Wednesday 28th December: Another lazy day in Da Lat

Another lazy day in Da Lat, the days are dragging somewhat and I am still frustrated at not being able to get on to the mountain. However, I am trying to be positive and make the most of being here.

Da Lat (which means “water of the people of Lat” – the Lat are one of the ethnic minorities and original settlers in the region) is a curious place.  There is a real mixture of styles; there is a very distinct French influence with some large villas on the outskirts if the town and many of the inner city homes have roof gardens, intricate ironwork balconies, colourful shutters on the windows, and the flowers, that are everywhere, add a very European flavour.  However, you also see and sense a more Asian ambiance; concrete blockwork houses, metal sheet awnings, workshops and shop fronts that spill out on to the narrow streets, food sellers everywhere with their wares in baskets balanced across their shoulders bending under the weight, food waste, drink cans and packaging litter the gutters and side alleys and the stench of untreated sewage is overpowering and comes in waves as you walk around the town. As in Cambodia and other towns we have been through in Vietnam, the shops seem to be somehow organised into areas –  there will be a whole street full of shops selling car and motorbike parts, then clothes, then the beautiful carved wooden furniture that is typical of this area, then electronics, and so on. The shops are perhaps a little more mixed up here but the trend is similar. We have found little in the way of gift shops, the shops are all very utilitarian despite this being a tourist hub. There are a couple up the road selling some of the woven products we saw at Chicken Village and a shop selling embroidered silk pictures which are beautiful but very expensive. There are also lots of shoe shops selling popular brand names such as All Stars and clothing shops with outdoor gear all at very good prices. Whether they are the genuine article or rip offs I don’t know but I have bought a pair of All Stars for Gus which I think he will like.

The noise of motorbikes, car horns and the squeak of the street sellers as they advertise their presence with the insides of squeaky toys is incessant. I don’t think this city ever sleeps, there is a constant drone of scooters and motorbikes which quietens down a bit at nights but it is still there. Cars and trucks beep at motorbikes to shift out of the way which, in turn, beep at bikes and pedestrians – madness!  We have become quite adept at crossing the roads now and are more confident about standing in the middle of the road waiting for a gap as the traffic goes around us! We have realised that they don’t want to knock us over so they will slow down and weave around us. However,  you do have to watch then as they are quite adept at texting whilst riding although not so good at watching the road at the same time!

After much trawling of the internet, reading the Lonely Planet guide book and a few fruitless phone calls, we managed to book  hotel in Hoi An over New Year. They wanted us to pay in advance which required a trip to a bank. The Maritime Bank staff were incredibly helpful, spoke to the hotel manager on the phone which made me much happier about sending $176 to an unknown bank account. We have no idea if it is a god hotel or not, reviews were mixed, but it was the only one we could get at short notice as everything else was booked.

We walked down to the Botanical Gardens this morning; a steady stroll (I desperately need to do something more strenuous as my legs are seizing up!) and then had lunch under a tree – delicious ruby-red, water melon, peanut butter and banana sandwiches and lychees!  The gardens are beautiful, though; the Vietnamese are really into their topiary and the displays of bonsai trees are spectacular. The gardens are full of displays and stands especially set up for the Flower Festival and there are still some empty ones waiting for their displays. The girls liked the rubbish bins and took photos of them all as they were in the shape of different animals. We also marveled at the topiary snakes, dogs, dragons, coffee pots, chickens …it seemed that whatever they could think of had been created with the topiary shears.  The colours of the flowers are spectacular and the gardens are imaginatively laid out and beautifully maintained.

We had another good dinner in “Chocolate” again, and we all ate heartily which bodes well for the recovery of my invalids!