From Dalat to Nha Trang
03/26/2009
Before I start on today's blog entry, I'd like to put in a plug for my fall semester course, History A300, Understanding Vietnam, which is going to meet on Tuesday nights from 5:30-8:15 p.m. Students in this course will explore the intertwined histories of Vietnam and the United States, including the rise of Vietnamese nationalism and communism, the international politics of the Cold War, war in Vietnam from 1945-75, and the long-term consequences of the war on American and Vietnamese societies and on the international community. I understand that registration starts any day now, so I hope you'll consider taking the class!
Now, to update you on my vacation travels this week...here are our impressions of Dalat. We can understand why the French chose to build a resort in this mountain city, and why the last king built his summer palace there. You can see evidence of the city's French past--the more than 2,000 French villas, the Catholic churches, and the French pastries, BUT otherwise, it doesn't feel French at all. You see the Vietnamese night market, the motorbike traffic, the aggressive shopkeepers, the women in ao dais, the conical hats, etc.
On the drive from Dalat to Nha Trang, Deb kept saying, "THIS is the main road to Nha Trang???" Between 10 and 20 miles of the road was one lane. When we encountered a tour bus going in the opposite direction we had to completely drive off the road. Some parts of the road had washed out and we drove through mud and past rockslides. Despite this, and the treacherous curves going down from Dalat, the scenery was spectacular. Deb continues to marvel at the expertise of our driver in navigating the multiple obstacles and hazards, and requested that I include a picture of him in the blog.
The first thing we noticed upon our arrival in Nha Trang was the difference in climate. It was very hot and humid and sapped one's energy. I had told Deb about this but she didn't really believe it until she experienced it herself. Today we made a gift of an Indiana University hat to our interpreter Kim. His English is fairly good and he wants to learn as much as possible from us. We have encouraged him to study for a master's degree and to become a teacher because he is so good at explaining things to us. We are deeply indebted to our driver and translator for a safe, educational, and entertaining trip.
After arriving in Nha Trang, we visited the Cham Towers, a site with temples over 1,200 years old. When we left the towers, Deb took this picture from the back seat of our car so you could see how the driver had to navigate through traffic. Driving a car through motorbikes is like parting the Red Sea.
