Month: December 2019

Da Lat Vietnam – City of flowers

Beautiful annual flower show in Da Lat Vietnam.

Coming into the DLI airport which is located in the valley and is about 45 minutes up a 2-lane twisty mountain road with many scooters, buses and cars.
Coming into the Da Lat (DLI) airport which is located in the valley and is about 45 minutes up a 2-lane twisty mountain road with many scooters, buses and cars.

Da Lat is located in the Highlands of Central South Vietnam. It was developed by the French as a resort in the early 1900’s and some features of a French Alp village are still present. Da Lat has a population of around 406,000 people (2015 number). It is sitting at a height over the sea of 1,500 meters. Da Lat is known as the “City of eternal spring”because of the temperate climate zone it is in.

A view of Da Lat.
A view of Da Lat.
A view of the Xuan Huong Lake in Da Lat by the entrance to Flower Park.
A view of the Xuan Huong Lake in Da Lat by the entrance to Flower Park.

Dalat Flower Park hosts the Da Lat flower show every year in December.

Flower Park entrance.
Flower Park entrance.
Fountain by the entrance too Flower Park.
Fountain by the entrance to Flower Park.
er bed by the entrance.
Flower bed by the entrance.

The first section of Flower Park contains Orchids, many many beautiful Orchids.

A Tulip among the Orchids.
A Tulip among the Orchids.
Bird of Paradise flower.
Bird of Paradise flower.
A look back towards the entrance with the fountain lined with the Orchid stalls.
A look back towards the entrance with the fountain lined with the Orchid stalls.
The pond in Flower Park.
The pond in Flower Park.

Chateau Dalat is the local winemaker in the area, they sponsor the Flower Garden and get some advertising in return.

Bonsai is Japanese and means “Tray planting”. The Japanese art of Bonsai originated from the Chinese practice of creating miniature landscapes, similar miniature landscape creations are also popular in Vietnam. The Japanese Bonsai is more than thousand years old. The small trees are trained painstakingly and trimmed to mimic the features of a full size tree.

Another attraction at the Flower Park, with a mane and a tail...
Another attraction at the Flower Park, with a mane and a tail…

Orchids take up a big part of Flower Park, but there is room for some other flowers as well. Roses, Irises, tulips and more…

A Poppy snuck in among the Orchids...
A Poppy snuck in among the Orchids…

And, finally a look at a desert landscape.

To conclude we look at a desert landscape.
To conclude we look at a desert landscape.

Ninh Binh Red River Vietnam

Red River foot rowing
Red River foot rowing

In Northern Vietnam in the Red River Delta, lies the city of Ninh Binh. The Red River runs through the area and enters into the Gulf of Tonkin. The Delta provides the local people with fish, rice fields and wildlife. The city is home to about 130,000 people, it is the capital of the Ninh Binh province and it is about two hours S/E from Ha Noi. The city and the province was of great importance as an ally to the French during the preceding events to the Sino-French war in the bay of Tonkin. The Sino French war started in 1884. The French artillery that was established on the citadel up on a hilltop controlled access to the Bay of Tonkin through the Red River.

Mountain Goats by the Red River, skilled at Rock Climbing...
Mountain Goats by the Red River, skilled at Rock Climbing…
A Mountain Goat looking at you.
A Mountain Goat looking at you.
There is some very beautiful scenery along the Red River, limestone cliffs and green rice fields mixed in with the green subtropical vegetation.
There is some very beautiful scenery along the Red River, limestone cliffs and green rice fields mixed in with the green subtropical vegetation.

The Red River got its name because the water is filled with silt from the fertile Red soil that is in the area. This gives the river a Reddish Brown tint.

Lotus flowers are in abundant supply along the river.
Lotus flowers are in abundant supply along the river.
Lotus flowers
Lotus flowers

The Lotus flower – Nelumbo nucifera a.k.a. Indian Lotus grows “en masse” along the banks of the Red River in the Delta.

A beautiful Lotus flower.
A beautiful Lotus flower.
This is the seed pod of a spent Lotus flower, and this is what is assuring the proliferation of the Lotus flowers along the river.
This is the seed pod of a spent Lotus flower, and this is what assures the proliferation of Lotus flowers along the river.
Here is an alternative use of the leaf of the Lotus Flowers.
Here is an alternative use of the leaf of the Lotus Flower.
Limestone rock formations surround the river.
Limestone rock formations surround the river.
Red River Delta
Red River Delta
Asian Open bill Storks in the Red River Delta
Asian Open bill Storks in the Red River Delta
Asian Open bill Storks in the Red River Delta
Asian Open bill Storks again.
One of the caves that the Red River runs through on the way out into the Sea of Tonkin
One of the caves that the Red River runs through on the way out into the Sea of Tonkin
The river can get crowded at times.
The river can get crowded at times.
A cave that the river has carved out.
A cave that the river has carved out.
Interior cave view.
Interior cave view.
Interior cave view.
Interior cave view.
Interior cave view.
Interior cave view.
Hole in the [cave] wall.
Hole in the [cave] wall.
Swallows nest outside the cave.
Swallows nest outside the cave.
A family out on a fishing trip on the Red River.
A family out on a fishing trip on the Red River.
Bamboo stand along the river.
Bamboo stand along the river.
A Temple riverside in a cave.
A Temple riverside in a cave.
Flowers
Flowers
A long hoop net sits along the side of the river.
Hoopnets along the river.
Hoopnets along the river.
Closeup on a Hoopnet.
Closeup of a Hoopnet.

Hoopnets are used by the local fishermen on the Red River. The bait sits at the end of the hoop and the fish swims through cylindrical portals that has a wide beginning but tapers to a smaller opening so the fish can not find its way back out. The nets are generally situated with the wider opening facing downstream to prevent clogging the net with silt.

Asian Open bill Stork taking flight.
Asian Open bill Stork taking flight.
Asian Open bill Stork on approach.
Asian Open bill Stork on approach.
Asian Open bill Stork cleared for landing.
Asian Open bill Stork cleared for landing.
The Stork has landed.
The Stork has landed.
A homestead along the river.
A homestead along the river.
Banana plants at the homestead.
Banana plants at the homestead.
Slowly rowing down the river.
Slowly rowing down the river.
Foot rowing style study.
Foot rowing style study.
Limestone formations line the river.
Limestone formations line the river.
Hang Múa with a viewpoint on top of the mountain, you can climb 500 steps up to the top.
Hang Múa with a viewing area on top of the mountain. You can climb 500 steps up to the top and be rewarded with great views of the river and the Delta.

Saigon Christmas Time

Ho Chi Minh Square is located in central Saigon, District 1. It is in front of Ho Chi Minh City Hall.

Flag of Viet Nam
Ho Chi Minh with City Hall in the background.
Uncle Ho
Uncle Ho
Christmas display at Notre Dame de Saigon.
Christmas display at Notre Dame de Saigon.
Notre Dame de Saigon
Notre Dame de Saigon
Tan Dinh church in Saigon.
Tan Dinh church in Saigon.
Christmas trees
Christmas trees
Hoang Phuc decorations.
Hoang Phuc decorations.
Hotel at Ho Chi Minh Square
Hotel at Ho Chi Minh Square
A store window display.
A store window display.
A restaurant with a snowman.
A restaurant with a snowman.
A popular Santa window.
A popular Santa window.
Trees are lit up.
Trees are lit up.
Bitexco Financial Tower
Bitexco Financial Tower

Bitexco Financial Tower is the second tallest building in Vietnam at 264m at the top of the spire. Viet Nam’s tallest building is Hanoi’s Keangnam Hanoi Landmark Tower at 349m.

View from the tower.
View from the tower.
Saigon Opera House.
Saigon Opera House.

Saigon Opera House opened on January 1 1900. It is an example of French Colonial Architecture.

Saigon Central Post Office.
Saigon Central Post Office.
Saigon Central Post Office
Saigon Central Post Office

Saigon Central Post Office opened in 1891 during the French rule.

Saigon Independence Palace
Saigon Independence Palace

Saigon Independence Palace, or as it was first called, Reunification Palace, was finished in 1966. It replaced the Norodom Palace that used to be home to the French Governor. It was the home of the South Vietnamese president until the fall of Saigon in 1975.

A beautiful Saigon flower.
A beautiful Saigon flower.

Ha Long Bay Caves

Ha Long Bay has many caves on different islands, one of the biggest cave systems is Hang Sung Sot on Bo Hon island..

A tender will take you to the landing pier for the cave visit.

Hang Sung Sot cave on Bo Hon island was discovered by French explorers in 1901 and they named it “Grotte des surprises-the surprise cave”sin French. The name persists, but now in Vietnamese. The cave system has two chambers and it is outfitted with easy to walk trails and steps, so it is mostly easy walking after you climb up the stairs from the pier to reach the entrance to the caves.

Hang Sung Sot cave harbor with the pier.
Hang Sung Sot cave harbor with the pier.
Tenders carrying visitors to the cave coming into the harbor during a light rain.
Tenders carrying visitors to the cave coming into the harbor during a light rain.
Hang Sung Sot cave sign by the steep staircase leading up to the entrance of the cave.
Hang Sung Sot cave sign by the steep staircase leading up to the entrance of the cave.
Just inside the entrance to the cave system.
Just inside the entrance to the cave system.
The big cave hall.
The big cavernous hall of the first cave is called the waiting room.

The caves are full of both stalactites (extends from the cave ceiling downward) and stalagmites (from the bottom up). There are also formations called flowstone which is a more sheet like formation of calcite and other minerals left when water flows down the walls or on he floor of the cave.

The caves are quite large and they are full of formations of all kinds.
The caves are quite large and they are full of formations such as stalactites from the cave ceiling and stalagmites from the bottom up.
Bubble formations in the cave.
Bubble formations in the cave.
Photo op.
Photo op.
The busy harbor area at the Hang Song Sot cave.
The busy harbor area at the Hang Sung Sot cave.
Pier at the Hang Song Sot cave.
Pier at the Hang Sung Sot cave.