Dalat is different from other places in Vietnam. LP says you would almost think you had stumbled into the Swiss Alps in springtime; true only if you had never been to Switzerland! Still walking around Dalat without rain is pleasant. Like Queenstown, NZ, Dalat’s attraction is the adventure sports around town – climbing, mountain biking and trekking. But we took it easy and walked around Zuan Huong Lake looking for birds, not the best place but an OK five mile stroll. We stopped at Sofitel’s Dalat Palace Hotel (another of the “1000 Places to See Before You Die”) for lunch but lost our appetites when we say the prices. Can you imagine paying eight bucks for a bowl of soup? The set price meal is $65, about the same as most couples we have met budget for an entire day. We settled for a sandwich at Café V.
On the way back to Thanh The we met Trung, son of one of the founders of Easy Riders, an informal group of motorbike tour guides. They offer tours of a few hours to expeditions of two weeks. Connie opted out but I climbed on Trung’s Honda 150cc bike and we zipped off to Thoc Lam temple. Trung’s father was an ARVN soldier who was sentenced to ten years “re-education” after the war. He started Easy Riders when he returned. Trung admits he was a wild kid while his father was gone and his mother sent him to Thoc Lam to study with the Zen master. He says that his karma improved after three years in the monastery. It is a very peaceful place and a good place to meditate. We cut the trip short when a light rain began. It wasn’t too bad riding around Dalat but I wouldn’t try it in Hanoi or even Hue.
