally arrived at Mr. Hook’s house. His wife receives us, we ask him for a coffee (for 10,000 kips), this time one for both, the day before we were like motorcycles until too late because of the coffee … He prepared it with a bamboo coffee machine !! Very authentic! The result was spectacular, much better than the day before, the coffee could almost be chewed, mixed with a little sugar was delicious …

Finally Mr. Hook arrived, he was coming back with two guys from the previous tour. And entionces we started our tour (15,000 kips per person) walking through the coffee plantations while Mr. Hook recited us in a monotonous way and without too much interest the history of coffee, from its discovery to all existing classes.

I was about to stretch out on the floor to take a nap … After a while and show us the local fruits, the same ants and how to make soap bubbles with a twig in a circle and the soapy sap of a bush, we started the tour by his village, very interesting!

He explained that they are very superstitious, they believe that if you take a picture you steal their soul, if you knock on the door of their house, or to a wall you chase away good spirits, so you have to compensate them by giving away a water buffalo.

At present they perform periodic rituals. The women, after giving birth, have to go with other women to the cemetery and spend two weeks there without returning to the village. When they return the guru asks them if the child is good or bad, if they say bad they throw the child, so they all say it is good. In the next full moon the guru asks the mother what she has dreamed and interpreting this dream names the child. If you have not dreamed that night you should wait until the next full moon, and so on until you dream. He says that there are children who have been nameless for many years …

Women can never leave the village, they work, so a man marries several women to support him. She even explained to us that her 9-year-old niece had just married a man of 40 … In case of death, if it is accidental, your family should go 5 years to live in the forest, without being able to return to the village, to scare away the bad luck and evil spirits. During the walk he pointed to an abandoned house of a family that had been in the forest for 2 years due to the accidental death of their son. Every full moon they tie a dog to a post and they kill him with blows as an offering to the good spirits, he assured us that they no longer made human offerings, only dogs …

The houses housed families of up to 90 members … The children started smoking at 3 years to scare away evil spirits and mosquitoes … That was like the middle ages, but without the “like”, closed villages, only open to rural technology that made life a little more comfortable, ah! and television … do not miss. He told us that they bought almost nothing, they raised or cultivated everything … that strong … a huge cultural shock … After the visit we went to take another tour of the town, even “we talked” with the locals …

After the impressive information received and observed in the village, we continue our journey going through Pakson, without any interest, until we reach the Tad Yuang waterfalls. We paid 25,000 kips per person, but it was worth it. They are impressive, about 50 meters high and good flow, you can see it from above and from below.

Following some stairs you reach 10 meters from the fall, in a few minutes you end up completely wet, and you can see a fantastic rainbow making almost an entire circle !! a beautiful image, powerful and very humid. This waterfall is spectacular because you can see it a few meters away.

The next waterfall is Tad Fane, which also cost 25,000 kips. This waterfall is much higher, about 100 meters, although with less flow. The problem is that it is observed at a great distance and it is not appreciated, it is not worth the price, you can save it peacefully …

And already back in Pakse we are dedicated to review the sale of the bike … After a few days, having no acceptable offer, we decided to continue traveling with our Vietnamese Dynamite to Don Det and sell there.

So … see you at Don Det !!

On the way to Don Det we had some problems with our beloved Vietnamese Dynamite … In the first third of the way to go the bike suddenly stopped … yes, with a few worthy backspikes of pain … we wanted to say something, but we did not understand it, We went to a mechanic to see what he said.

For this we had to push under a hellish heat until we reached a farm, where there were people eating. We approached and asked where the nearest mechanic was, but our Laotian was not at his best … although pointing to the motorcycle and with a grimace of agony was enough for them to come to try to revive her. After several unsuccessful attempts we took the bike to his van and very kindly took us to the nearest mechanic … an honorable gesture that we deeply appreciate … The mechanic was able to speak with our partner, and so we were able to continue our trip.

After about 20 km the bike stopped again … in the same way, I kept insisting on its passive communication, only this time we were closer to another mechanic. This mechanic was an artisan, he looked it up and down, taking the necessary time … and finally he fixed it !! And the rest of the trip was like a silk, happy as a partridge, with a smile in the lighthouse.

Don Det is one of the islands of an archipelago located in the mighty Mekong river called 4000 islands (Si Phan Don), the truth that disappointed us a little, although it is also true that we did not move much. To get to it we first had to rent a boat to cross the river from Nadasang, so just when the sun was going to set we got a boy to take us on his barge for 50,000 kips at three, an experience.

Once in Don Det we look for accommodation, as always. After asking in several places a Dutchman who worked in a guesthouse, and who did not keep quiet or under water, he rented us a room for 30,000 kips in Ning bungalows. A correct room and in a perfect point to exhibit the beautiful Vietnamese Dynamite for sale.

To visit the island and the neighboring island of Don Khon you can rent a motorbike, but with a bike for 10,000 kips is enough. Don Khon is more beautiful and quiet than Don Det, although in the low season everything is quiet there.

To go to Don Khon you have to cross a bridge that costs 30,000 kips, although if you go crazy you pass by without stopping at the ticket office … The price of the bridge includes a visit to some waterfalls, if you have crossed the bridge face you will have to pay the same amount. The waterfalls are not worth much, if you want to save do not go …

In the south of the same island you can rent a boat with capacity for 3 people for 90,000 kips to go to see river dolphins. We could see about four dolphins repeatedly! It was beautiful, and it is always a different boat trip struggling with the currents of the enormous flow of the Mekong River … it is spectacular the size and strength of this river …

To eat at Don Det there are several local food restaurants, such as our guesthouse, although we fell for the temptation of Indian food … the Jasmin restaurant is owned by the same owners as Pakse, although a little more expensive … it tastes great! ! (comparing with the little variety of local food, fried rice and noodle that we have been eating for months …).

During our stay at Don Det we put our Vietnamese Dynamite for sale, strategically placed with two “for sale” posters on the corner of our guesthouse, where everyone would spend sooner or later. The locals rubbed their hands, all offered $ 100, and waited for the days of stay or visa to run out …

Time passed and nobody communicated with us, so we decided to hang posters on the two islands, hoping to find a clueless tourist with a desire to motorcycle … Finally, the day before our departure we found a French owner of a restaurant that Interested, we took it to see it and offered us 160 dollars … we had no other options … so we accepted. To close the deal he invited us to drink and dine … a cheerful night, worthy of a farewell, goodbye to our Vietnamese Dynamite, we left it in good hands …

The next day we took the super-local mini-ferry for 30,000 kips / person, and we headed to the Nadasang bus station. We did not have a ticket. We tried to hitchhike to the border with Cambodia, about 20 km away, but it was impossible … finally, and to get rid of the kips, we took the bus directly to Siem Reap (Cambodia) for 185,000 kips each … an abuse, but it was the cheapest price we found and everyone told us it was the only option … so … we did what everyone …

We prepare to cross the most corrupt border in Asia … it’s a sad laugh … a piece of hard faces … To begin with, the bus tells you that if you give your passport and 40 dollars you do not have to get off the bus, and that is what it costs, you get to say that if you have a problem it will be your responsibility that the bus will not wait … scammer … luckily we were a good group that we refused.

Once at the border, you first have to receive the stamp to leave Laos, because in this step they charge you 2 dollars for the face … I asked for the receipt, and they said no, so I told them it was illegal … and they ignored me … We had no choice but to pay the damn 4 dollars of the two to be able to pass … swindlers … This is the police in what Asian border! It’s to freak out … But … Do not leave yet !! There’s still more!! (as a super-mouse between each sketch). When you cross the border to Cambodia, they give you a medical check-up, a guy who takes your temperature and charges you 1 dollar, since you see us about 10 people ignoring the check and entering the visa building while a policeman shouted at us to come … laugh!

Anyway, we continue. The entry visa to Cambodia for a Spanish is 30 dollars, because in this border they charge you 35, for the face! There his güevos! They also put a window that reached us at the height of the navel, so you see us crouching head saying that this was illegal while the policeman with a very bad face ignored us looking ahead … little panda of chorizos! ! Because the police, taxi drivers / tuk tuks and politicians have to always be so sausages !!? (taxi drivers apply to Asians, the rest is worldwide). And after paying for the children’s college, or the one-month beers, for all the border police, we were already in Cambodia !!! Ole ole ole and ole !!!!

We go to Siem Reap and the temples of Ankor … what excitement!

We arrived in Siem Reap !!!! First city of Cambodia !!! wooo wooo !!! We walk through one of the main streets in search of accommodation, the city is a hive, people everywhere and tuk-tuks heavy! We asked in several places, the rooms are either too expensive or too dirty … we finally found a great place !!! Day Star Hotel. For 7 dollars we rent a clean, modern room with a bathtub !!! Above, we had air conditioning until they noticed and lowered the differential from the reception … The receptionist was quite strange … a little unpleasant, and we always tried to sell a tour or tickets for anything … very heavy.

Inspecting the center of the city we saw that it did not have much appeal. The walk by the river is of colonial style, like some buildings more. The most peripheral areas are more local and you can see Cambodia a little better, although Siem Reap is the most visited city in Cambodia thanks to the ruins of the Angkor temples … so this city has nothing to do with the rest of the country.

Here we can find supermarkets in almost every corner, western restaurants, or the typical Cambodian dishes, such as Amok, Lok Lak, Khmer curry or Lap Khmer soup, well listed so that the tourist does not have a hard time understanding it …

A tourist attraction are the performances of the Phare social circus Ponleu Selpak. As we were going to collaborate with them in Battambang we asked them to give us tickets to see a circus show. We were able to attend the Sokha show, an artistic vision of the biography of one of the founders of Phare. This work shows the suffering of a dancer during the horror of the Khmer Rouge and their liberation through art. It was very beautiful and inspiring, a mix of dance, acrobatic circus, trapeze and juggling.

For lunch, we found our little corner in a small local food restaurant called Sita Sousday. It has simple but good and cheap dishes, between 4000 and 6000 rails (1-1.5 dollars). It was also our work office for a couple of days.

We also went to dinner at Star Rise restaurant, which we had read in some blogs that made the best Amok in Siem Reap. It cost us 2.5 dollars and it was great! The only problem was that during dinner we had to put our feet on the bar of the legs of the table because certain rodents were running around … And as an alternative to local food, at the pizzeria Sata Ankor & Pizza Roma made a 2×1 , so the pizza went for 4 dollars, and it was very good!

But to Siem Reap you come to what is coming … The city of the temples of Angkor Thom !!! Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1992. That is why this city is shaped for tourism. The price is quite high, one day costs 37 dollars, three days 62 dollars and the whole week 72 dollars. We took a single day to save … and maybe three days we would have had enough … I’m sorry but we’re like that … We rent bikes for 1 dollar each to make the visit. And at 8 am we jump on the road towards Ankor.

We had read that the ticket offices are not in the temple, so we looked at the map and there we went. After 4 km we arrived … but it was not there, the ticket offices were where Pedro lost his mother … 3 km of the road already done and 2 km to the right … uff, this was not going to be easy, both km with a rusty Dutch urban bike … this was not going to be easy … Finally we got to the box office !! A large building full of tourists … The administration of the temples of Ankor has been given to a South Korean company and for that reason the ticket offices are centralized and set apart in a modern building, to control every dollar that is entered, and to avoid the common Cambodian corruption …

Once with the tickets, come, to pedal the 11 km we have to the first temple, the Ta Prom, where Tom Raider was shot … The temples of Ankor were discovered by a French botanist, named Henri Mouhot, who, in the second half of the nineteenth century. We made the following tour: Ta Prom, Bayon, Baphon and Ankor Wat. In this way we visited the most emblematic temples, and on the way we could stop at others of less importance.

– Ta Prom: Temple of the late twelfth century Bayon style, the last “great period” of Khmer architecture. Originally called Rajavihara (“royal monastery”), the temple served as a monastery and Buddhist university for Mahayan monks. Unlike the rest of the temples, due to their beauty, the French did not eliminate the signs of colonization of the jungle over the temple. The roots inserted in the architecture is incredible, prominent roots falling down the stone walls, huge trees, but really huge, coexist with the construction stone, one of the most beautiful images we have seen, as nature shows its majesty without excluding human creation.

– Bayon: it is a Buddhist temple built at the end of the 12th century, it was finished during the reign of Jayavarman VII. It is known for its 54 towers and about 200 enigmatic faces, faces that belong to the king who had it built. Touring its towers and corridors do not stop seeing faces everywhere, there is no corner where you do not feel observed, it is disturbing … In addition, the stone worn by time, worked in every span, is like being in another world, a place that invites to release the imagination.

– Baphuon: immense pyramidal mountain temple with five floors and about 25 meters high, which represents Mount Meru and was dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. It was built in the 11th century under the rule of King Udayadityavarman II. It is an archetype of the Baphuon style. The temple had a first Hindu period and a second Buddhist. Imposing temple with a long entrance gateway, endless stairs that lead you to crown a temple with beautiful views … a pass of place .. and surrounded by imposing jungle.

          

– Angkor Wat: it is the largest Hindu temple and also the best preserved of those that make up the settlement of Angkor. Initially dedicated to the god Vishnu It was built in the 12th century by order of Suryavarman II. It was the political and religious center of the empire, as main temple and royal palace. It is considered as the largest religious structure ever built and one of the most important archaeological treasures in the world.

And after enjoying one of the main wonders of the world … we leave Siem Reap, the western oasis for the enjoyment of the temples of Ankor, a spot for tourists in Cambodia. We head to Battambang, one of the largest cities in Cambodia where we expect a magnificent experience in the Phare social circus Ponleu Selpak.

The bus from Siem Reap to Battambang cost us $ 5 and we took it from the Capitol company, its station is a bit far from downtown. so there we go … See you in Battambang !!!!

The ticket to Phnom Penh cost us cheaply, $ 5, and despite the fact that the bus arrived to pick us up late, and loaded and unloaded the million boxes, even the corridors, and that it was a pretty borreguero vehicle, I mean it was old and worn, the trip was pleasant and without major mishaps.

We arrived at 5 am to the capital, so as always we had to go in search of the best option to sleep. To do this we had to go to the center, with the references we had obtained from other travelers, we started the round of consultation-haggling. The best option we found was at Royal Guesthouse, where for $ 6 we had a room, double with fan, on the top floor at the end of a corridor with views of the city, and since it was the last room we could leave the door open while we were inside, making it much more pleasant.

Phnom Penh we did not like especially. Unlike Battambang, people are very tense, everything is more expensive or at least it is for Westerners … you see less friendly faces in which you can brighten up the day by receiving a smile … The center is noisy and busy, in addition … !! they repeated us everywhere that beware of the pulls of handbags and mobiles. Even our dear friend Toni, who writes the blog Motxilles Abismals, tried to steal the phone and bag … We did not have any clue, although we were cautious after so much warning from locals.

The streets of the center are full of restaurants, travel agencies and hotels, everything that a tourist center needs to get the tourist money … But what caught our attention is the number of bars with happy women in the area … but full! some bars are in the limit, you do not know if they are alternate or not … but others are blatantly puti clubs !! with the ladies outside chatting with the mobile … because in Asia (and I’m afraid that in the whole world) if you are not doing some obligation, then you are love to the mobile …

This area of ​​the city is impossible, all prices are swollen, more than usual, but only for the tourist. So you go to a local restaurant, with a lot of Cambodians eating, you ask the price and they tell you the triple … hahaha … sometimes even a slight laugh escapes them … As in almost all Cambodia or we could say almost all the south-east Asian There is a letter with prices for the premises and another letter translated into English for tourists, and both have different prices … Although in the center of Phnom Penh it is more brazen. You just have to go a few streets outside the center to have a price just slightly higher than the local … This is the game that we have to play … or you like or like …

In the center there is also the Night market, with souvenir shops, food that does not do anything good and little more … very little achieved, comparing with the offer of other cities. You can also take a walk along the river, pleasant and refreshing at night …

The main tourist attractions are Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda, that the entrance is worth a pasta ($ 10) and we did not enter … with according to which palaces and temples are that fast … we saw them from outside …

What is a must see is the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a high school converted into a maximum security prison, known as the S21, in the era of the Khmer Rouge. Admission costs $ 3 and audio-guide $ 3 more. It is a prison feared in the period between 1975 and 1979, where they took the criminals against the party to interrogate them, torture them without any compassion, eliminate them, or confine them in inhuman conditions for as long as they could remain alive.

In the same museum you can see photos of the victims who passed through the prison, and also of the few survivors, only 12 people, in addition to utensils, letters, statements, confessions … The facilities remain as they were left by the Khmer Rouge, all It is very rudimentary, extremely simple, terrifyingly deadly …

Walking through this prison and hearing the history that is contained in it is shocking, how can we do such atrocities to each other …? Also, this did not happen that long ago so victims and executioners live together. The Cambodians do not hold a grudge against the facts, those who executed are recognized to receive orders without an alternative … everything is relative, but what is the use of resentment?

The problem is that until now there has not been any court that has condemned the facts, so the guilty continue to age unpunished, denying having been participants and saying that they were following orders or that they never ordered that …

How relative is everything, when the victims belong to the “underdeveloped” world a tremendous genocide can go unnoticed without a problem …

To move we rented bicycles at a travel agency, Solomon Travel, on 172nd street. He asked us for 3 dollars for 2 bikes a day and we ended up taking it for 2.5 dollars. In addition, and as always, it is interesting to visit the markets of the city, such as the Russian Market, full of “antiques” and curious replicas like souvenirs, as well as tourist clothes, local restaurants and other articles of a market.

There is also the Central Market, quite touristy, with a star shape and a high vaulted ceiling. It has paraditas of jewels and watches in its central zone, while at its ends it varies, among clothes, items for mobile phones, and vegetables, meat and fish.

And to visit a local market in full activity, the Boeung Keng Kang market is your place. It is a local market with all its charm where it is a pleasure to get lost among its alleys …

For eating, outside the center local restaurants may vary, you have to monitor their hygiene a bit, as always, although everything is of the style. The truth is that we did not find a place in particular, we changed to each meal because we did not try any to highlight … The price was between 1 and 1.5 dollars.

And if you want a little diet change, at Pizza Factory & Caffee, at noon you have a 2×1 on pizzas !!! so you end up costing about 4 dollars each pizza … and they are very good! In the center we found a very curious place … the smallest pizzeria we have seen in our life. It is a wood oven on a cart !!! We could not try their pizzas at $ 5, but we would have liked it.

Ah! when leaving the S21 Museum, we bought a salad covered by a rice tortilla that was very good for 3000 rails each.

Mention that we got the Vietnam visa at the Vietnamese Embassy in Phnom Penh. They take 48 hours (or you can have it in the same morning paying more) and it costs 30 dollars 1 month or 40 dollars 3 months … Very easy and very efficient …

And the day came to leave, we searched through all the agencies for a bus to go to Ha Tien, and it cost us to find it at a decent price … Finally we got it for $ 12 each in the company Champa Mekong, including a tuk-tuk that we He came to look for the hotel. The bus passed through Kampot and Kep.

So … we’re going to Vietnam !!!!! Ole Ole ole!!! We left behind Cambodia, a country that has treated us very well …

The bus to Ha Tien was correct. To cross the Cambodia-Vietnam border, apart from having to pay 1 dollar for the “medical check-up”, which consists in taking the temperature with an infra-red pistol … everything was correct and without mishaps or injustice. To leave Cambodia, the bus itself took care to have our passport stamped at no cost (although it cost us to get rid of the passport … one of our maxims to be avoided), and then they returned it to us to pass one by one for control Vietnamese.

And after changing from bus to van, we arrived at the port of Ha Tien. There a ferry to reach the island of Phu Quoc. We read that the prices of ferries range between 185,000 and 230,000 Vietnamese Dongs. In the end we had to take the one that cost 230,000 because there was no way to tell us where the other ferry was, and the fast one (230,000 dongs) left in 20 minutes … So nothing, we were practical and we paid a little more (now 1 euro is about 25,000 dongs, or 22,500 dongs the dollar). Of course, the SuperDong IV, name of the ferry, was the most luxurious and comfortable. It took 1 hour and 50 minutes, aprox. to arrive, a joy.

Once on the island, suddenly there was a hurricane of transports, taxis, vans, motorcycles, that wanted to take us to the city, everyone around us was accelerated, and we who like to reach the sites and make decisions with the calm we prefer to relax and comment quietly … for once, this was a shit (or so we thought), because suddenly we found that there was only a taxi and motorcycle taxi. The first one charged us 8 dollars, we discarded it, and the bikes did not make us much excited about the backpacks …

After a few moments of crisis traveler, we decided to make a stop … Right! they caught us instantly! a truck that was part of the trip took us, and then a pick-up ended up leaving us in the capital of the island, Duong Dong.

Duong Dong is a tourist city full of hotels, guesthouses and restaurants of all kinds. In the center of the city there is a Night Market and tons of seafood restaurants, cool fresh! although quite expensive, or at least for pale faces … And the city itself does not have much more …

We found a churrería with some pasta stuffed with minced pork with cooked quail eggs that were delicious! and as I started to be able to say the prices in Vietnamese they charged us the local price !!!! What an illusion!!!!

In the first instance the island did not like anything, we even thought about leaving the next day … all full of monstrous buildings, entire cities in the form of a mega-cruise resort, giant hotels such as the Marriot, and construction everywhere. They have even just made a mega airport that seems bigger than El Prat …

But luckily we had patience and went to find their little places and small experiences, and we were not disappointed.

On the entrance road to the village by the beach, Tran Hung Dao, we found a reasonable price to sleep in a Guesthouse next to the A74, for 200,000 dongs, with air conditioning and private bathroom, however the hygiene was slightly limited. Right there we rented the motorbike for 120,000 dongs a day.

We pretended to stay a few days on the island, so with the bike we went in search of a better and cheaper accommodation … We went through Long beach, south of Doung Dong.

There we got a bungalow near the beach for 12 dollars (272,000 dongs). Long beach is a long beach of fine brown sand with palm trees, it is completely occupied by medium quality resorts. It is not the pump, at least not to spend $ 12 … (you see how detailed we look at expenses …). We are still looking for a better place. We looked north and most places cost more than $ 15 without increasing the quality or the landscape.

We headed east of the island, to Ham Ninh, a small fishing village where we had read about a cheap guesthouse, Hai Anh guesthouse, with fan rooms for 150,000 dongs, the best price so far. The room was simple but acceptable. The nearest beach was coco beach, a mini beach without living or enabling … hahaha … quite left but at least clean …

The food menu was very economical and the very large portions, the soups and rice are worth between 25,000 and 30,000 dongs, and the meat and fish menu for dinner costs 50,000 dongs but you end up on the brim with food.

And here we went back to the addiction to coffee … that strong coffee with ice and condensed milk must be sin … We also discovered Phu Quoc pepper, one of the best in the world, and here they mix it with salt and a few drops of lime juice for flavor … great!

The owners are a peculiar couple, well, she is a jewel that will do everything possible to make you as happy as possible, and he, Mr. Hai, is the most peculiar, friendly and ideal for a good conversation. They also leave you free bikes !!

The bike left us for 100,000 dongs, although they are a bit dusty and the second day they left us, we believe, with the wheel already blown … and it cost us 80,000 dongs to fix the puncture …

One night with Hai and a couple of Belgians we went to the town market and bought more than a kilo of crabs for 200,000 dongs, in the guesthouse we were cooked, along with some clams, rice and vegetables (to explode food). Everything was divine …

but above all the crabs, like my big hand, it was exceptional how rich they were … so much so, that two days later we bought another half kilo to repeat the experience …

The best beach on the island is Sao beach, a long beach with turquoise waters and white sand flanked by palm trees. The central part, its access, is full of restaurants (and shit everywhere). When we went there was overflowing with Vietnamese on vacation …

If you walk a little to the north, just where the last resort ends is the best point of the beach, the north view is the curve of the bay full of jungle, and better not to look south … (jet skis, boats one on the another, and Vietnamese packaged).

The truth is that it is very a gustito, and I devoted myself to look for clams buried in the sand, in the sea, to make spaghetti (or noodles) with clams and crabs to dine! Walking this same beach a couple of kilometers to the south is Khem beach, very lonely but less beautiful.

At the northwest tip of the island, there is a rather curious fishing village. It has covered corridors, to cover the rain, and pretty shit everywhere.

And if you cross the houses to go to the beach you are horrified by the amount of crap that can accumulate without flinching … it’s frightening !!!!! they want to take a bag, wear gloves and pick up … what an impression … besides, this does not come alone, the rats are used to walking around too …

The northeast part is an exceptional place. To get there, you drive along a road that crosses a natural park, a dense forest, with pepper plantations at its sides. Once you reach the end, there is an island that is accessed by a small wooden bridge improvised, although it is safer to walk the 100 meters separated by the water.

The island has a path made of stone and cement that surrounds the island between the jungle. It is spectacular!!!! the vegetation is impressive, and we could see birds similar to a toucan !!!! yes, it was full of mosquitoes … hehehe … everything in life is a Yin & Yang …

When we returned from the island we met a family singing karaoke, eating seafood and drinking rice whiskey. They called us and invited us to drink and to eat crabs, we who are educated people, we did not say no … ole ole que majos !!!!

The people here are very friendly and they love that you share a moment with them. Of the several times they invited us to share a time with them, one was at a restaurant in the port, a very drunk group, they invited us to beer while we all danced and they took pictures … very funny! and we are delighted!

The days we did not rent a motorbike, we moved by auto-stop, and it was very easy! They stopped very fast, they even deviated from their journey to get closer to the place where we were going … very nice!

Mr. Hai had told us that we could go to Hon Thom by ferry for 30,000 dongs per head. So one of the days we got up in the morning “soon” (we anticipate horrors early) and went out to hitch a 20 km to the southern tip of the island to catch the ferry to Hon Thom. We did not have much luck, in the sense that we had to take 5 vehicles, because none, except the last, reached the end of the journey. But the collections were very fast … a love of people …

Once there we had to find out where the ferry was taken … shit !!! this is not obvious to us … and every time we asked we were directed to someone who offered us a private boat tour for the reasonable price of 600,000 dongs … are we crazy !!?

Finally, after an hour up and down the port, a lady showed us where the ferry was taken. It was a very old turquoise blue wooden boat. There were only places that sat side by side on the two sidewalks, while in the middle there were boxes of cargo for the island.

And indeed the price was 30,000 dongs per way, great !!!!! We sail through all the small islands of the archipelago. The wharf of one of the smaller ones was a boat that took you from the beach and took you to the boat in deeper waters or to an improvised floating platform … very picturesque.

Once on the island, the water was crystal clear, even in the harbor !! which is where the waste accumulates. We asked where the beach was and they told us that it was through the only road that crossed the town and took you to the opposite coast.

Once there … uff … all full of crap … among the debris washed away by the tide and the debris thrown by the villagers …

We kept looking for a better place, there had to be a beach not touched by the town. Walking along the beach we saw everything, even a dead dog, in decomposition, there, on the sand, at the gates of one of the “houses” …

We continued crossing rocky areas, climbing, at some point we lost hope, but finally … we saw … a long white beach, completely empty, flanked by palm trees and vegetation … turquoise waters … our paradise !!!!! at last!!!!! There we were enjoying what we were looking for on the island, a small piece of paradise … And we started recording the video for the wedding of Soraya and Ingo, sister and brother-in-law of Mayra, we could not miss the place.

Diving on the rocks, watching curious fish … what a pleasure it is when you are at ease … Sprawling on the hot sand, enjoying eternal baths in crystalline waters … aaaisshh (a silent pause to enjoy the image …).

To visit in Phu Quoc, the markets that are usually close to fishing piers, beautiful turquoise blue wood, to know how many centuries ago … You can find all kinds of fish and seafood, all alive, fresh, rich rich! !

You can also find live snakes for cooking … aishhh … that’s disgusting … Jaume was delighted to see and touch up close!

And on the main road we find the Phu Quoc Prison Landmark Museum, a former American prison during the Vietnam War. You can see the prison as it was with statues that simulate the reality of that time.

Although the Americans were cruel and unjust, declared and confessed, this prison is pure anti-American propaganda. There is one of the barrancones that the figures show how the Americans torture the Viet Cong, while in the other barracks the figures of the Viet Cong are dedicated to making sculptures, artistic drawings and musical instruments … from one end to the other … in short …

And after 6 days on the island of Phu Quoc, we went to the jetty to take the ferry. Watch out!! when we arrived, the tickets had run out and that became a struggle to sneak in without any regard (usual Vietnamese practice), until a local girl helped us get two of the so precious tickets for the ferry that left at 8:20 A.M.

So better if you buy the ticket a few days before. This was not the fast ferry, although it took very little else, aprox. 3 hours, and it cost 185,000 dongs, the price we had read before arriving on the island.

Ho Chi Minh city !!! here we go!!!!!!

To get to Ho Chi Minh from Ha Tien was not easy … First we tried to hitchhike … and nobody took us … but luckily, a bus to Rach Gia, which was in our direction, passed by the road … cost us 45,000 dongs to each one.

Once in the bus station of Rach Gia, we looked for a bus to Can Tho, we suffered the siege of the taxi-motorbike, which told us that there was no such bus, that they took us to a point where they would take us by boat … suspect … better wait and investigate a little more. In the end, after the siege of the weasels a lady who did not speak any English told us to sit down, that was the bus … saved!

The bus started, trusting us to let us know when it was time. After a while of the trip, a guy who spoke good English explained the situation: that bus was not going to Can Tho, we had to take another bus in Thanh Anh to An Giang and a last one from LoTe to Can Tho … We thought it was going to It’s impossible to arrive on the same day, but the buses are chained! so the journey was like silk and we arrived at Can Tho, after a few hours, but on the same day !! We pay between 15,000 and 20,000 dongs per person on each of the buses.

The pity was that we were very tired, and we decided to just stay one night in Can Tho and leave the next morning for Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). We did not see the floating markets of the Mekong Delta … We took the Futa company bus to the big city for 110,000 dongs each. The station is called Phuong Trang Futa bus station.

From this moment, we discovered the usefulness of the app that we had not used so far: Booking.com. Until now, the best accommodation prices were obtained by reviewing other people’s blogs, door to door and finally haggling. In Vietnam it is a bit more difficult, directly the prices are higher and it costs a lot more to haggle a better price, so the best option is Booking.com offers. In HCMC we found the hotel Bali B for 245,000 dongs a night … yes, a category room with air conditioning, for now the best room in which we have been …

Saigon, or Ho Chi Minh City since 1975, is the largest city in Vietnam with 14 million inhabitants (counting annexed populations). In the French colonial era it was the capital of the Conchinchina … so we are in the Conchinchina !!!!

Hahahaha … this was the typical expression of my mother to say that something is far away … It was called HCMC when North Vietnam occupied South Vietnam, after the victory over the Americans. with an exasperating motorcycle population.

The first priority was to find a motorcycle for sale. We went through all the hostels in search of ads and we navigated through all the websites that we found. We launched the messages and we waited for answers … Until a boy from Taiwan, Arguen, accepted the economic offer, we went looking for it, we went for a test drive, and that’s it! deal done and we have a bike!

Welcome Vietnamese Senior Dynamite, because she looks just as old and looks older than the last … if possible.

Driving through Ho Chi Minh is a challenge … there are motorcycles everywhere! It is the city with the most motorcycles in the world !! there are more than 6 million motorcycles … it seems like a scooter convention but without the “like” … it’s a real chaos !!!

Although if you catch the trick is not so difficult, a matter of doing things with well-marked intentions and unhurried … when you edit a video you’re going to freak out … laugh at Barcelona … multiply it by 1000 … So we enjoyed that you shit driving around Saigon, well, I more than Mayra … she kept shouting and for me it was like being in another world !! We saw many crashes without consequences, but it did not surprise us, they stick between them and there are so many that this is the most normal … crazy …

For the accommodation of the following nights we decided to try Couchsurfing, a platform that allows you to contact people from the city you are going to visit and get free accommodation, we stayed 3 more nights.

The purpose is to make a cultural exchange … And so we met Jane and Thao, the two girls who welcomed us at their home, in exchange for intervening in the English classes at the premises that Thao taught in the dining room of the same house …

A fun experience, we made mime games with the students, taking advantage of the fact that we are clown … what a disaster … they are ultra shy! they did not even dare to do very simple and daily actions … anyway. In this way they practiced vocabulary with us and we got to know them a little more.

Thanks to a girl we met in Phu Quoc we learned about the existence of Saigon Free Walking Tours. It is an initiative of the University of Hoasen, in Saigon. It is an opportunity for students who aim to practice their English by making tours to tourists who request it for free!

There are several tours and it is very good, and the students are lovely … The girl who accompanied us is called Lan, and we did the Saigon City tour, visiting the following points of the city:

Ben Thanh Market, one of the oldest markets, of the time of the French colony, wide and colorful, with the best food quality in Saigon, and where you should always get a discount of at least 40% of what you get at home. The town hall of the city, built by the French, where some sculptures can be seen in its entrance representing the French domination over the Vietnamese, and for this reason, according to Lan, this building is not shown in the guides edited by the government.

The municipal theater, a nice building built by the French, apparently the tickets are very expensive. The post office, also built by the French in colonial style, is beautiful! all wooden, high ceilings, French style decorations, although in the end look a great portrait of Ho Chi Minh … Notre Dame, a cathedral that is right in front of the post office, all the elements except the brick were brought from France.

The Reunification Palace, former Government House of the President of South Vietnam, which in 1975 became a symbol of the reunification of Vietnam, is now used as a place for events and meetings and on the facade the Vietnamese flag and the flag are hung of the visiting country. In the park next door there is a plane on display and in the tail it has one of the few flags of South Vietnam that can be seen in the city, even if it is crossed out.

Another place we visit is the Nguyen Hue promenade, which is filled with locals in the afternoon for a walk. In this trip we could see a curious case: during our visit a triathlon was held, the media montage seemed considerable, we could witness the exit, very exciting, until it was heard: Corten !!, and everyone stopped running, and again to the starting point …

We asked Lan if it was a film or a documentary, and they told us no, that later on in the news it appears that a triathlon has been held at HCMC … it is part of the party’s propaganda … Lan explained that the flags that shine in Vietnam there are two, the country and the communist party. The government is a single party and elections are held to elect representatives who are anonymous to citizens … something quite sub-realistic …

From what we understood about Lan and other people’s reactions, in the south they prefer Saigon to Ho Chi Minh, even a suspicion of the state of communism is sensed … but nobody says it openly. Apparently any demonstration against the communist state is punishable by jail, as if you were breaking a ticket (which bears the image of Ho Chi Minh, the liberating communist politician praised as a hero throughout the country).

One of the most important tourist spots is the Museum of the remains of the war. It is a collection of objects, articles and photographs about the Vietnam War with the United States. It is very spectacular, especially the photographic reports, the articles of the American press describing the barbarism, with famous photographers of the time, the death of Frank Zappa in the Vietnamese fields.

It shows the disasters of the agent orange, genetic deformations, the practices carried out by the American army. It shows the desperate atrocities that made the United States to the limit of losing the war, and all fed with the communist point of view, angels against devils … In the gardens of the building there is a collection of American planes, helicopters, tanks and cannons It is spectacular, although it does not exceed the impact received by the aforementioned information.

During the search to buy a motorbike we met Toni, a Barcelonian also on a route through Asia. We stayed one night and went to dinner together. He explained his adventures along the way, which you can read in his blog Motxilles Abismals, and we explain ours.

Afterwards we went to have some beers in the area of ​​Pham Ngu Lao, the backpacker area, similar to Khao San Road in Bangkok, although full of locals and other people drinking everywhere! It was very fun and a pleasure to share it with Toni !!

What you liked best for dinner was one night we went to a restaurant called Panda, there were mini barbecues where you could order meat or fish, it was fun and delicious !!!! and since there were only stores, everyone looked at us, even some customers offered to try some skewer …

And after 5 nights in Saigon, we’re going with our Vietnamese Dynamite Mr. towards Vung Tau, a town on the coast. Here we go!!!!

We started our journey with great enthusiasm !!! “new” bike and to travel this colorful country. For starters, the roads of Vietnam are full of motorcycles, however, the motorcycles can not access the motorways … we realized just when we left Saigon …

The road that the navigator gave us did not allow the circulation of motorcycles … ok, but the problem was that there was no alternative route … all Saigon is surrounded by rivers, without bridges, except the highway … But we did not give up … As good pioneers we went blindly to find the way … to attack!

After making the road randomly we came to a dead end road … We asked people, but nobody knew English … we started to despair when suddenly a kind little motorcycle boy asked us if we had any problems … The young man showed us the way to the ferry it allowed you to get out of that labyrinth of rivers …

And so we did, we followed the signs to the ferry, surrounded by thousands of motorcycles, without dismounting, all in the minimum space, entering little by little into the platform boat, a fun experience … Once on the other side, the road was easier, although we had already lost a lot of time going around … So our next stop, for time and distance, would be: Vung Tau !!

We arrived at Vung Tau, without further difficulty. It is a very touristic city, full of Vietnamese holidays, it does not have too much attraction, even the beach is not nothing special … We started asking in a guest house for prices … they were prohibitive … being Saturday everything was through the clouds, there was no way to find a “normal” price …

But that day we had an important mission, Mayra’s sister, Soraya, married Ingo, and we were going to attend the wedding via Skype. We needed an acceptable internet connection … Since there was no way to find a hotel and the time ran against us, we decided to go into a shopping center and use the place connection. We found the Lotte shopping center, we settled in a cafeteria and with a lot of time to prepare we put on a show.

Mayra put on her black dress in the bathroom, she was beautiful, and I wore a shirt and bow tie, although from the waist down I was in a swimsuit … we looked good … At the time, we were able to witness the wedding. Although the connection left much to be desired, it allowed us a minimal presence and to be able to see the emotion of the moment. Mayra did not stop crying, between the nerves of the preparation and the emotion of the moment … and is that you do not get married a sister every day … aaaish … sniff …

After the big event, the search for accommodation continued … We found a hostel, the first one we would stay in, Dragon Hostel. We checked the bed, a great place, giant double bed in a shared room, surrounded by curtains to isolate yourself from the rest of the beds, also with air conditioning, wonderful … And the cheapest thing we could find for Saturday, we paid 135,000 Dongs per person … On normal days the price is 90,000 Dongs. If you arrive on a Saturday and say that you come from us, you will be charged 90,000 Dongs, that is the deal we reached because of the publicity that we are giving you in these lines …

Once installed, we toured the city. As we have said, it is touristy, but it is curious to see locals in restaurants, like the one in the market parking lot, or on the harbor promenade, where the streets are filled with food stalls, mainly seafood …

The next day we took a walk to the beach, nothing great, but there is one in which the fishermen unload their catch, and it is quite curious.

Back home crossed the market, full of seafood, and surrounded by streets with restaurants, where we tried fried pancakes with prawns that were very good!

The owner of the hostel gave us some advice before going to Mui Ne, since the police there are reputed to stop the tourists on motorbikes and pluck them … He told us: if you stop for a policeman and ask for papers, he wants money. Solution:

Keep the key of the motorcycle before he can take it and ask for more money, start talking in Spanish very fast without stopping, hoping that he will finish up and let you go … if not, you must carry only 100,000 Dongs in the pocket the papers, and claim that it is the only thing you have to spend the day … hopefully let you go without further injury … Good advice we followed throughout our trip to Vietnam.

So, next stop: Mui Ne !!

The road to Mui Ne was easy and without major altercations, an almost straight road following the coast, where there are always trucks and buses, which make it a bit more difficult. At one point on the road we saw a truck with a clogged nose and a bus crossed off the road, all in the same picture … Usually the buses in Vietnam do not stop for nothing, so if you’re going to cross with one, make sure that you have enough space, because he is not going to worry … until he meets a truck … of course, there things change …

Before the town of Mui Ne, the road is populated with resorts, restaurants and any attraction or tourist need. The surprise we got was that it was full of Russians !!! even in some places the letters were Cyrillic !!!! very strong!!! the only ones who were not Russians were the few Vietnamese who worked there …

We booked the accommodation through Booking.com, for 150,000 Dongs (about $ 7), but we did not like it, it was very dirty. The next day we got a very cute room at a resort for the same price ($ 7). The resort had a mini beach, but the weather did not go much, it was hot but the day was stormy …

The most curious thing about the Mui Ne area are the sand dunes that surround it. Vast expanses of desert in the middle of a country flooded with water …

We visited Suoi Tien, the stream of the fairies. A stream that reaches the road surrounded by sand dunes. The cauda was very low, down to the ankles, so it is a pleasant walk of a kilometer, approx. The colors of the red sand makes it very colorful, we liked it a lot, despite being full of people up and down …

Then we went to the red sand dunes. It is about hills of red sand, dunes, without vegetation, a desert … the entrance is full of children who rent a plastic for you to slide on it dune down, I tried it, fun … The views from the top of the dunes They are beautiful, according to the angle of vision, you see only sand, it is curious.

And finally we went for a walk around the town of Mui Ne. As we had been alerted by the little assertiveness of the police of the place, we parked the motorcycle outside and we continued walking. Almost arriving we found a path to the beach further north, and we walked to the town.

There we saw fishermen using nets with a very small orifice that destroyed everything, where only the shrimp took advantage, and the rest died in the sand … Other fishermen sailed in the circular boats made of hemp or fiber.

The sands were full of crabs that ran terrified as we approached, and of small starfish, full of them, you could see the trace of their slow movements, very curious.

At the end of the beach we find a series of beach bars with plastic tables on the sand. They had basins with water and live seafood, we started to look at it and without knowing how we were haggling over a one-lobster … we ended up paying 220,000 Dongs (€ 8), a bargain !!!

They brought it to us open and cooked on the grill, it was exquisite, the only downside was that they had used butter to cook it … that mania with butter … they put it on everything! We arrived at the town at night, likewise there is nothing to see, it is quite seedy, or so we thought …

The next day we continued our journey, we loaded the Vietnamese Dynamite and road and blanket !! yes, avoiding crossing the town in case we met the uniformed … On the way we crossed the dunes of white sand, but we did not stop, we looked at them on the motorcycle as well as the whole coast, which in the north we found it beautiful !! !

Highlight that we were ripped off by putting gasoline. At the gas station on the road (look at the map we have included) we stopped to put gasoline. When the kid arrived at the gas station he started running for help to someone else that we could not see.

I asked for 50,000 Dongs and while he was putting gasoline he insisted on filling me, I refused and he insisted, while a girl was leaning on the pump. After a few seconds, the pump made a change of number and it was placed in 50,000, now I recognize that I saw the girl give her where the disused pump hangs, but at the moment I was confused. So I paid and we left …

It had all been very strange, I checked the fuel level of the tank and I checked that it was not where it should be … We had been scammed … Welcome to Vietnam; )

Next stop: Dalat !!! Although not very sure if it will be worth it …

From Mui Ne we follow the inland road towards Dalat, our next stop, a city in the mountains … We follow the road crossing the national park that is located before the city.

Once in Dalat, we had booked accommodation through Booking.com, a double room in Oc Hostel. First, we spent a few hours to locate the hostel, it had no sign! who can think of … and then, the lady of the hostel makes us follow her, “some streets” that were enough to another hostel where they accompanied us to a bedroom …

We told him we had booked a double room, but pretended they did not understand … that they were baffled … hahaha … small sings mornings … So we connected to their internet, we looked for another place and we told them four things, a little waste of time … !

We went to Joy Homestay. It was an office of draftsmen who had arranged rooms. Our room was a mattress on the floor, nothing great, for 135,000 Dongs, but the girl who lived there invited us to dinner what she had cooked: rice and chicken. We were talking for a while, it was good.

The next day we received a response from requests we had made in Couchsurfing, a Sandy who ran a hostel, Sandy Homestay, invited us to be in a free bedroom if we taught a little English to his nephews … So we went there the following 3 nights we were in Dalat, and we were great …

As thanks, we cooked them a Vietnamese version paella …

We don´t know if Sandy´s nephews learnt English … for sure they learned to eat paella!!!

Dalat fell in love with us … besides being a meeting place for lovers, it is a city of French colonial architecture, the buildings are fantastic houses with a refined aesthetic, nothing to do with the rest of Vietnam …

More or less the whole city follows the same colonial aesthetic, unlike the rest of Asia that makes buildings without any pattern, growing as horrible cities … It was a pleasure to walk around the city, with aromas that reminded France and England, we had the strange feeling of dejavou, that city transported us to memories of the past, to trips through European countries, with smells of meat, smell of fat typical of cold countries, family sensations, that made us be at home, mixed with the beautiful mountain buildings and the views of the city that gave us their hills.

Majestic hotels, with slate roofs, like Nordic spas, at the foot of lakes … A place that we consider special, but it is something personal, rather subjective, you just have to walk unhurriedly through its streets and feel it for yourselves … it puts me goosebumps remembering him …

The Night Market of Dalat is moved and colorful, very crowded, a curious place to walk. At its edges there are stops where you can buy milk from beans, soybeans or peanuts, and sweat some churros, to warm up a little bit of the cold, for a change …

In the center of the city there is a large lake, and in front of the lake two modern and curious constructions that cover a shopping center, the Big C, and a coffee shop, Doha.

We also have the Crazy House, inspired by Gaudi’s architecture, and the 100 Roofs Bar, a bar that is a labyrinth decorated like a forest and stone, a curious place.

One day some Vietnamese grandparents who were on the terrace of a bar drinking beers called us to come closer, and as we were not in a hurry there we went. We spent about two hours talking and drinking beers with them, they were charming, roguish but without going beyond the gentleman’s line, very smart, kind and educated people, with a surprisingly European touch, more specifically French. A good time shared with the locals.

A few kilometers from the city is the Thien Vien Truc pagoda, beautiful with gardens, all very well maintained, varnished wood, a mystical place.

There we met a monk who began to speak to us in perfect Castilian … we were stunned … pleasant surprise, he gave us a translation they had made of a book on Buddhism.

Next to the pagoda is Lake Ho Tuyen Lam, where it started to rain too much and we had to cancel the visit to the waterfalls, which incidentally had to pay entrance …

We left Dalat across the mountains, a beautiful mountain landscape among coniferous forests, a place totally different from the rest of Vietnam … Goodbye Dalat, we hope to visit you on another occasion …