Saigon to Da Lat

As I was checking out of the hotel Madame Cuc stopped to have a word. If ever a woman was a Madame, it was her! She asked if I’d enjoyed staying at her hotel, which I can honestly say I did and she told the girls to give me a bottle of water and some bananas for the journey. How kind of her!

The journey was really good climbing to the Central Highlands and it was nice to see mountains again. Da Lat was a very pretty city with lots of flowers and gardens. When you book a ticket with the bus company, you get transport to your hotel thrown in. As I didn’t have a booking, they suggested the Pink Hotel which was $10 a night. If I didn’t like it they would take me somewhere else. The hotel was fine and I got a huge room with a balcony (only small but a balcony) with TV and hot shower. There was no fan or air-con which I found out later was surplus to requirements as it was really cold at night (probably down to about 20C!). Luckily my fleece was at the bottom of my backpack along with my waterproof jacket – both needed in Da Lat). I walked down into the town and had a quick look around but it was getting dark so I went back to the hotel and had an early night – just for a change!

04-09-09

Breakfast was included – choice of a cheese sandwich and one drink off the menu. I got directions off the boy behind the desk and managed to find the market and the shopping streets. I called in at the tourist information and got a map. The Lonely Planet said there was a railway so I set off to find it. I managed, much to my surprise and saw an engine revving up ready to go. I hurried down (well strolled quickly) and was told to climb on. The passenger carriage door was closed and I was ushered into the engine bit – first class treatment – they obviously realised I’m a classy person! When we got to Trai Mat village, the engine driver told me to follow the tour guide and his party to go and see the Linh Phuoc pagoda and be back in 30 minutes.

Apparently on some days in February and into March there was a halo of light behind the pagoda. It must have been some spectacle and I wish I had bought some postcards of it but I was being rushed back to the train. Going back was even better as the engine was going backwards and I had a clear view out of the open door. Because Da Lat is 1500m above sea level and it gets plenty of rain, the climate is very suitable for growing all kinds of fruit and vegetables and the export flowers to Japan and Hong Kong. There were greenhouses everywhere and more land being terraced to put more up.

I walked back into town and had a meal at the V Café – fish and chips but not as we know it! The fish was cut into small pieces and then battered. It was very tasty but not quite what I wanted. I took what I thought was the right road back to the hotel but instead of turning left I went right and walked for miles out of my way. I finally got on the right one and got back just before the rain started.

I needed to eat so the boy got me a taxi into town. The first restaurant I went in to was thick with smoke so out I cane. I’d just finished my meal when I spotted the Belgian couple who had been on the Mekong trip and staying at the same hotel in Saigon. They had been to Mui Ne where it had cost them $125 a night but they said it had been worth every cent as they had their own villa and swimming pool. Now it was back to reality with a $10 room!

The weather forecast was pretty dire so I decided to go to Nha Trang the next day. The boy booked my ticket and said the transport would pick me up at 7:30 am.