Buon Ma Thuot to Dalat – cool breezes, pine trees and middle-class commodities

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The drive up the winding roads to Dalat is quite surreal – the landscape changes, the light is different, the air is crisp and fresh and it is like crossing the border into the middle class. We had heard the Vietnamese refer to it as the Paris of Vietnam, where they come from all over the country on romantic getaways to the city of eternal spring, and that it was filled with kitsch and tacky touches, in true Vietnames style. But our experience was quite the opposite.

By a fluke, the last room available at Dreams Hotel was the best, and 25 dollars bought us a balcony on the top floor with a huge tub, complete with jet streams, as well as the best breakfast we've had in Vietnam so far, and the friendliest guy in the world who did everything, from manning the reception to making said breakfast, himself.

The city itself was an unexpected and lovely discovery: surprisingly middle-class, the fact that it is a destination for the Vietnamese as well makes for a relaxed ambience. Also, the fact that it attracts so much business based on its romantic atmosphere means the town invests money in such fancy things such as garbage trucks (and trash cans! So you don't have to hoard all your trash all day in order not to throw it on the street!!!), pretty street lights, and yes, even a telecommunications tower shaped like the Eifell Tower.

The relaxed vibe, the buildings left over from the colonial era, and the non-tropical vegetation, make for a nice European feel. To add to our relaxation, we had made it somewhere to get our visas renewed (in an incredible 24 hours!) and could finally give our butts a rest from the road.

To celebrate, we spent a day doing much of nothing. We visited the local market (they had middle-class niceties like zip-locks! And neoprene gloves that could be used for driving! And strawberries!) We ate lunch at the stalls inside the market, and dinner from street vendors (all wearing wool hats, due to the «intense cold» of around 20 Celsius.

On the 2nd day in Dalat we climbed up the highest peak on Liang Bang mountain (a tough 2167 meters up), from which the breathtaking views were oddly European. If you do it, take a right at the ranger station and pay the extra admission, it is worth it to get on a real trail and away from the main road, even though the last 900m will leave you winded.

We rounded off the day with some western-style food, a rare treat.

Leaving Dalat, it had been wonderful to enjoy a cool breeze for a change, but we were eager to finally get somewhere where we could even out our tans and Sadie could get some sun on her face (it doesn't seem to like the mix of sweat, dirt and pollution from the bike)...

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Photos

Coffee land
All along the road we saw coffee being dried in the sun, and people walking through the coffee to turn it around every now and then

a sna(c)k(e) for the road
just a little something you could pick up from the lunch restaurant we ate at by the road

Heaven!
we did not expect a bath tub with Jet stream when we got to Da Lat, but man were e happy

Fish for sale
this is the sales booth of a man who was selling wish

Pho-western
Many houses in the area looks like they could be used for a western movie. Maybe that would be a new thing; instead of spaghetti western, pho-western?

tonights dinner?
There is plenty of food at the marked, most of it is still alive

Indoor marked
at the indoor marked you can find everything, spices, clothes, bungees, mats, plastic bags,... think of it, and you will find it, or - someone you ask will find it for you... or run to the store who sells it and then sell it to you

local strawberries
actually grown in Da Lat

The Paris of Vietnam
of course with its own Eiffel tower

Dinner at the marked
Pick what you want and put it on the barbecue. pork, beef, chicken, chicken intestines, and a lot more we did not understand

The old lady
This old lady was selling nuts, cigarettes and some chocolate. It is very strange how those who seem the poorest also is the oldest.

The market by night
all around the marked there was several stands selling all kinds of food, meat, sea food, vegetables and things we have no idea of what was

The coolest police car
at least so far, but what is better, a Jeep or a Samsung?

the peak
It was not to far to walk, but the climb sure was steep enough, at least when its 25 degrees or so...

Just like home
It was a strange experience to walk through pine forest on a path that looked like it could be in northern Europe

Construction worker
No wonder things take a bit longer when sandals are the closest one can get to a shoe with a steel cap toe

Best way of transporting anything
is by motorcycle. We have seen doors, fences, show room windows, pieces of big constructions and anything you can think of being transported like this

Comments

[Home and Away]

Glad you enjoyed Dalat!
I went to school there from 1956 to 1964. I remember climbing (racing) up the mountain you described which didn't have any road at the time. I returned to Dalat in 2009 with my son and we took the Russian jeep up. As for coffee, we were told that Vietnam is now the second largest exporter of coffee in the world.