Da Lat..."City of Eternal Spring" or cheese capital of Vietnam?

Well, I'll say this much, Vietnam continues to amaze me. Pulling out of a sweaty, steamy Nha Trang in the morning, I never would have guessed that later in the day I'd be fishing around in the bottom of my backpack for a jacket while hiking through a pine forest. As it turns out, Da Lat (at 1475 meters above sea level) is situated in the rolling, evergreen forested hills that constitute the roof of Vietnam's Central Highlands and after 7 hours in a bus, I couldn't wait to stretch my legs by tramping through the pine needles. Once again, the French, in their never ending quest to create some semblance of home, found the area with its (relatively) near perfect climate and familiar vegetation to be the ideal location for their vacation homes. Hence, Da Lat.

I'll be honest, I didn't know a lot about Da Lat before I got here but I had one hell of a pleasant image in my head. I knew that Da Lat was the primary wine-producing area in Vietnam. In fact, almost any Vietnamese wine you're likely to stumble across came from Da Lat. I knew there were lakes. I knew the weather was nice. I had also heard that Da Lat was the "Honeymoon Capital of Vietnam." While all that is true, I didn't realize that Da Lat may also be the cheesiest city in the entire country. Why? Well, it IS the honeymoon capital of Vietnam. It's also one of the biggest domestic tourist destinations in the country, with Vietnamese tourists outnumbering foreign visitors by 10 to 1.

I'll be the first to agree - make that argue - that tackiness is relative - God knows Americans can be a kitchy lot (check out your neighbor's Christmas display this year...Daniel). That being said,
the Vietnamese do a bang up job as well. From being helplessly funneled into a decrepit "amusement park" after touring Emperor Boa Dai's palace to the photographers who prowl the city with their horses in search of customers (not difficult to find) wanting dress up in ratty cowboy outfits, complete with fake six-shooters and very serious Wyatt Earp glares to the Gaudi-esque themed hotels complete with glowing-eyed kangaroos and grizzly bears with fireplaces for crotches (not making this up - I toured one hotel), Da Lat is one strange place. It feels like such a cool place - Vietnamese artists flock here, beret-wearing old men wander the streets, a genuinely decent cup of coffee is not hard to find, French music flows through the cafe speakers, the lake IS beautiful, the climate is perfect, even the market - overflowing with fruits and vegetables like you might find at home - is the best I've come across so far. And then, inevitably, there's the karaoke blaring from the clubs until midnight, the Vietnamese package tourists up from Saigon for the weekend, the constant nagging by the "Easy Rider" motorcycle guides, and yes, that creepy kangaroo with the glowing eyes.

Ah, Da Lat. Two days was plenty. Off to Saigon...