I'm in Dalat in the Highlands, a six hour drive from Saigon or a 30 minute flight. I opted for the flight.
Dalat has a population of around 200,000 and because of it's location it has rolling hills and lush greenery as well as "seasons". Because of it's elevation it offers some relief from the heat of Saigon. The town is dotted with elegant French colonial villa's and the surrounding countryside is thick with strawberry and flower farms, not rice.
Sadly it has been pouring rain all day today. Tomorrow, fingers crossed, I will be heading into the countryside to photograph some ethnic minority villages so will hopefully have some interesting images to post later in the week.
The motorbike "guides" here are quite famous in Vietnam and are know and Easy Riders. My guy is 60 years old and speaks fluent French and English, so weather permitting I should be in for a few good days of interesting photography.
The hotel I am staying in is supposedly haunted, a fact that I was blissfully unaware of when I booked, so it may make for some interesting nights of sleeping with one eye open!
Later in the week it's back to Saigon to shoot a press conference on Friday for the great local charity KOTO. The guest of honor is Christina Ha, a past winner of Master Chef America who is blind. Christina is in Vietnam to support a fundraiser for the charity the following evening.
Variety is the spice of life.