Da Lat

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We woke to a slightly overcast day looking over the lake at Da Lat. Ostentatious service in the dining room with the same view and then we headed off on foot through town to the Crazy House - the creation of the daughter of one of Ho Chi Minh's protégées. In generally very poor taste, the rooms are available to rent but look none too clean and all feature mirrors on the ceiling! The photos do it greater justice than can any description.

We then took a fairly kitsch trip around the town in the hotel's 1953 Citröen traction-avant which was, nonetheless quite entertaining - especially when our driver attempted to double de-clutch in inclines!

We started with a visit to the Bao Dai Summer Palace which is a 1930s construction in what, in England, we would describe as Odeon architectural style. Inside overshoes are provided to protect the wooden parquet flooring but there is no control of either children or adults which meant that the ex-royal furniture is showing signs of severe wear. The last Emperor of Vietnam, Bao Dai, who ruled from 1949-1954 would not have been pleased.

Then on to the rarely used railway station, again a 1930s construction, which was virtually deserted. It was the terminus of the cog railway linking Da Lat and Thap Cham from 1928 to 1964. The ornately furnished waiting room and booking office gave way to a platform between a moribund Japanese steam locomotive and a tatty Russian diesel which is used to power an infrequent 7km tourist service to Trai Mai.

Through the town we passed some of the allegedly 2,500 French colonial villas in various states of disrepair en route to the town terminus of the cable car. We were relieved to see that Austrian and Swiss companies were involved in the development of this modern facility which Lonely Planet, somewhat unfairly, described as “not for the faint-hearted”. It's certainly a lot better than some we've experienced in rather more developed countries.

We drank coffee (served with tea!) at Café Tung a must for those wanting to listen to Parisienne music whilst pretending to be a 1950s intellectual (it's hard to imagine, I know!) and then ate lunch at a market café in Da Lat, which was unexceptional, especially inasmuch as they couldn't muster the Vietnamese staple of spring rolls, but were very pleased to have chosen Dă Qùy for supper where the usual meld of prawns, pork, beef and rice was as good as any we've experienced so far and was enhanced by excellent service. It was all washed down with Saigon Beer, 333 and a new beer for us, BGI.

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Comments

[Di Theobalds]

Da Lat
Love the 'Crazy House' at Da Lat, just like home! Having read your recent blogs Michael and I have decided NOT to buy a house in France but to follow the Turner tradition of doing some incredible journeys. After all, someone's got to set up in competition to your blogging (which I have to say is excellent and saves those nights of - "Shall I show you our photos?" when you return!!) The car ride sounds like typical asian driving. Looking forward to more of the same. Di xx

[David R Turner]

Travelblog
Don't worry - there are 110 photos on Flickr - so far - and plenty more where those came from! Last night's dinner was spent moving tables trying to escape from German competitive smokers. Good luck with the quiz.