Saturday, 14 February 2015
Thursday, 12 February 2015
Hằng Nga or ‘Crazy House’ – Da Lat - Vietnam 8-02-2015
Originally built as a personal project by Vietnamese architect Dang Viet Nga, opening to the public as a Guesthouse in 1990. Dang Viet Nga still lives within the central core of this building.
Nga has stated that her overall design was inspired by the natural environment surrounding of the city of Da Lat, along with the work of Catalan architect/engineer Antoni Gaudi. Like the roots of the Banyan tree, crazy stairways are being built to link further accommodation.
Sadly the new structures have, to my mind, lost an ‘organic’ approach of the original Hằng Nga. The result instead is glitzy. Perhaps the architect has ‘moved on’ in her search of the bizarre ?
Like Gaudi, Nga has designed the hand crafted furniture for each of the guesthouses.
Friday, 6 February 2015
Da Lat – Central Highlands - Vietnam 05-02-2015
Strawberry fields and coffee growing here, just outside the city.
Growing wild.
Chook with chicks on the roadside. Red passion fruit flower.
Beautiful, well preserved temple near our farm Homestay outside Da Lat City. 
Dragons everywhere.
Budda’s tiger?
Elephant deity?
At another incredible temple.
Ridge detail.
Awesome roof detail
Children were playing on this enormous dragon.
Wednesday, 4 February 2015
Nha Trang – Parasail surfing & sun – Vietnam 31-01-2015
Nha Trang similar to the Australian Gold Coast with its highrise hotels, bars etc. Full of Russians on holiday! Russian is the second language for the waterfront cafe menus, shopping wares & street hawker food signs.
Parasailing – a delight to watch, alas scary for me to try!
Tourist Information Centre – though one would hardly know!
An older – socialist style – more people friendly to look at though possibly no lifts.
New toilet block under construction. The women work as builders labourers here, & always well protected from the sun plus face masks.
Our favourite cafe where the Vietnamese go.
Once we ventured into the heart of Nha Trang it was much prettier with small cafes, parks and orchid flower shops.
Across the main bridge towards the Cham Tower – This building is the old Cau Bong Border Checkpoint.
Ponagar Temple (Cham Tower) belonging to the Champa culture, was constructed in brick between the 8th and 13th centuries.
Goat sacrifice animal for the gods – beautiful stylised statues.
Riding animal for Brahma God.
Thursday, 29 January 2015
More Phan Rang – Ninh Chu beach – Vietnam 29-01-2015
Traditional coracle with sculling oar.
Amazing bird like butterfly.
Young rice fields?
Cham style statue of dancer.
Australian wattle? Desert pea.
Fibreglass coracle.
These women builders allowed me to take this photo.
Typical tall houses.
View from unfinished High Diving pool.
Coracle drying.
Interesting though scary scafolding and no safety harness for the roofers.
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