Vietnam: Dalat

Yesterday morning, Erin and I said goodbye to Mui Ne and our buddy Craig and boarded a bus bound for Dalat, a "kitschy" mountain town in Vietnam's Central Highlands, known for its cool climate and beautiful scenery. The road was a beautiful peruse through massive white and red sand dunes as we left the coast, followed by the winding turns through the hills and forests. We finally reached Dalat around 1:00 pm, found an enourmous room at the Peace Guesthouse with amazing views of the hilly city for just $5, and set out for lunch.

Within minutes of arriving, Erin and I had fallen in love with Dalat. It is an incredibly beautiful town full of lovely colonial buildings, colorful and quirky homes and apartments, and green grass, trees, and flowers stretching as far as the eye can see. After filling our tummies with Pho (I still have yet to find the perfect pho!), Erin and I went for a walk around Xuan Huang Lake in the center of town before wandering into an internet cafe, where I foolishly and reluctantly checked on my bank balance. The temperature had quickly dropped throughout the evening to the point of chilly, so after dinner, we decided to have a much-needed "Girls' Night In," complete with a bag of cookies, a can of Pringles, and MTV. Around midnight, with both of us doubled over with stomach-aches, my hair in French braids, and too many music videos behind us, we fell asleep.

Erin and I awoke this morning to the sounds of heavy raindrops splattering against our windows. Our plan to rent a motorbike and hike Lang Bian Mountain was foiled, so we decided to take a wet tour through the city. We only got as far as a few doors from our guesthouse, where I was drawn into a salon. During last night's Girl Fest, I decided that I can no longer go with three-inch dark roots. Therefore, ignoring such danger signs as the staff knowing zero English and the fact that I am probably the only blonde that has ever entered the salon, I gutsily sat down in a chair. Via hand signals and hand-drawn pictures, I communicated what I wanted: platinum blonde hair with blue streaks underneath. (Hey, I am traveling, do not have a real job, and am going through a quarter-life crisis as I near the old age of 26...I need a fun hairstyle!). Four hours later, my $35 hairstyle was (and still is) an unnatural shade of yellow, but the accompanying blue streaks are fantastic.

After my mini-makeover, Erin and I trotted through the rain in geeky orange ponchos to the "Crazy House," a funky little "Alice in Wonderland" guesthouse designed by a quirky Vietnamese architect. Upon exiting the house, the rain was down to a slight drizzle. We are hoping this is a good sign, and that tomorrow we will have sunshine so that we can attempt to hike the mountain!