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Showing posts from April, 2019

The Delights of Dalat and an Exciting Professional Update

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A few long, busy days have passed since Matt and I left the Vietnamese mountain town of Dalat , and we are still regularly gushing over how incredibly fun our stay there was. Located a 16-hour bus ride south of Hoi An (yes – we took a 16 hour bus, and yes – it was pretty unpleasant), Dalat is nestled 4,900 feet above sea level in the Central Highlands region of the country. With temperate year-round weather and frequent afternoon rain showers, Dalat is nicknamed “City of Eternal Spring” and serves as a popular tourist destination for domestic and international visitors. Winding and hilly roads throughout Dalat are lined with beautiful, fragrant flowers and pine trees, and the area is an agricultural hub for many luxury products, most notably fresh-cut bouquets, coffee, and wine. A large lake is located in the center of the town, ringed with a walking path and colorful gardens. It’s absolutely heavenly! We stayed in a stylish and comortable hostel in Dalat’s northe...

Hoi An’s Touristy Historic District and Tailor-Made Clothing

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Matt and I shared headphones and listened to an entertaining podcast as we traveled an hour by public bus from Danang to Hoi An , a medium-sized coastal town in central Vietnam where we would spend the next two nights. The destination is a popular one for tourists, as it is home to a well-preserved historic district with old homes, bridges, temples, assembly halls, museums, and bridges. Hoi An served as a busy trading port from the 15 th to 19 th century and hosted an international population including many Chinese and Japanese merchants. The architectural and cultural influences of these groups are still visible today, distinguishing Hoi An from other towns in the country. The old district itself is a UNESCO Heritage Site, and entry costs about USD $6 per person which includes access to five of the key attractions from a list of 22. The area reminded us very much of the fort we visited months ago in Galle, Sri Lanka, as it was extremely tourist-oriented with souveni...