Another Nice Day in the Hills

Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2006--Da Lat

Vietnam is so much nicer and pretttier than I expected it to be. It's more developed. Much of it even seems nicer than Thailand. The new construction, unlike that in many poorer Asian countries, seems to be of a high quality with better materials. Arne and I were supposed to come here two years ago. Of course, that got canceled when Arne had his stroke and died. But I had put Vietnam on our itinerary as his chance to be a little adventurous. It's not as rugged an experience as I had expected it to be, though. Arne would have loved it here. There are free toilets everywhere! And he would have had the best time visiting with all the sweet people. Dining would have been a great adventure for him. I'm sorry he died before he got to experience this.

Today, I walked to anouther area of town to see the sights. I went by the cathedral which is a very nice building on the outside. It was closed, so I didn't get to see the inside of it. Then I continued further into the countryside until I got to what is called the Dinh III Palace. It was the summer house of the last king of Vietnam. The palace was built in the 1930s and is a VERY well-designed art deco-style home. Although it looks rather small from the outside, it is quite roomy inside and was designed specifically for that one family with special bedrooms for each of the parents and the children. The light fixtures, the furniture, etc., were all of art deco design. I arrived when almost no one else was there, so I had a long time to wander through the rooms alone enjoying both exploring the home and imagining what it would have been like to have lived in it. They led a very luxurious life.

On the way back into town, I took a quick detour to see the Crazy House. It's actually a hotel where I could have stayed. A man has used molded concrete to create a complex that looks like the roots of trees with windows in them. I didn't go inside, but each room is said to be decorated in an Alice in Wonderland style. It's a folk art type of creation similar to the Orange House or the Bottle House in Houston. Actually, it seems to work as an interesting, but qwerky creation.

One thing I've been intending to mention and keep forgetting is how much ear cleaning goes on here in Vietnam. It's big business for barbers. Every time I pass a barber shop, one of the barbers is working on someone's ears. The barbers wear lights on their foreheads like miners use. They bend forward with a long stick (form of a Q-Tip?) and work meticulously. I bet there aren't any plugged ears in Vietnam! Maybe they also clean the ears of hairs at the same time.

I have bought a bus ticket to go to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC or Saigon) tomorrow. I've now seen all the major sights here in Da Lat. I will spend the afternoon and evening just wandering and looking or resting in my room. I'm going to miss the cool air here, but there is no reason for staying longer. Nothing in the area really appeals to me that I haven't already seen. It's been a good stop, however. Although Vietnam is more developed than I expected, it also has fewer important tourist sites than I expected. Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, and even Malaysia have more to offer the tourist who wants to see temples, palaces, ruins, etc. But if someone wants to observe the culture, interact with the people, and enjoy the food, then Vietnam is a place where one can have a good time!