My driver/guide Mr Star.
Because of the altitude and climate in the De Lat region many vegetables can be grown here that cannot begrown in any other part of Vietnam
The hills surrounding Da Lat are covered in green houses, many of which are used to grow flowers,
The stunning view over the Central Highlands
Along the road.
Mr Star told me that Vietnam has over taken Brazin as the biggest exporter of coffee in the world. I don't know if this is true but we certainly pass a lot of coffee plantations. I get to see Arabica and Robusta coffee beans growing, and of course I had to try some, even as a non coffee drinker.
I also learnt the possess for making weasel coffee although I declined to try this, especially after seeing the little cages the weasels are kept in. What a sad existence they have.
Next stop was a silk factory. The Cuong Hoan Silk Factory was totally different to the one I saw in Beijing which was basically a huge shop. This silk factory was not a tourist attraction and the only visitors were those on the Easy Rider tours like me so only a couple a day and there for you were seeing how things really were and not a staged version.
Poor little silk worms never live to be moths. A lot of the cocoons are supplied by local people and the can make a lot of money this way. Along the route we say many racks of cocoons under the warmth of the sun outside houses. They import the eggs from china, feed the worms up on the mulberry leaves they collect and then sell the cocoons to the factory. The discarded worms are then eaten by many local people. Nothing is wasted.
Drying the silk.
Patterns used on the huge and incredibly noisy weaving machines.
More weaving and dyed silk hanging outside to dry
Next stop was Elephant Falls. You arrive at the top of the falls and there is a treacherous climb down the wet rocks to view the calls from underneath. (and my camera somehow got changed to a strange setting)
We then went to a cave right behind the the water and the force of the water was incredible, there was so much spray. We were soaked amd almost blown away. I imagin it was like being in the middle of a huge storm.
Right next to the falls is the Linh Au Tu Pagoda. (Spot the offerings of coca cola)
And the mint green Happy Buddha.
Nest stop was 'Mushroom Villiage'
And then onto Pongour Falls which were huge but not s huge amount of water coming through due to the dam upstream. Mr Star left me to explore on my own and initially I went the wrong way and ended up at the top of the falls where I sat quite happily on a rock watching the water cascade over the top.
And the on the right trail to the bottom to appreciate the full scale of the falls.
More crops along the way... this time the curry plant.
When we crossed the river in the new bridge you can see the remains of the original bridge which Mr Startold me the Americans destroyed towards the end of the war as well as the American strong holds that were there to protect the bridge.
Last stop of the day was the brick factory which was also surprisingly interesting.
The final push to Di Linh before it rains.
Too late, the heavens open about 1km from the hotel and it is the fasted kilometre of the day as Mr Star tries to get is there before we are truely soaked.
