Buzz
In Iceland, there's a saying: 'If you start with missteps, you'll have an interesting journey.' That seems fitting for our vacation in Da Lat. (According to the Ornthordarson blog).
Encounters with Friendly Locals
Not long ago, we embarked on a truly meaningful Da Lat travel. Despite the late hour, we hustled to catch a ride to the pre-booked hotel. Arriving, everything seemed shuttered, not just the hotel but the entire streets, doors locked tight everywhere.
We rang the hotel's bell, and a woman emerged, regretfully informing us they were fully booked, stating it would be tough to find any hotel rooms in the city at this hour. Undeterred, we canvassed the street, hoping some shops might have vacancies. As we attempted to enter various storefronts, a woman observed us, inviting us to her own hotel. She mentioned we could stay in the reception area as they truly had no available rooms. It turned out to be our best option at the moment, and of course, we readily agreed.
Later, she provided us with a thick, comfortable mattress, along with a blanket and pillows, resulting in a sound and restful sleep right in the lobby.
Next morning, we rented a motorbike and headed to the Valley of Love, a nostalgic amusement park as suggested by Lonely Planet. It's a charming park with plenty of fun activities for kids, boating on the lake while enjoying the surrounding forest. We lounged on hammocks for a few hours here, indulging in afternoon naps, reading, and people-watching.
Land of Impressive Temples
In the afternoon, we drove to an artificial lake and then visited a beautiful temple perched on a hill overlooking the lake. It seems there are many artificial lakes around Da Lat, a result of dam construction projects in the highlands. The temples here are strikingly different from those we've seen in Thailand and Cambodia. Inside the temple is a lovely garden adorned with numerous flowers and sculptures. It's a tranquil place, and we really didn't want to leave, but they closed the temple quite early.
The following day, we rented another motorbike to visit another temple outside the city, this one boasting 8-tiered towers and a 2.5-ton bell with a diameter of about 2 meters - where you can inscribe your wishes on a piece of paper, stick it on the bell, and ring it three times to attract Buddha's attention. This is also quite a large temple, with a Buddha statue outside towering perhaps 10 meters high, all adorned with dried flowers, looking quite impressive.
Exploring the Silk Production Process
After visiting the temple, we proceeded to a silk factory and witnessed the silk production process. The entire process starts from the eggs of silkworms, after hatching, they're fed plenty of leaves and grow rapidly within 8 weeks. After 8 weeks, they start spinning cocoons and spinning silk threads from the mouths of the silkworms, continuing this process for a few days. Once the spinning process is completed, the silkworms are killed by steam or hot water. Some silkworms are left alive to produce the next generation. The harvested silk threads are placed into machines to be ready for weaving into fabric for clothing. It takes about 5,000 silkworms to produce a kilogram of silk, so I guess making a silk scarf requires the demise of around 1,000 silkworms.
Unexpected Encounter with a Fellow Countryman
One evening at a charming restaurant in Da Lat, we met a girl from Iceland. She had been traveling across Vietnam, volunteering in Hanoi for 5 months, and was quite surprised to hear us speaking Icelandic. By my calculations, we've now met and recognized approximately 0.000016% of Iceland's population in Vietnam.
The Tale of Joy and Sorrow: Trash Disposal
The only thing that truly bothered us in Vietnam is the abundance of waste littering the streets. It might not be as bad as in Cambodia, but it's still very bothersome. People seem to turn a blind eye to this issue, although it's as simple as using the trash bins placed along the streets. We witnessed a scene where a woman, after getting off the bus, took her child's diaper and threw it into a nearby pond, an act that showed a lack of respect for everyone.
But above all, we love Vietnam for being a beautiful country with many interesting things to explore.
According to the Ornthordarson blog
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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour
MytourJune 7, 2014
