Lat Lat and double Da Lat 2/4/2016

The flight to Da Lat took just over one hour, and despite it being the smallest plane I have ever been on and the only time I have been on one driven by propeller, the ride was incredibly easy. The exit was down a handful of steps from a door near the back of the plane and the walk to the baggage collection area was only around 100 meter across the tarmac with the checked luggage appearing on the carousel at almost the same time we got there. Several suitcases, a holiday, a cuddly toy? I kept expecting Larry Grayson to appear. Shut that door.  Welcome to 1983

Whilst I watched dutifully for bags, Lan purchased a couple of tickets for transport into town where outside we were herded on onto the bus and crammed into the 2 front seats with the luggage  that they were unable to fit into the boot space then stacked up all around. Amazingly, it wasn't as uncomfortable as it sounds, mainly due the fact that Lan is tiny,  affording me that  little bit more space than maybe I would have had if I had been crammed in alongside someone bigger, giving me the means to stretch out my leg just enough little to halt any cramp as soon as I felt it starting to develop.

Lan told me 3 things about Da Lat on the way to the Hotel.
1. there is no Aircon in Da Lat as the temperature here is cool enough to not be needed.
2. There are no traffic lights, anywhere, so it's a run and gun kind of town.
and
3. Never, Never feed them after midnight,

Da Lat itself is relatively small, with roads to get lost in halfway across, a big lake and centrally located market, as well as several nearby streets that are closed off to traffic in the evening to make things a little safer for pedestrians. There are also plenty of coffee shops and restaurants for you to try at your leisure, but as far as the town itself goes, there is nothing so apparent or engrossing that is likely to hold your attention for a prolonged period of time.

Luckily, having a vietnamese friend with me paid dividends at this point, and for 800,000 VND per day, Lan arranged for us to have a car to shepherd us around to some of the sites a little further afield.

These days were a little tough, with the heat pounding down through the thin, high air and with me having to blow my nose into wet wipes in order to not rip it to shreds on sought tissue paper, you could sense the frustration of Lan with my tiredness, but with all credit to her she only complained about it constantly. Over the next 2 days we were taxied to a lot of places, some more interesting than others but all unique in their own way. The first day visiting sites near to the town, the second  to places a little farther afield.

The first stop was the former residence and grounds of the last king of Vietnam which is now open to the public to peruse was our first port of call. The inside furniture and decoration barely touched since the house was left empty, apart from being kept clean. The aged appearance of everything from beds to baths to railings lend this place a guide air of a house that time forgot.

Then there was the Clay village, where giant clay exhibits stand amongst carved clay streets and non clay people are free to roam. Da Lat university with it's unique french architecture completed in 1927 to educate French and wealthy Vietnamese students which is visually more reminiscent of a church than what you might expect from a designated place of learning. Da Lat Railway station houses the oldest steam locomotive the country, and people venture there to have their pictures taken on the picturesque tracks, listen to or play music and drink tea in the converted carriages that are now mini cafe's. Luckily the trains don't tend to come often enough to be that much of a safety concern.

The "Crazy House"which proudly states is one of the top ten strange buildings in the world is a mixture of an theme park styled oddity  and functioning hotel which, in its current state would never be permitted in the UK, with unfinished construction areas and dangerous drops with nothing but shin high barriers at the most preventing you falling to your death should unfortunately lose your balance. And finally the Flower Garden, where sinister disney inspired white gloved characters haunt you whether you look into their eyes or not. Some of them just don't have eyes.

Further away on the second day we were treated to a couple of jeep rides, first of all to reach the lofty peak of Lang Biang, an ascension that would otherwise have taken us hours to walk, and the second to take us down to a village that had no designated English name. First racing us down a winding dirt track at speed before then leaving the road and ploughing the rest of the journey through streams and mud banks. the kind of experience that leaves your heart in your mouth and a relieved smile on your face when you reach your destination unscathed, Lan translated the village name as "Stupid Village", because apparently a man built it in a remote location hoping that one day his lady wold come to him, so everyone thought he was stupid.

Of course, when she did come, everyone knew he was.

There were a couple more stops that were made that day, including an area known as the Golden Valley which really was quite stunning with its rolling hills and man made lakes next to a much larger natural lake in the middle of nowhere. There is a Golden Valley in Bristol too, but I can only assume that the name there is derived from the colour the mud dries on the arse of your jeans after you've slipped over several times on it's overgrown paths. I know this from past experience but I'm losing the point. All too soon our time in Da Lat was at an end. 

The next day after a frustratingly long wait for the bus, we finally made our way to the airport to head off on our separate ways, Lan back to her home in Da Nang and me down to Saigon for the last 2 nights before leaving the country. Saying goodbye to someone you know there is a good chance you will never see again is never a nice thing to do. When my ex girlfriend and I seperated several years ago, I remember carrying her bags out to the car for her to make sure that she had everything she needed for her immediate future, and stood there watching her drive away and ultimately disappear from my life. Whilst there is no where near the same history or circumstance here, It was still a painful experience as I watched Lan walking across the airfield towards the plane, and evoked feelings that I hoped I would never have to experience again.

It's one of the many reasons I have stayed single so long.

It's the absolute worst feeling in the world.



Well, that and losing your keys..