After staying a few days in an oceanside resort in Phan Rang, we boarded a very tiny bus and headed into the mountains for the beautiful city of Dalat. The ride there was quite the experience, including fitting 30 people in a bus built for 20, and at the half-way point, picking up another passenger along with her baskets of produce. Needless to say, riding along the curvy mountain roads with the door wide open, my feet resting in the basket of green leaves while the additional passenger sat on the floor and rested her head on Pierre's leg is one memory I will never forget.
As we drove into Dalat, I felt as though we had been transported to a European town with a lovely lake in the middle and verdant gardens filled with flowers as far as the eye could see. The temperature was a little cooler (most days around 25+ C) and still comfortable for us, however local people obviously find it quite chilly and most were dressed in long pants and warm coats.
The next stop was a traditional village for a look at how locals live (most houses are made of board siding and it almost felt like we were travelling through a town in the Old West). Then it was on to a cricket farm in which we saw live bugs that are quite large and are used for cricket fights. The smaller ones however are cooked and eaten with chili sauce. We were offered a sample but I just couldn't bring myself to try this delicacy - apparently it is really good with beer, of which we had none so that is my excuse!