Based on some internet research we had done, we took a detour inland to DaLat which is located in the mountains at 4500 feet above sea level. Although the city is at a higher elevation than Calgary there was certainly no sign of snow.......the average high is in the low 20's C and at night time it cools down to 15-18 C which was quite pleasant. We checked into a very friendly guest house and had a wonderful time during our 3 nights there. DaLat turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip so far.
Rot (pronounced 'wrote'), was the manager and he made everyone feel right at home. Upon arrival he let us know that he was taking a few of the other guests out for dinner and we were free to join in which we did. Then we went to a nightclub where Rot performs most evenings singing several Vietnamese folk songs, as did a few other performers that we enjoyed.
The next day we went on a countryside motorbike tour with 4 other guests and a guide (Rot's cousin) organized by the hotel. The ride started at 7 am and ended at 5 pm with a circular route through the highlands that covered well over 100 km's. There were many stops along the way including a Cricket Farm (free tastings!), a local village market (we were the only gringo's there), a small Silk Factory (watching the process from the silkworm cocoon to the finished product), the Elephant waterfalls (with a short, steep hike to the base), a Coffee Farm (many plantations in the highlands) and a Mushroom Farm. Similar tours are offered by a group called the Easy Riders, (local motorbike guides), and we heard good reports about their service, but our trip was exceptional. We went to places that other tourists generally don't get to so we were able to really learn more about the local culture. It was clear that our guide had a personal connection with the locals.......at the market we were able to taste many items from various vendors with no money exchanging hands, only smiles following a few Vietnamese words from our guide. Similarly at the small processing plants the managers let our guide take the lead and she would slow down production sometimes to show how everything (mostly manual labour) worked in harmony. Our best stop however was at a small village where Rot's sister (a Buddhist 'nun') made us a delicious lunch in their small family home and then we had a long visit with some of their neighbours who lived in small wooden huts with very few amenities. Our guide acted as a translator so that we could ask questions about their lifestyle and culture......very different from city life........and centuries different from what we know (interesting mariage customs). During the conversation a couple of other neighbours dropped in to see what was happening and shared their views as well. Our hostess offered some recently open-fire cooked snails with hot chilies (think escargot without the butter, garlic and presentation) which had been harvested from a nearby river and she was pleased to see us consume a full frying pan's worth. It was truly a delightful experience.
The following day was spent walking around the city where one of the only flat areas was a lake in the middle of town which was close to 4 kms to navigate all the way around. We had a great lunch in town and stopped after at the Central Market to pick-up several food items for our journey, including fresh strawberries that Rhonda magically turned into evening daquiries and jam for breakfast.
Today we took a bus back to the east coast. It was a very scenic trip, dropping from the mountains through a steep canyon that the monsoon season seems to be gradually pecking away at. Fortunately, we are in the dry season with terrific views everywhere. The locals were either working hard on their vegetable and fruit farms, or repairing the damage to the paved roads from the fall rainy season. We are now in Nha Trang for several days and I have included a view from our lovely $15 room balcony.
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