Cool in the Mountains

Sunday, Sept. 10, 2006--Nha Trang (Cont.)

I went back to the same restaurant in the evening. The lady was so nice. I got even bigger portions this time around, and she varied the meal slightly. There was the basic rice plate. This time, the meats were beef, bacon, and pate. There was also a chunk of tofu and half a boiled egg. There were lots of bamboo shoots this time, and they edible in comparison to those hard things I was served at the place yesterday that charged 3.5 times what she charges.

Monday, Sept. 11, 2006, Nha Trang to Da Lat

Well, I had to set my alarm to get up early. Because of my anti-malaria medication (mefloquine), I was having lots of weird dreams when it went off. I had been dreaming about King Kong and about a creature who looked like a man but was really half an ape. Somehow, Christmas was tied into all of it, too. If you really want to spice up your dream life, go visit somewhere that has malaria and ask your doctor to prescribe mefloquine for you!

I tried a pineapple shake at breakfast today. It was okay, but the banana shake yesterday was better. I had the same omelette with bacon. Then I waited for my bus which came at 7:30.

The trip was great for the first 2 1/2 hours. The bus was so empty that everyone had two seats. But we made a stop before turning off the main highway and waited for another bus from somewhere else. When it arrived, every seat on our bus became full. A couple took the two aisle seats where I and a young Vietnamese man had the window seats.

We stopped about 1 hour later to have lunch. I sat at a big table by myself and ordered a plate of rice with beef, pineapple, tomato, green bell pepper, etc., and a freshly made limeade. A moment later, the Vietnamese man who had been at the window opposite me came and sat at my table with me. He took the seat closer to me. Even though his English was VERY limited, he started a conversation. I still do not know his exact name; he said, "Seven-Up." I don't know if his name sounds like that or if a direct translation of it into Vietnamese would be his name. Anyway, we apparently bonded. After we both had eaten, I went to the toilet. When I returned, he had left and gone to a pond outside. He motioned for me to come where he was and pointed to an alligator in the pond. Then he and I walked around exploring the rest of the area.

There was a lotus pond in front. He picked a lotus bud and handed it to me. I didn't know what to do with it. I started peeling away the layers. When they became white, I put one to my nose, and the fragrance was wonderful. I pulled another to give to him. Just about that time, it started to sprinkle and we went back inside the restaurant. I peeled off the other leaves and gave them to various women who had been on the bus. Then 7-Up and I sat down and waited with everyone else for the rain, which had become heavy by that time, to end. It started blowing in on us, so we had to move twice to get back far enough. No one wanted to get on the bus in that rain, so we waited an extra 15 minutes for it to die down before loading up and departing.

When we reloaded, I sat by 7-Up and let the couple sit together on the other side of the aisle. We visited a little (limited by language). We pointed out nice sights to each other as we saw them--fruit trees, a dam, views of the clouds below us, etc. For another 2 1/2 hours we climbed into the mountains and entered a huge valley and crossed it before getting to Dalat. In the valley, they grow tomatoes, cabbage, grapes, strawberries and other crops.

The bus company pulled into a hotel that they operate themselves. They asked us to look at their rooms and then go elsewhere if we wanted. I had already picked out a hotel where I thought I would stay, but I decided to look at their room. 7-Up came with me. They took me to a front room with a curved glass window in front and a side balcony. It is big and has a huge TV with cable. And they only wanted $5 per night. (No a/c is needed here because we are in the mountains, so that is one reason it is a little cheaper than I have been paying, but not enough justify such a discount.) Anyway, I liked it. 7-Up thought I should take it, too, and negotiated with the woman in Vietnamese. So I don't know, I may have gotten it for $4!! I got my luggage from the bus and went back to the room. Then 7-Up said good-bye and went up the same street to where he was already expected. He told me, however, that he will see me tomorrow. I don't know what that means. I want to explore the countryside, so I hope he comes by before I am ready to head out.

I am amazed at the size of Dalat. I have been to hill stations in the mountains in Myanmar, India, Malaysia and other places, and they have always been like small villages with some old homes and maybe a golf course or two along with a botanical garden. Well, Dalat is a BIG city. There is a wonderful lake that is about 7 km (4 miles) around. And the market is one of the major attractions. Fresh strawberries and strawberries that have been candied are among the special treats that tourists should buy. If 7-Up comes tomorrow and we go out together, I will get him to do the purchasing of things like that so that I can get them at a good price.

It seems that it got dark earlier here than it has been getting dark elsewhere that I have been. Maybe it was the cloudy skies that made the difference, and maybe having mountains to the west was a factor, too. Anyway, I walked downtown, went through the market, and was walking back out another street that should eventually connect to the street of my hotel when I found this cyber cafe. When I close this entry, I will continue walking until I get back to the hotel. It's very dark outside now. Somewhere along the way, I need to stop and find something to eat.