Delightful Da Lat! We've spent the past 3 days here, soaking up the sunshine and some of the sites. The city has retained a certain European feel about it, with wide streets, endless cafes and the large chateau style buildings that were built during the French occupation, some of which are sadly in need of a real facelift while others have been preserved in the form of hotels or restaurants.
Like every village, town or city we've been to on this trip, the heart of the city is the fresh food market and Da Lat's didn't disappoint. With everyone busily preparing for the Lunar New Year, there are all kinds of colourful and interesting foods available. The more temperate climate here also means we've seen a lot more root veggies and fruits that we'd normally buy at home. Undoubtedly, the fresh and flavourful food we've had on the trip has been a real highlight but we're still looking forward to getting our hands on some kitchen utensils and doing a bit of home cooking once we're back in Europe.
(Gold fish for sale. We hope they all get a more spacious home soon)
(A striking church near our accommodation)
(One of the many, many quirky kitschy cafes in Da Lat)
(Da Lat appears to have lots of clubs, including a Vespa club. This is our favourite model so far)
Our more touristy activities included a trip to the last emperor's Summer Palace, a visit to the Crazy House, experiencing the sparkle at Linh Phuoc Pagoda and a walk around peaceful Xuan Huong Lake. We also had a great evening with Tim and Tina where we caught up over dinner and listened to some live music at a cozy little venue in town.
(Bao Dai's Summer Palace. Not pretty but interesting to step back in time and see the home as it was left by the family)
(The Emperor's study. That's him behind the desk)
(The Queen's bedroom. The ropes didn't stop domestic tourists reclining on the furniture)
(The gardens at the Palace)
(At the Crazy House which had a distinct Disneyland feel)
(The Bamboo bedroom at the Crazy House)
(The dining room and ancestral alter)
(Found a crazy at the Crazy House)
(Yes, it is crazy)
(Xuan Hoang Lake, named after a female Vietnamese poet)
(Linh Phuoc Pagoda)
Tomorrow we're back on the road and heading south to the beach town of Mui Ne where we'll spend a day before making our way to Ho Chi Minh City for the Lunar New Year celebrations.
(Da Lat at sunset)
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