Sep 2017 – Jan 2018

Occidentally Oriental

A 120-day adventure by Arias Read more

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Trip start
September 6, 2017
Arias Jordens Occidentally Oriental
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- Day 1
- Wednesday, September 6, 2017 at 10:00 AM
- ⛅ 30 °C
- Altitude: 12 m
- Vietnam Cathedral 10.77983, 106.6995410°46’47” N 106°41’58” E
I'm Back Baby! HCMC
September 6, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
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Arias Jordens Occidentally Oriental
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- Day 1
- Wednesday, September 6, 2017 at 12:00 PM
- ⛅ 33 °C
- Altitude: 6 m
- Vietnam Xóm Chiếu 10.76788, 106.6925410°46’4” N 106°41’33” E
Street Life
September 6, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C
Down this little alleyway we found our Ho Chi Minh home NgocThao Guesthouse and what a little gem! Run by a lovely couple of ladies who helped us with everything we needed, made us feel right at home straight away PLUS the street food on our doorstep is tasty af and the cheapest in town!Read more
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- Day 2
- Thursday, September 7, 2017 at 10:00 AM
- ⛅ 30 °C
- Altitude: 16 m
- Vietnam Vuon Tao Dan 10.77939, 106.6921510°46’46” N 106°41’32” E
The War Remnants Museum
September 7, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
I went here again with Rachel as this is her first time to Vietnam and even though I fully knew what to expect it still shocked me just how tragic and wasteful the second half of the 20th century was for this country. It's incredible that the country didn't just limp on after America finally left but to see it so blatantly thriving is a testament to the people's will and resolve, smiling in the face of adversity 😁Read more
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- Day 2
- Thursday, September 7, 2017 at 3:30 PM
- ⛅ 32 °C
- Altitude: 9 m
- Vietnam Cho Ben Thanh 10.77371, 106.6981510°46’25” N 106°41’53” E
Bep Me In
September 7, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C
What a delicious lunch! Pork summer rolls and bun cha "Me In" style which somehow led to an appointment at a hairdressers a few blocks away.
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- Day 3
- Friday, September 8, 2017 at 1:00 PM
- ⛅ 33 °C
- Altitude: 15 m
- Vietnam Xóm Bà Thiên 11.06147, 106.5293111°3’41” N 106°31’46” E
Cu Chi Tunnels
September 8, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C
Second round at the Cu Chi tunnels and they never get old. The Vietnamese ingenuity still amazes me as farmer's fought trained soldiers and won.
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- Day 4
- Saturday, September 9, 2017 at 5:00 AM
- 🌙 17 °C
- Altitude: 1,509 m
- Vietnam Da Lat 11.9493, 108.4384611°56’57” N 108°26’18” E
Da Lat
September 9, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌙 17 °C
Ahhh Dalat, the clean mountain air, the cool temperature and the pretty little town that bears all the markings of the French colonial rule. Our hostel owner in HCMC said that this is the place that Vietnamese people go to honeymoon because to them the "cold" (20° at a push) means they can dress up in their winters and snuggle up together whilst the enjoy the flower city. Coming back again solidified my love for this place. Not the most exciting, the most stunning, the cheapest or anything like that but it has an intangible quality to it that really appeals to me which I can't place and, to be honest, if I could may take away the thing that makes it such a special place.Read more
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- Day 4
- Saturday, September 9, 2017 at 1:00 PM
- 🌙 17 °C
- Altitude: 1,470 m
- Vietnam Da Lat 11.95149, 108.4511°57’5” N 108°27’0” E
Flower Park
September 9, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌙 17 °C
After what one would call almost a lengthy walk we realised that our goal was not actually attainable and that the flower park on Maps.Me wasn't in use, luckily we stumbled across the one that was. It was nice, not spectacular by any means, with an oversized bottle of Dalat wine taking centre piece but you always need to make time to stop and smell the flowers🌷🌹Read more
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- Day 4
- Saturday, September 9, 2017 at 3:00 PM
- 🌙 17 °C
- Altitude: 1,511 m
- Vietnam Da Lat 11.94357, 108.4372911°56’37” N 108°26’14” E
Market Bun Cha
September 9, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌙 17 °C
Dalat market, surprisingly bustling for a seemingly small place. We wandered through looking for food. In the end I persuaded the guys to follow the tried and tested recipe of going fully local with plastic chairs and little tables. The food was delicious and cost £1. Nuff said.Read more
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- Day 4
- Saturday, September 9, 2017 at 9:00 PM
- 🌙 17 °C
- Altitude: 1,509 m
- Vietnam Da Lat 11.94436, 108.4375311°56’40” N 108°26’15” E
Maze Bar
September 9, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌙 17 °C
A somewhat unexpected visit to the bar after playing drinking games at the hostel with Daniel, our Vietnamese gamemaster who is the friendliest man on earth. We played "the game", ended up polishing off 2 bottles of whiskey between us all and into the Asian nightclub we went, descending into the belly of the beast electropop comas and all.Read more
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- Day 5
- Sunday, September 10, 2017 at 11:00 AM
- 🌙 17 °C
- Altitude: 1,538 m
- Vietnam Xuân Thành 11.94449, 108.4994111°56’40” N 108°29’58” E
Temple of the Broken Glass
September 10, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌙 17 °C
Rach and I had seen a picture of someone we'd met in Thailand at this temple which looked beautiful so we went to visit it.

Linh Phouc was a marvel to behold, consisting of two temples, one pagoda and one torture chamber. There seemed to be one regular folk temple and one special ceremonies temple which was a feast for the senses. 3 or 4 storeys of coloured tiles everywhere I could look. It was a sight to behold and I think Rach and I spent half an hour in there just staring and wandering around in awe. After leaving we entered what seemed to be a mini theme park dedicated to torture of all kinds. Not gonna like, it was pretty creepy and confusing but later on at the hostel Daniel, our Vietnamese host, explained that they were representative of the crimes people had committed during their life which was odd as I didn't think Bhuddism had a hell...more research needed.Read more
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- Day 5
- Sunday, September 10, 2017 at 3:00 PM
- 🌙 17 °C
- Altitude: 1,446 m
- Vietnam Da Loi 11.93487, 108.467311°56’6” N 108°28’2” E
Weasel Poop Coffee
September 10, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌙 17 °C
Following maps.me to a weasel coffee plantation we arrived to find a whole litter of puppies that Rachel and Luke went crazy for, I didn't want to touch one because I honestly though I'd break it somehow. We saw the weasels all caged up, about 40 of them and felt a bit bad for them. We got to speaking to the lady who was showing us around and she was saying how they are solitary creatures and would actually kill each other, be killed by dogs or other predators or by humans if they lived in the wild. Whether this was true or not I'm unsure but we tried a coffee anyway, it came out in a laboratory-like contraption and was sucked up against gravity twice before suitable for drinking! Never heard anything of the sort before. The coffee...well it was alright but just alright. When in Vietnam right?!Read more
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- Day 5
- Sunday, September 10, 2017 at 5:00 PM
- 🌙 17 °C
- Altitude: 1,520 m
- Vietnam Da Lat 11.93475, 108.4307111°56’5” N 108°25’51” E
Crazy House
September 10, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌙 17 °C
Back to the crazy house and it was still just as crazy!! The fun does not diminish with repeat visits and I thoroughly enjoyed wandering around this temple of tumultuous trippery once more.
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- Day 5
- Sunday, September 10, 2017 at 7:00 PM
- 🌙 17 °C
- Altitude: 1,513 m
- Vietnam Da Lat 11.95381, 108.4414511°57’14” N 108°26’29” E
The "Daniel" Special
September 10, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌙 17 °C
Family dinner was supposed to be on but there were only 4 of us in the hostel so he decided to treat us to a local speciality. Now I can't remember the Vietnamese name for it but it was basically a sticky rice and tofu deep-fried spring roll which was then added to a fresh paper roll with lettuce, cucumber, some weird root thing, chilli, garlic and whatever else you could fit in, rolled up, then slathered with satay dipping sauce and it was De. Lish. Us. Equivalent of 80p for a full belly, can't go wrong.Read more
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- Day 6
- Monday, September 11, 2017 at 11:00 AM
- 🌙 17 °C
- Altitude: 1,319 m
- Vietnam Đèo Prenn 11.90097, 108.4487911°54’3” N 108°26’56” E
Datalna Falls
September 11, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌙 17 °C
Forgot how good the luge was! Speeding down until a joker decided to stop halfway down for selfies with the little'un. Rudimentary archery at the base which we still couldn't win a wine at and nice views looking over the falls.Read more
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- Day 6
- Monday, September 11, 2017 at 1:00 PM
- 🌙 17 °C
- Altitude: 1,438 m
- Vietnam Ấp Xuân An 11.90368, 108.4344611°54’13” N 108°26’4” E
Truc Nam Zen Buddhist Temple
September 11, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌙 17 °C
Saw this place in the pouring rain this time round and it was still just as peaceful if not more so. The weather cleared the place out and the beautiful sound of the chimes and water hitting the floor produced a very calming effect.

We did have to brave the drive back to Dalat in the pouring rain however as the rain showed no sign of letting up. It's cool, I'm a ped master now.Read more
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- Day 6
- Monday, September 11, 2017 at 9:00 PM
- ☀️ 14 °C
- Altitude: 1,488 m
- Vietnam Da Lat 11.9566, 108.4383611°57’24” N 108°26’18” E
Ruby Luxury Cinema
September 11, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C
Thee cinema had changed location and name since last I had been here and no one in town seemed to know! After half an hour walking the streets and winning strange looks of people, Luke and I rode off to ask our hostel owner. She sent us on a 10 min trip that took half an hour due to wrong routes and dodgy back roads. Eventually we made it and began ferrying everyone to the place. Watched get hard, had a few laughs and went back. Chill night 😁Read more
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- Day 7
- Tuesday, September 12, 2017 at 4:00 PM
- ⛅ 31 °C
- Altitude: 19 m
- Vietnam Nha Trang Air Base 12.23848, 109.1927212°14’19” N 109°11’34” E
Nha Trang
September 12, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C
The Motherland's step-daughter, the beach front getaway for the entire country of Russia. Signs in Vietnamese, then Russian, then Chinese....sometimes English. We thought we pop in for a couple of days and it was alright. A bit to touristy for my liking and wouldn't bother for a return visit.Read more
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- Day 7
- Tuesday, September 12, 2017 at 8:00 PM
- 🌙 30 °C
- Altitude: 21 m
- Vietnam Nha Trang Air Base 12.23478, 109.1951812°14’5” N 109°11’43” E
I LIKE FOOD
September 12, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌙 30 °C
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- Day 8
- Wednesday, September 13, 2017 at 4:26 PM
- ⛅ 31 °C
- Altitude: 18 m
- Vietnam Sông Cái 12.27036, 109.1773812°16’13” N 109°10’39” E
Muddy Fun
September 13, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C
Thap ba
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- Day 10
- Friday, September 15, 2017 at 7:00 AM
- ☁️ 26 °C
- Altitude: 9 m
- Vietnam Hoi An 15.89032, 108.3210915°53’25” N 108°19’16” E
Hoi An
September 15, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C
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- Day 10
- Friday, September 15, 2017 at 11:30 AM
- ☁️ 29 °C
- Altitude: 6 m
- Vietnam Hoi An 15.882, 108.3246515°52’55” N 108°19’29” E
Basil!!
September 15, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
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- Day 11
- Saturday, September 16, 2017
- ☀️ 34 °C
- Altitude: 5 m
- Vietnam An Bàn 15.91383, 108.340815°54’50” N 108°20’27” E
An Bang Beach
September 16, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C
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- Day 12
- Sunday, September 17, 2017 at 10:00 AM
- ⛅ 33 °C
- Altitude: 8 m
- Vietnam Hoi An 15.87651, 108.3272615°52’35” N 108°19’38” E
Hoi An Wonderment
September 17, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C
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- Day 12
- Sunday, September 17, 2017 at 7:30 PM
- ⛅ 26 °C
- Altitude: 5 m
- Vietnam Hoi An 15.8756, 108.3277515°52’32” N 108°19’40” E
Rango Bar
September 17, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
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- Day 13
- Monday, September 18, 2017 at 3:00 PM
- ☀️ 34 °C
- Altitude: 8 m
- Vietnam Hoi An 15.87744, 108.3326815°52’39” N 108°19’58” E
Forty One!!
September 18, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C
Tailor made suit and blazer....ohhhh riiight!
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