Dalat travels

So we have had a few days of travelling and settling in.  We changed our mind about the 1st apartment...ok I did...Phil was ok with it :(  He offered to around the area for another place and we found somewhere with a kitchen that is very convenient and nice.  Our travels took us to Da Lat which was an unusual place a little like Eungella weather but with 300,000 people living there.  It was also a little kitch!  You will notice on the photos.
Started my training with the Drama School and very excited about being part of it...things are exactly as I imagined, the kids are expected to have fun...cool for the teacher!
Phil has been doing a bit of CQ Rescue work and making some appointments to meet people.  He starts his teaching at the Vietnamese National University Tuesdays starting on the 11th of September.  He is starting to prepare for that now.

Outside our new Apartment

The kitchen & dining area 

The living room

The bedroom with a view

Breakfast at Dalat Palace

The front of the Palace, we ate up on the right

One of the kitch things...the Crazy House...someone actually built this...felt like a movie set!

So many flowers at the markets

Beautiful fruit displays

Street Vendor

Cath from NZ touring HCM with us

The view from the front door of the hotel in Dalat

Swan pedal cars on the lake?

Eating by the lake

Pagoda Dalat

Hopefully you will enjoy our pics!

Morning Glory

So we ordered some 'Morning Glory' a bean like vegetable that is really yummy.  It was served tossed with Garlic but we almost got more garlic than vegetable!  Yes that is JUST 1 vegetable and garlic.  Chasing those colds and flu away!

Meeting old friends

Finally met up with both of our friends that live in HCM. Thoan and Elizabeth both did our CELTA training course with us last August. This is a pic of Elizabeth and I at dinner last night...nice to have someone to contact for help who has lived here for awhile.  Pic of Thoan to come with next coffee meeting.

Rain

So we were sitting at a street bar and a huge downpour started.  We were entertained for around 2 hours with people trying to get off their bikes and not get wet getting into the bar. This is a pic from our seats...

Apato

 So this is the front door to our new apartment for the first month or 2.  It'sthe dark brown wood section to the right with Apato on it.  The apartment is in one of the famous Alleyways in HCM.  We will live here until we get out jobs organised so we don't need to travel too far for work.

Final Farewells

At the airport in Brisbane before we left farewelling the last of our girls.

Singapore

Mango and Sticky Rice in Singapore...yum!

The famous Raffles Hotel

We're here!

So after our 24 hours in Singapore we have settled into Ho Chi Minh.  We did a day tour of Singapore and made some notes for any visits in the future.  It was very clean and tidy and 'first world', although maybe more western than I imagined.  The shopping is amazing with everything you could imagine available, H&M, Zara, Cotton on, Aldo, and all of the usual suspects in Gucci etc.  Prices would be around 30% less than Aus.

So back to Ho Chi Minh.  We have unpacked our bags which we got through every airport and on every flight without paying excess...whew!  We both had a little aprehension heading to the airport in Singapore but I certainly felt a sense of calm once we arrived in HCM and were heading through the streets to our hotel.  Something I didn't really expect.

So have eaten some great food, had some nice coffee and tea and trying to get used to the idea that we don't need to rush around because we aren't on holidays...we actually live here!

The Night Before We Leave For Vietnam

Well here we are at my brother Andrews house in Brisbane having our last meal and glass of water from the tap! Drove from Mackay today to give our little Peugot to Hannah in the hope that we get it back in one piece on our return.  Andrew made us a Steak  Dianne and vegie dinner to ensure we make our last meal in Aus one that we wouldn't forget.  Big breakfast followed...way spoilt!  Luggage is a little too heavy, we are a little bit too tired but excited about the next step....on the flight tomorrow at 12. Leanne