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Dalat Station
The station is only used for the tourist steamtrain now, although you can still buy regular train tickets and a bus takes you to another station. Having enjoyed Saigon immensely I was saddened to be leaving. Took the tourist bus to Dalat. Dalat has a high altitude and the, relatively, cool temeratures were greatly appreciated. A vacation town for Vietnamese, precisely because of the as fore mentioned cool temperatures; the place was awash with tourists. In the evening I donned a jacket for the first time since arriving in Asia, however it was on and off all night. It really wasn’t that cold. However for the Vietnamese tourists it must have been, for they were wrapped in scarves, woolen hats, thick coats, and gloves. I hypothesized whether they could be this cold, or if it was more a case of dressing for occasion. Much like a Brit sitting on the beach dressed in shorts and a t-shirt in the cold rain, purely because it happened to be August?
As I was sorting through my bags in the room, Chelsea came bursting in, raving about an encounter with the Easy Riders. The Easy Riders are a registered group of guides based in Dalat, whose reputation has grown to almost cult status through word-of-mouth. They offer package tours of Dalat and custom made tours of pretty much anywhere
Steam train
Me and Chelsea on the steam train. else in Vietnam. The mode of transportation is motorbike, often vintage/old Russian and Chinese made machines. We discussed the tour options with Easy Riders Huong and Tan, a great pairing that have clearly been on the road together many times before. They offer a basic half-day tour around Dalat to a five day trip up through the Central Highlands. Although our respective minds were made-up, we thanked them for their time and arranged to phone them later. Strolled around Dalat admiring the assortment of winter wear available on every street and market stall. After diner we called Huong to discuss the five day trip in more detail, all a charade as we had made up our minds hours ago. The price was the stumbling block, $260. After some negotiation we agreed on $230, including all transport and accommodation. Huong offered us a half day tour of Dalat the next day as a free bonus.
Up early the next morning (this would become an unnatural, but necessary trend over the next five days) we met our bright and bubbly guides. The method of transport in SE Asia is undoubtedly the motorbike and I had become rather fond of traveling on
Temple
A temple in Dalat. them. Sitting on the back of Tan’s bike was no exception. Dalat Railway Station was our first stop. Only used for the tourist train now, the locals still buy tickets for further destinations at the ticket booth and are taken onwards to an operational station via bus. From a high vantage point we looked out across the region, abundant in fauna and flora potential. Many years ago a Dutchman saw this potential and came to build and trade greenhouses. The industrious Vietnamese simply copied the Dutchman’s design and built their own from bamboo, they have not looked back. Most of Vietnam’s produce is grown in the Dalat region. O’ to be a monk. The monastery we visited was a peaceful haven with only the “dong, dong, dong” of a hypnotic bell for noise. Another haven was our final stop of the day, the Stop-Go Café. The café is in fact the living room of former Dalat Mayor, journalist, and working poet Day Viet. A treasure trove of bohemia, the walls are bursting with Day Viet’s art, poems, and newspaper clippings about the eccentric elderly gentleman. Sporting a beret and pointed beard, Day Viet busied himself in his garden while we
Me in the Temple
Climbing the staircase in the Temple. sat back enjoying some tea and cake. That evening we sampled Dalat's finest red wine, this cheap and flavoursome tipple was to become my friend for some time to come.
In the morning our heavy backpacks were strapped to the bikes creating a comfortable backrest on which to lean. Then we were off on our 900km journey. The Crazy Guest House was our first stop. A guest house come tacky, kitsch museum, with themed rooms, prominent more because the proprietor is daughter of former President Diem. The remaining stops of the day included greenhouses, a silkworm farm, and a waterfall. The trip for me was never about these stops. It is the thrill of being free on the open road, wind-in-the-hair and all that jazz. Over the course of the trip we would eat with Huong and Tan, who always ordered a veritable feast, at the local rate.
On the second morning we visited a local Minority People’s village and were invited into their longhouse. Without physical partitions, the longhouse is segregated into designated areas; kitchen, Queen’s (matriarchal society; head of family) room, men’s rooms, guest’s room, etc. As the villagers sat and watched, we drank homebrewed alcohol
from a clay pot through a tube. Although not nearly as strong as rice wine, at 9:30am the brew went straight to my head, rendering the next leg of the journey enjoyable for different reasons. A relaxing afternoon followed, relaxing and swimming in a clear, fresh mountain stream.
Set to cover the most ground on the third day (300km), it was also the day the heavens opened-up. An Easy Rider is always prepared and we got suited and booted in full wet weather attire. We looked ridiculous (as the picture of Chelsea highlights). Sitting still on the back of a bike in the wind and rain, one soon gets cold. However, although cold and wet for most of the day, it was a rewarding experience. The feeling of perseverance and determination felt when battling the natural elements is wholly satisfying. Barbequed Wild Boar and Venison for diner rounded off a challenging day.
Found ourselves at 9am on the morning of the forth day perusing round a toy shop? The reason was a visit to a local orphanage. The kids loved the toys we had brought them. Chelsea sat playing with the girls while I and the boys played
football. They were good, ran rings around me? Although a fun morning for both us and the kids, it was also a very humbling experience. It certainly made me take stock of how lucky and fortunate I have been in life. These kids seemed happy though, but it must be a tough life? After the orphanage we visited a village elder who played us a tune on his bamboo one-man-band instrument. He spoke French and I disastrously attempted some back, much to his amusement.
In the afternoon we finally hit the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Much of the original trail, built by the Viet Cong, is now overgrown, was bombed during the American War, or is simply now un-roadworthy. A new road has been built that follows the original trail. This was quite a special moment for me, a landmark point in the trip. We climbed higher and higher and were soon in the clouds and the temperature dropped. The views on the trail are spectacular and unforgettable. After hours of nothing but the open road/trail and glorious scenery, we hit life again in the form of a small village were we spent the night.
The morning sunshine,
blue sky, and fascinating cloud formations, juxtaposed with the trail made it seem more magical than it had the night before. We were off, the last leg of the trip, leaving the trail behind after a few more precious hours. Visited a Cao Daoist Temple in a small village. The temple was bright, colourful, and warming, the priest happy to show us around.
As we rode into Hoi An it was strange to see so many people again, especially tourists, after spending the last five days in the wilderness.
The Easy Rider trip was one of the best experiences of my life and certainly the highlight of SE Asia thus far.
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Alan
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I like Cheese
Brie, Stilton, Edam and a bit of Chedder