We stayed two nights and three days in Da Lat. It was a great trip filled with good food and lots of nice scenery. Above all else, it was just night not to be in the sweltering heat every day. We look forward to going back soon.
Here are some photos from the trip. I've included links for more information on some of the places we visited. Hover over the description to find the link--it's not exactly easy to spot with the font template assigned to this layout.
It's 12:00 AM. We arrived at the bus stop to check in and load our luggage. Check in counter is on the lower left side of the photo, cafe is in the back.
People on the same bus were brining goods from the city home to their friends and family. Some would get dropped off at stops along the way to Da Lat.
This is a sleeping bus. You take your shoes off and put them into small plastic bags before you board.
All of the seats on this bus recline back into a bed-like position. You're given a nylon blanket.
You store your shoes in the small compartment behind your chair-bed.
You could tell we were out of the city and getting into the highlands by the fog that came through the fields.
Not sure how gangster this gaming spot it, but it seems pretty gangster.
After a six-hour bus ride, we made it to the Da Lat bus depot. It was around 8:00 AM when we arrived. We would catch a smaller shuttle to be taken to our hotel.
Thanks to a connection through one of the OBV benefactors, we were able to book a discounted two-night stay at the Sammy Hotel. Our room was rather nice. No A/C because it's not hot enough to warrant one.
This was the view from our balcony. Not a bad view.
For brunch, we took a 10-minute walk down the road and down an alleyway to a small shop that only sells one thing, banh cang. Our friend who grew up in Da Lat highly recommended this place, so we put up with the rain to have this coveted dish.
We dip the banh cang in the broth (lower left). It was delicious.
We took a quick nap after lunch. In the early afternoon we decided to take a walk to the Da Lat market. It's about a 15-minute walk. The dirt is noticeably different in Da Lat. It's more red due to the different mineral composition.
This is Da Lat market. There wasn't many people when we arrived because we got there around the time people usually take a lunch nap, and it was Wednesday. This market gets more traffic at night and on the weekend.
Because of the climate, berries, and especially strawberries are grown here and are very popular among visitors. Berries are exported to the rest of the region, and some even make their way to Ho Chi Minh City.
Inside one of the larger buildings in Da Lat market lies a floor dedicated to various rice and produce.
We had banh xeo for a late lunch.
It was also delicious.
People sell rice by the kilo. You pick your type of rice, state how much you want, and it's scooped into a bad for your purchase.
Before we left Da Lat market, Thuy went shopping for a knitted shawl for her grandmother to wear over her ao dai. Many knitted goods are also hand-made in Da Lat.
Thuy likes roasted sweet potato, so we bought one to eat as we walked home.
We came across a police shakedown/raid of local merchants who were apparently breaking some sort of ordinance. Turns out that merchants aren't allowed to sell their goods on the sidewalk, so many were told to bring their goods indoors.
The following morning we boarded a van for a guided tour around the city. The older I get, the more amenable I am to these kinds of tours. It's a quick, efficient way to get a general idea of the city's attractions. There were four Thai women, two government works from Ha Noi, a Vietnamese-American, and his granddaughter who lives in Vietnam.
Our first stop, Bao Dai's Summer Palace.
Bao Dai was the last emperor of the Nguyen dynasty. After Bao Dai, Vietnam was ran by a prime minister. You know you're a baller when you have two crossbows in your office.
So this happened.
Our next stop was the Da Lat Cathedral.
It's also know as the Chicken Church because of the chicken located atop the cross.
Unfortunately we couldn't go inside. No one was around to open the door for us. You'd think the tour guide would've made those arrangements in advance...
From behind the church we got a great view of the city.
We made our way to Robin Hill, which also provided another great view of Da Lat and the surrounding forests.
From Robin Hill we took a cable car ride to the Truc Lam Monastery. The cable car ride was supposedly 20-minutes long, but it felt like it went by pretty fast.
The Truc Lam pagoda was beautiful. We walked inside the main prayer room.
It turns out that an Australian Buddhist monk is managing the prayer room.
 |
| Wait a second...you don't look Vietnamese. Then again, I don't look American... |
There's a dog who lives on the Truc Lam Monastery compound. He doesn't do much, just kinda hangs out.
We then went to Datanla Falls. Waterfalls in general are a big attraction in Da Lat. We didn't want to miss the chance to see one.
Obligatory couple photo!
We took the mini roller-coaster from the bottom of the waterfall up to the top where our car was parked.
Our next stop was the Valley of Love. This felt definitely like a touristy spot. Nonetheless it was still interesting to take a look at what they're doing with the place.
So many statues and fixtures with hearts on them. So much cheese!
The Valley of Love extends to an actual valley where people can take a stroll around the lake in relative privacy. You know some make-out sessions take place here.
Thuy couldn't help herself.
I made the most out of the trip by doing a bit of self scouting. I found an area much less manicured and maintained by the grounds keeper. I climbed the steps and found a chance to use one of the color features on my camera.
Our penultimate stop was the XQ embroidery shop.
What looks like paintings are actually works of art that are meticulously stitched by hand. This naturally takes years of training. But the final products are beautiful and sell for quite a bit.
Our final stop was to a shop where we could sample and purchase various specialties made in Da Lat. Thuy bought artichoke tea, and I bought some liquor. From left to right: tour bus driver, our tour guide Ms. Hai , and Phu, a tour guide in training.
 |
| Epic mustache, bro |
Since it was our Thanksgiving Day, Thuy and I opted to go out for a fancier meal that happened to have chicken and mashed potatoes. It was about a 20-minute walk from our hotel, but since it was getting cold and windy, we took a cab instead.
The restaurant is called Art Cafe. It's owned by Vo Trinh Bien, a famous Vietnamese finger-painting artist. His art adorns the walls and decor of the restaurant. He made his way over to each table to introduce himself and make a special painting for them.
He went from canvas to magic in ten minutes. It was wonderful to watch him be in his element. Here's a one-minute clip of him doing a painting for us.
Here's his final product. He was an absolute pleasure to meet. He'd fit right in with the Seattle art lifestyle.
That was our trip to Da Lat. We look forward to visiting again soon!
No comments:
Post a Comment