Fresh Mountain Air

It looks beautiful, but don't be deceived...
FREEZING!

The best laid plans have gone awry.  When I set off on this little journey to squeeze in a few more Vietnamese adventures, I thought I had packed accordingly. I packed the ugliest, stinkiest, most thread-worn clothing in my closet.  My plan was to leave it all behind...piece by piece...one day after another...until I returned to Hoi An with an empty backpack (and more space for souvenirs for the journey home).

Well I have arrived in Dalat...the Siberia of Vietnam...the land of the down parka.  Rather than sweating every single minute of the day, I have been freezing.  Rather than discarding clothing at every turn, I have been wearing every single thing in my backpack at the same time.  Layers are my friends, and I have lots and lots of ugly layers.  The new plan is to wear it all every day and burn it when I get back to Hoi An.

Seriously, my fingers are numb when I sit at the computer in my hotel room and type.  There is no A/C, and I desperately wish there were heat.  People on the street are sporting hats and mittens.  I have gone to bed with the blow dryer for the last two nights. I haven't done that since a dismal Maine vacation three summers ago.  The night time lows must be hovering in the mid-seventies.  I can feel hypothermia setting in.  I believe that Vermont may be a rough transition for me.  It may be best to steer clear of me when the first flakes of snow fly this fall. 

The Sister of Mercy greeted me at the
top of a hill that had absolutely no mercy.

In addition to its frigid temperatures, Dalat offers some relatively clean air and a collection of hills reminiscent of San Francisco.  It looks like a relatively small city on the map, so I decided to see how much of it I could cover on foot.  Perhaps this was not the best choice for one who has not seen an incline over a 1% grade in nearly a year.  I seriously thought I was going into cardiac arrest multiple times on the day's adventures.  I'd like to think that I am at some ridiculously high elevation with extra thin air.  This would explain my shortness of breath and pathetic level of hill fatigue.  I'm choosing not to research it. Let's just assume it to be true.

Dalat is a sort of adventure capital. In addition to its coffee and tea plantations, it's the jumping off point for canyoning, mountain bike tours and treks into tribal villages.  It's like a mini-Lake George minus the outlet stores but complete with swan boats, hokey kids' attractions and tons of tourists on vacation.  It seems to be vacation land for the Vietnamese.  Siberia for vacation...who'd a thunk?  I was happy to play along for the day, but it took all of the willpower I possessed to resist the temptation to throw down some cash for one of those cozy down jackets in a pile at the market.  It is time for me and all of my layers to hit the road.  I'll be on the first bus headed for the coast tomorrow.  DASVEDANYA Dalat!

Dalat is the land of plenty when it comes to fresh fruit and veggies.



Rambutan

Jack Fruit

Mangostein

Fresh Flowers Too...

Dried Flower Arrangements

Avocados

And don't forget the chickens...

Around Dalat

The view enjoyed by my Sister of Mercy

Lake George on a cold, grey day?

Is this really Vietnam?

The "Crazy House" where an  artichect, who
must literally be crazy, built this Flinstone-like
house that could be in Disneyland (apart from
the serious building code violations - like
stairs to nowhere that end abruptly at a thirty
foor drop-off or random electrical wires poking
out of walls).  Odd and creepy at the same time.

Holly Berry this one's for you!

Crazy...

How about these stairs high in a tree
with siderails at knee level? Creepy.

I'd like one of these to put outside our
house in Jericho.