Easy Riding Dalat

We made our way into the central highlands to get a break from the humidity, which turns me into a sweat fountain. Dalat is a bit strange in Vietnamese terms. It was where the French used to run to when it got too hot for them. So there are Villa-style buildings all over the place. A communications tower built like the Eiffel Tower. Very weird. We got a room in the Europa hotel, which was clean and spacious.

Dalat is famous for being the base of 'Easy Riders' - originally a crew of men who offered motorbike tours of the area. There are loads and loads of 'Easy Riders' (aka clones) offering their services, always stopping and asking you 'Where are you going?' 'Can I talk to you later?' tout tout tout..... (Nothing that odd there, they are always saying 'have you heard of easy rider?') We asked a few questions and found out that their rates are pretty steep, but we could do a day trip.

Not sure if we got the real thing, but it was a really good day trip. Son and his far less talkative and grumbling buddy Lou were our guides. They rode very smoothly and showed us a few sites. Son was full of useful facts and was generally just good fun. They took us to a lookout, a flower farm, the great Elephant waterfall (beautiful spot), an interesting silk production place and took us to a really cheap and very very tasty lunch. We rode along a winding road through a valley that was very beautiful.

Dalat itself is set along a small valley. There is also a rather weird piece of architecture known as 'Crazy House'. Its conceived by the daughter of the second president of Vietnam (meaning her work is untouchable). And its the biggest amusement park idea gone horribly wrong. A cross between a tree, a cave, a giraffe and a melted candle. You can stay there, but you wouldn't.

Now its off to Nha Trang for some beach action.