A big claim to make, but it has been an absolutely incredible day. The easyriders are motobikers who take you on trips around the mountain region and Dacia, Barry, Martin and I booked four for the day today. At $20 for the whole trip it was an absolute steal and something I would recommend to anybody making a trip to Dalat. Just make sure you get the real ones and not the copycats - age is a good indicator as those over forty are the ones who really know the area. Our guys had been doing tours for 12 years.
Anyway we set out at 8.30 this morning after breakfast. My driver was called 'tintin' and we also had Chin, Paul and Dan. They all spoke great English and were either storytellers or comedians.
First stop was the Pagoda just outside Dalat where Chin told us all about Buddhism plus some rather rude stories he had heard from Americans he had met. We listened to the monks chanting morning prayers and then got out fairly swiftly as all the tourist buses started to arrive.
From then on it was off the tourist trail and into the beautiful mountains of the Southern Highlands. We stopped at some of the farms and wandered around the fields. All of the work is done by hand and they grow lots of different foods including strawberries and cabbage. The weather isn't right for rice so they grow coffee and flour for export instead.
There are also a lot of farms that grow flowers and we went to see them too. Dan showed us around and explained the different types they grow and that Orchids and Roses are the ones that make the most money. They also import certain flowers from Holland which they grow in giant greenhouses made of bamboo and plastic.
After the farms we drove further into the mountains and stopped a lot to admire the view. In certain places you could imagine yourself as being in the French Alps. We stopped to walk up a hill to see the best view and the motos drove round and met us on the other side. At the top there were still bunkers and sandbags from the war; most of the mountainous areas were held by the Vietcong and therefore bombed by the US. All of the trees have been fairly recently planted and are pine trees as opposed to rainforest. The use of chemicals such as Agent Orange and napalm destroyed nearly all of the vegetation.
After more driving along windy mountain roads which was really exhilarating we stopped at a small house. Inside was a strong smell, kind of like rice boiling and there were three pigs on the floor fast asleep. Paul explained that the people used the excess rice they could not export to make wine. They burnt coffee shells for fuel and then added yeast to ferment the liquid. Interesting enough but it got a whole lot more interesting which he handed us a shot of wine each. Down in one and it BURNT so much! Like grappa or junipee but so much worse. Apparently it is 65% alcohol! They call it 'happy water' and when the farmers come home in the evening they will drink about half a litre each.
Feeling slightly wobbly but happy we set off again. An interesting idea, they chose to take us to waterfalls directly after rice wine. In order to get the best view you had to walk down a very small path and over rocks and slippery stones. Not the easiest thing after a shot of happy water but we made it. You could stand almost underneath the falls and we got absolutely saturated. Great fun though :D
Lunchtime was in a little house at the side of the road which I imagine the drivers stop in almost every time they take a tour. They placed a single hob gas cooker in front of us and then but a bowl of boiling stock on top. When it came to the boil they brought out a platter of raw meat and poured it in. When that had nearly cooked they added vegetables and noodles. Then you just served yourself out of the bowl. Basically Vietnamese Raclette and it was so much fun. The guides told stories and jokes all the way through the meal and laughed at our ineptitude with chopsticks. For less than $2 it was the best meal I've had all holiday and incredible value for money.
After lunch we went to a silk factory which was yet another amazing experience. Chin explained all about the silk worms and how they create cocoons of silk. Once they are fully cocconed they are placed in hot water which means the silk is easy to spin. They were doing it all by hand on these amazing machines. I will try to find a way to upload photos in Nha Trang because it is really tricky to explain. There was also the most amazing loom which was making the silk into fabric. Dad you would have been in seventh heaven as they explained how it all worked. It is the only 'old fashioned' loom still working in Dalat and there are very few left in Vietnam. It was an astonishing piece of machinery and the woman who was working it could spot the tiniest problem almost instantly.
Temporary glitch when my bike decided to break down. But there was a garage right next to where we stopped and between the four guides and a mechanic it took less than 10 minutes to fix. Back on the road we went to see a man who makes the brooms people use to sweep their houses. More incredible work by hand and a really sweet little girl sitting watching her dad.
Last stop was a touristy one - the crazy house. I'm pretty sure they only stop there to show you what you would have been doing if you had stayed in Dalat all day and done the guidebook tour instead of the easyrider tour. It was very bizzare and not interesting at all so I think they proved their point.
Back to the hotel to say goodbye to our lovely guides. Took lots of photos and their card. To anyone going to Dalat: just look for the easyriders with blue jackets and if you happen to come accross Chin, Dan, Paul or Tintin then it's your lucky day. Best $20 I have ever spent.
Going out for dinner later although I'm still fairly full from lunch. Bus to Nha Trang first thing tomorrow morning although we have heard that there is not much there other than the beach so I don't plan on staying for more than a day.
Loving Vietnam and having so much fun with my new friends :)
Lots of love to everyone, so glad youre all enjoying the blog - I will try to keep it up.
The Happy Traveller XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
