Well, our plan of getting sleep on the way to Dalat didn't pan out so well. This wasn't a sleeper bus like the last one so it was considerably harder to get comfortable in the first place, made only more difficult by the uneven roads and potholes that lay in our path. Apparently, we also drove along some precarious mountain roads with steep drop-offs and no guard rails, but I was drifting in and out of sleep so I didn't see them (probably not a bad thing). We arrived in Dalat at about 5:30 a.m., considerably earlier than expected (which is disconcerting given how fast the driver must have taken those mountain passes to make such good time). Because of the timing, we arrived at the hotel too early to check in, so we sat in the lobby hunched over, trying to snooze with our luggage in our laps as pillows. At some point, the manager was nice enough to let us into the room early, allowing us a couple hours of normal sleep in beds. Not that we really cared at that hour, but the room was rather unusual. It had four queen-sized beds, fited with slightly damp sheets and a leopard print blanket that looked as though it might have never been cleaned during its entire existence. On the plus-side, there was a lot of floor space and the shower was large, but hard to access since the sliding door to the bathroom stuck, making it hard for people to get in and then trapping them inside afterwards. And the smell was an odd mix of grime and potent cleaning supplies that probably contained enough toxins to kill us all from a single inhalation.
Nevertheless, we survived and hired a guide and driver for the day. We started with a breakfast of special noodles with beef and a cafe sua da, which was just the ticket for waking me up and fortifying me for a busy day of sightseeing. I'd heard before our trip that Dalat was touristy (more popular with Vietnamese tourists than Western), but this was almost too much. We drove by the miniature recreation of the Eiffel Tower, which was made even more hilarious by our punchy, sleep-deprived state. Our first stop of the day was a little more low-key and I think my favorite. We rode in little gondalas suspended by a cable to take in the view. We dangled over lush pine foreststs and tiered crop fields, with emerald tree-covered mountains standing just a short distance away.
After that, we went to a site that was a mix between a national park and Disney World. We purchased tickets for a self-powered roller coaster down a steep hill. Kendra and I sat in a go-cart styled seat on a track, with Kendra in the back controlling the speed with a lever while I sat in front and navigated - and by navigated, I mean calling out "faster!" whenever Van's and Alex's carts got too close behind us (I'm sure I was terribly helpful). The first thing we saw when we got off the ride was a gift shop, the first of many we encountered throughout the day. Just beyond the giftshop was a waterfall that managed to retain much of its natural beauty in spite of the plastic animal sculptures and Vietnamese signs alongside the tourists taking pictures from every angle. We took this opportunity to pull out our cameras and do the same since this was one fo the few times in Vietnam we've been able to take pictures without any awkwardness. We scrambled up the waterfall as far as we could and sat enjoying the spray of the water and each other's company, removed from all the other tourists. Rather than take the roller coaster back up (which wouldn't have been nearly as fun), we hiked up a steep incline to get back to the car. We certainly got our cardio for the day.
Next, we visited a pagoda that was beautiful and up the hill from a peaceful lake. However, it was also crawling with tourists, posing for picutres in front of every flower and sacred relic. It definitely took away from the spirit of the pagoda. However, once inside the temple itself, I was able to tune everything else out. There were very few people in the temple except for a monk in a gold robe, holding incense for worhsipers to use while he rang a low dull bell (in the shape of a gold bowl) with a wooden mallot. I felt a bit like an intruder there, knealing in the temple though I'm not Buddhist. However, my actions weren't empty. There's something very moving about Buddhism that I've been unable to find in any other religion, even my own. I'm still Catholic and my religion is close to my heart, but there are elements of Buddhism that are equally powerful. It's not bogged down with rules and sacraments, it focuses on the follower becoming a good person in a very straightforward way.
Our day got progressivley more touristy as it went along. Our next stop was "The Crazy House,"an Alice in Wonderland-inspired complex of houses with unusual, dreamlike architecture. This, once again had several gift shops scattered throughout, but not as many as the next tourist haven we went to. The "Valley of Love" is one of the cheesier places I've ever been. There were lots of props to pose for photos with (down to a cutout of Mickey Mouse himself), romantic hideaways, kiddie rides (which I'll admit I wanted to go on), and ponies for rent with "tourist" written on the saddles in English. On the way out, we visited a gallery exhibiting gorgeous silk embroidery that was incredibly detailed. We even saw one woman bent over a table making her tiny stitches.
Dalat at night made me think of Las Vegas - much slower paced, but still containing lots of tourists, neon lights, and wedding chapels (along with even more shops to buy wedding dresses). We had a wonderful dinner of spring rolls with corn at a tiny roadside restaurant (like street food but with tiny tables). After dinner, we all rented tandem bicycles, which turned out to be incredibly difficult. Molly and I went together but we both had trouble steering it. I'm certain that if we'd had an opportunity to practice we would have been fine, but our route required us to go directly onto the street into a busy traffic circle. Traffic is scary enough when crossing the street on foot, let alone trying to stabilize a heavy two-person bike with the bright lights of trucks and motorbikes coming at you. Instead, we had the others rescue us, Molly riding with Hanh and Alex steering in front of me. Alex and I ended up being the best team of the bunch, consistently going faster than everyone else (which is certainly more credit to her and/or the bike, not so much me). Despite our rocky beginning, it turned out to be a great deal of fun.
After returning the bikes, we walked to a big market with clothes and food, most commonly meat grilled on tiny cookers on the sidewalk. Some people got banh mi, a Vietnamese sandwich made from a baguette, which I've been wanting to try ever since I got to Vietnam. Since I wasn't hungry, Hanh let me try hers and it was everything I'd built it up to be. I'll have a full one tomorrow when I can actually finish it. We ended the evening sitting at a streetside vendor drinking warm soymilk mixed with green bean juice. It kind of put us to sleep so we made our way back to the hotel. Now Van Anh and Khang are here after a long, trying bus rid (complete with break down). Tomorrow, we have once again made plans to eat durian. Every plan thus far has been foiled (including our attempt tonight when none of them were ripe), but Kendra and I are determined to succeed.
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