Day 10- April 26, 2009

Day 10: Dalat


I was woken up today by the morning light that shined through my balcony doors. I took a moment to enjoy the city view from my second floor room. The sun had risen behind the pine trees and was trying to break through the thin fog. The city probably woke up long before I did. It was fun to watch the tiny scooters, cars and pedestrians move around from the distance.
I quickly freshened up and headed down to the lobby level for the buffet breakfast. I treated myself with a small bowl of spicy lemongrass beef noodle soup. I had it with plenty of green vegetable and herbs. Of course I had a full plate of fruits afterwards with a pot of green tea.


The first stop of sightseeing for the day was Dalat Catheral, Dominant de Marie. It was beautiful and charming on a little hill. There was a small lovely garden in the back. We saw many different kinds of flowers each step we took. Even on top of trashcans, there were little green gardens with tiny flowers. They were just so cute in their own little world. Even though the Church was under construction, I was able to have a peak of the interior. It was not like a classic interior of a church that you would imagine; there were no glass windows and no statues. At the end of the hall, there was a stage covered by a red curtain. There were rows of plastic chairs in the middle of the hall. On my way out, I couldn’t help but collect a few knitted items like red strawberries and small dolls for my nieces. They are only $.20 each. The vendors knitted them themselves. I felt bad later for not buying anything after taking a sample of the dried wild berry jam from one of the vendors. She just smiled as I took her picture and walked away.
The second stop was the Flower Park. It was wonderful to take my time to enjoy the beautiful flowers. The sun came out but the air was cool. My favorite section was the different orchids that were on top of the hill. Those orchids were for sale but there was no way for me to take them. I took my time to call some friends in San Francisco. They were all thrilled and envied the fact that I was in Dalat.
The next stop was a visit at one of the 3 palaces in Dalat of Bao Dai, the last King of Vietnam (http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/asia/vietnam/da-lat/30009/bao-dais-palace/attraction-detail.html). It seemed more like a French villa with three levels than a traditional Asian palace. The main section of the garden reminded me of the classic gardens during the French 16th century with a touch of Asian accent. There was a little walkway through one section but it was only big enough for the small size of the Vietnamese people. When I strolled down to the lower level of the garden, I encountered a group of young men. They were all joking around and laughing. I was offered to join them for some beer and rice liquor. They told me that they came to the garden after attending a funeral. What was a better place to drink and chat about the old time memories?
The final stop was Truc Lam Pagoda (http://doimongmo.com.vn/dalat/landscapedetail.php?id=324). It was on top of a hill that looked down on Ho Xuan Huong Lake. The view of the lake reminded me of Lake Tahoe but in a smaller scale. Everything was neat and well constructed at the pagoda. There was a hundred year-old tamarind tree next to the bell tower. The main temple had high ceiling and beautiful wooden windows. The monk offered me some incenses. I bowed with them in my hand in front of the shine with giant Buddha while sending good wishes to my loved ones. I then continued to walk and enjoy the smaller temples around. The courtyard was spotless without a falling leaf on the ground.
After leaving the group at Dalat Saigon Hotel, Miss Denyce, Miss Hailen and I walked to Dalat Market for lunch. With $6, we had steamed dumplings with pork cake, stuffed tofu with pork, stuffed bitter melon with mushroom and pork soup, steamed rice and sweet all-kind-bean cold soup as desserts afterwards. Yes, $6 was for everything! Miss Hailen went back to the hotel for a nap. Miss Denyce and I continued walking around town and eventually got caught in pouring rain. We continued to walk with a small umbrella for both of us. The rain was warm and fresh. We laughed all the way back to the hotel.
At dinner, Denyce brought her snake and scorpion liquor that she had bought the day before and offered to everyone. She was afraid that the bottle would be confiscated at customs on her way back to SFO. Only 9 of us took the shots. The liquor was very strong and had a slight fishy taste. I felt a flow of heat run through my body immediately after. The liquor was supposed to vitalize your health and sex drive! Yeah... The dinner setting was supposed to be outdoor and around a campfire, but because of the rain it took place inside. The performance of the ethnic group was such a special treat. They were playing with gongs, bamboo pipers and bamboo musical instruments with hundred of pieces. They were also singing and dancing. The ethnic group was from a village of 5000 people in the mountains that is 15 km from Dalat. What a wonderful evening that I had in Dalat.