Our Dalat trip started with an adventurous bus journey – a short rickety, rackety ride up from the sweltering plains and into dew soaked mountains… And only one puncture to slow us down!
The cool weather of the old French retreat has been an incredibly welcome treat. A short respite from a little too much sun (sorry to those of you who would welcome a bit of sun!). And although I’d never thought I’d say it. The rains have been welcome as well. So refreshing. Energising. Energy, we’d need for our adventures.
First we ventured out the town and into the wilds. Into a landscape so stunning we thought the only way to see it was… Sliding through rapids…
… Hanging in the air…
…Rushing through waterfalls…
… and launching ourselves off rocks to plunge once again into revitalising, cool waters.
That’s canyoning. Just an excuse to act like a big kid and have too much fun. We loved it. Although Joyce was sometimes a little reticent!
Our next adventure was a visit to the surreal, gaudi-like, Crazy House.
Designed by a female Vietnamese architect, Đặng Việt Nga, the House is a fairy-like dream world where man-made and organic meet and intertwine. It is a hotel and a tourist attraction. You can stay in one of the many rooms – the ant room, bee, bear, kangaroo – that are hidden in the maze of stairways, trees, holes and hovels that abound in the small, tardis grounds of Hang Nga.
Whiling away the hours, getting lost, hiding from tourists and finding the hidden gems that the Crazy House reveals. It’s like something out of Alice and Wonderland!
A Wonderland that we followed with our final Dalat adventure: Phuc Nguyen. A small, local restaurant that I stumbled on thanks to the Ravenous Couple. A restaurant that specialises in goat. And so in one evening we had goat three ways. Subtlety spice, deep fried goat (De Nuong). Lightly braised, tender fleshed goat (De Hep). And a steaming, rich and uncos goat hot pot (Lau De).
Our only complaint… It was too good. We ate too much. And left, waddling like penguins, out into the cool rain of a chill mountain evening.
With these adventurous adventures behind us, and still clutching our bursting bellies, we sleep. Tomorrow, we move once more back to the coast and… well, who knows?
ASIA AND BACK AGAIN 