Da Lat !

So you didn't like the hat!?! You should know that it's suprisingly light and comfortable...and that it's not a tourist thing...a lot of vietnamese people still wear it. A lot!

I've been in Da Lat now for 3 nights. Located in Vietnam's central highlands, Da Lat sits on top of the mountains at around 1400 m. I love it here. I went out to look for a job here today but the english schools weren't looking for teachers and the travel agencies didn't need more rock climbing guides. Oh well...i'll try my luck elsewhere soon enough.

Yesterday i went on an Easy Rider tour. People all over had been raving about this so i gave it a try. Basically, you hire a guide for a day or two, or weeks even, and ride around on his motorcycle visiting the so-called "real Vietnam".It...was...sweet.
I saw sooo much stuff yesterday! A few waterfalls,a few pagodas, a minority village..and of course the beautiful mountains! I also visited coffee plantations, tea plantations, silk factories (with silk worms and stuff!), a mushroom factory( yes because they kinda make mushrooms), flower gardens and other things i've already forgotten! Vietnam is the world's number two exporter of coffee and on its way to passing Brazil apparently...so i had my first taste of real coffee ever. And, unfortunately, i really really enjoyed it. Damn you coffee!

The minority village of the Lat people was also quite interesting...mostly because my guide, Mr. Hai, spoke french exceptionally well. We toured the village together and discussed the village's history and traditions. He wanted me to tell everybody that the women ask to men in marriage there. :) He sang some traditional songs to me which was fun...we even sampled some rice wine!

And i learned a lot about coffee...there's so much of it here...it's not black when it's on a tree. :) Oh, and same for pepper (as in salt and pepper). That grows on a tree and is green before it dries and turns black.

So here are a few pics!

Crazy pig in Dragon pagoda!



Sampling the fermenting rice wine...i wasn't too sure about this because that vase was still filled with rice...but the wine was really good!


In front of the Elephant Waterfalls!



Happy Buddah with neon halo ! I would've loved to have seen this at night!!



Views from the mountains around Da Lat and of their famous vegetable farms!





This is a picture of the Crazy House. It's like Alice in Wonderland on drugs. Extremely weird. The architect has a PhD in architecture apparently...but the whole thing is sooooooo tacky!! But it's still fun to walk around the house though...



And these are the Dalatlan waterfalls..at least i think that's what they're called...i'll double check later. :) They were smaller but nicer that the Elephant falls i thought...



I should be leaving for the tropical beaches of Nha Trang tomorrow...i'm not sure because a typhoon just hit there so it might not be the best time for sun bathing.

I'll keep you posted!

:)