Easy Riding in the Highlands.

---

We arrived from Nha Trang yesterday afternoon after a 7 hour journey. Dalat is a city in the middle of the Central Highlands and is 1900m above sea level and about 8 hours from Saigon (our next stop).

Enough of the facts.... I've just come back from a fantastic day with another couple of Easy Riders - Kenny and Kim. They have shown us all around the Central Highlands, well as much as you can do in the space of about 6 hours.

Dalat is the only place to grow flowers in Vietnam and they are everywhere, although this could have something to do with there being the bi-annual flower festival on at the moment! We also saw a coffee plantation, saw how rice wine is made (and had a little taster - thought it would be rude to turn it down!) and a silk factory where they do everything from get the cocoon to weaving different patterns into the silk and dying it. All very interesting!

Then they showed us a huge waterfall (can't remember the name of it) but was much better than the little trickle we saw when we were in Sapa. Just next to the waterfall is the 'Happy Budda' and I don't mean to be disrespectful, but I thought it was the ugliest thing I've seen since we've been out here- bl*ody ugly bugga more like it. Please see picture and decide for yourself. After this we had a feast of various types of animal and the obligatory rice which cost less than a quid each - still full up 5 hours later!

The last stop was a place called the Crazy house which is a hotel as well as a tourist attraction. One of the guide books says that it is cross between Gaudi (of La Sagrada Familia fame in Barcelona) and Sesame Street - pretty much spot on i'd say. The rooms all have a theme - termite, Kangaroo, Spiders web etc. Although it was a strangley funky place I wouldn't want to stay there over night when I'd been on a bender as I think it would totally freak me out!

So that was the end of the day. The only downer to the day is the fact that despite putting on loads of suntan lotion I am REALLY red and the freckles on my face are out in force at the moment.

So off on the open bus again tomorrow to Saigon which is our last stop in Vietnam as our visas run out in a couple of days. Think it's going to be pretty crazy as the last few places we have been have been quite chilled out. For a little taster of Saigon click onto this link:

---

Photos

Crazy House
.... does exactly what it says on the can!

Comments

[Kier]

Fun
Great keeping up with your travels it's like our own Judith Charmers.