One week in - Da Lat City!

Over a week in Vietnam and so little blogging to show for it. I'm usually exhausted by the time I have free time and internt has been spotty in Da Lat, but the experience has been pretty awesome so far. It's much less effort to just post pictures. All my photos are still posted at picasa.


Chain coffee shop in Vietnam.


The menu is crazy cool.




Breakfast - egg and bread ; black iced coffee.






The Independence Palace in Saigon!










Birthday surprises!








Some photos of Saigon.


The scenery on the way to Da Lat was gorgeous.




Photos from the room at the homestay family's home.


Dorie and I rang in the [Lunar] New Year with fireworks at midnight around the drained lake in Da Lat with our homestay family.




Homestay house!


Our homestay siblings (ages 9 and 6) dressed for the first day of tê't.


The view from a pagoda for tê't.


Most of the homestay family and me.


My homestay family's cafe.








The day the monestary/pagoda was one of the most inspiring experiences of my life. Incredibly humbling and fulfilling.




Language class in the morning at Cô Thanh's hotel roof.




At Bai Dao's palace.


American tourist shot at the palace.


The drained lake in Da Lat. They drain it every ten years and we ended up being here during one of those years.


At a local poet's house.

Okay, leaving the cafe now.