Da Lat, Vietnam 2011
We rented an automatic motorbike for 200,000 VND (9 USD)/1 day for 3 days. We left Nha Trang for Da Lat around four in the morning and got there around 8:30 a.m. The drive was incredible; got the natural scenery anywhere we turned, and the cool air blowing against our skin was exactly what we needed. Nha Trang is known for its’ tropical weather while Da Lat is the complete opposite; certain changes are good. Right when we reached 1500m in altitude we were struck with a strong drift of cold air, something I couldn’t believe since it’s Vietnam and it was also during the peak of summer. We stopped several times to take pictures and rest. Poor Bao didn’t want me to drive, he was behind the wheel for the whole four hours. Initially we wanted a manual bike that would get us there a lot faster, but there was no such rental!! When we got to Da Lat we checked into a hotel which costed 10 USD a night for 2 nights. Then of course, it just so happened that Vietnam is a small country and it seems like everyone has some sort of connection to everybody else, so when we got there Bao received a call from a friend of his in Nha Trang saying that he was also in town. We met up later that night and nhau, aka partied. The rest of the trip was spent cruising the streets of Da Lat, going inside a haunted mansion, fishing and dining at this local restaurant, doing the touristy things, shopping for gifts at cho dem (night market), going to cafes, and conversing along the side walks of Da Lat at night where there are plenty of street vendors to select from. There is always something to do in Vietnam to keep one satisfied.
