1/22/16
When I started traveling in South America, I was fairly apprehensive about taking long distance buses. I have problem sitting still, and some of the bus rides are very long (I think the longest I did was 26 hours?). However, everyone in South America assured me that that I should not worry: the buses there are mostly comfortable, and some even downright luxurious. That turned out to be very true: buses in Argentina, chile, Peru, Brazil were all superb. They have toilets on board, some even serve food, have wifi, personal screen or movies. I guess I became so used to that idea (bus is ok!), and I did not research buses in south east Asia.
The main goal today was to get to Dalat, the mountain city in Vietnam famous for it wonderful climate, outdoor activities, beautiful sceneries and a favorite among locals for honeymoon. In fact, a tour guide once jokingly told me there is not much of a night life in Dalat: because all the couples se too busy in their hotel room making babies. Of course, i have a much simpler expectation: instead of making babies, I want to do canyoning in Dalat. I woke up early to catch the 7:30am bus from Nha Trang to Dalat on Sinh Tourist bus. Learning my lesson from Hanoi and hue where the hostels and hotels keep pushing the bus company that give them a commission, I bought an open ticket from Hoi an to Saigon, allowing me to stop at certain cities of my choosing along the way. When I arrived, there was already a crowd waiting for the bus. I checked my giant backpack, grabbed some water and waited with the others. As I was waiting, I heard some pretty scary stories from a group of tourists about their bus experiences in Vietnamese. Some had drunk drivers, buses that sent fumes into the bus, air conditioning malfunctioning, bus driver refused to stop for bathrooms, and most scary of all: dangerous driver who speed and perform dangerous stunts. It is a good reminder on the danger of taking long distance bus trips in Vietnam. I have even heard some locals said they would not take a bus; they rather fly.
Thankfully, while the bus was packed with people, the driver was actually really good. He drove pretty steadily, and even stopped at a viewpoint to let us take photos (and let the engine cool down). We all arrived in one piece in Dalat by noon. I found my hostel, checked in, booked the canyoning tour for tomorrow, and then went out to sightsee. Dalat is an interesting city. High up on the mountains and surrounded by pine trees, it feels a cross between European and Vietnamese. The streets are laid out haphazardly, winding up and down the mountain. The traffic is, of course, terrible. The city center is pretty small, but the surrounding scenery is amazing. Lakes and mountains fill the background, just like the scene in The Sound of Music (maybe that’s just me?). I walked through the streets, checking out many couples obviously in love (who else holds hands when crossing the road? Unless one is visually impaired. Then I would feel really bad making fun of them. Hmm). I even saw a couple taking a wedding photo in full gear of ball and chain (I mean, suit and dress) against the beautiful backdrop of what looks like a giant green turd and a flower. It was all so lovely, and I ended up taking a run along the lake at sunset.
As I was sitting in my bed in my hostel listening to someone scrubbing the bathroom, I thought about my decision of taking buses. It is true, the bus system in south east Asia definitely pales in comparison to that of South America. However, it does still allow me to see how the locals love on rural areas and small towns (except it is also true: most of the people on buses are tourists, lots from China and Russia). However, it is also a good reminder that next time, I really should do more homework before making these choices. Afterall, it takes only one driver to cause an accident, and there are thousands of them on the road everyday. I guess at the end of the day, it is a toss up between budget, experience and safety. Next time, I think I will value safety more.
(Well, I say that. But when i see how cheap the bus tickets are, I will be tempted again…)
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