15 Feb. Evening after dinner

A day of biking extremes.

We spent one day in Dahlat (see previous post) visiting the Mediation center and a village and other tourist things.

Took the evening off in terms of dinner; blashphemy but as Nobue says "my stomach is tired" and I had been eating too much – just needed a break and the Dahlat place has wonderful breakfasts.

The hotels of the past two nights are at the very very high end. I discussed these two places relative to Ventana and Hans said that both were in the same price range. Discussed with Mai (she pays the bills at the hotel) and she said that the rack rate for the rooms that we were in are $200 a night and the villas and seaside rooms can run $400. Yikes for Vietnam. For contrast the very fine Majestic in Saigon runs $108 per night with the tour discount – not sure about the rack rate.

Excellent breakfast to energize the still tired legs – tired from the climbing of the day before. Past the Prenn Waterfall (turned off in honor of the Boog and a month without any rain and new record highs).

Then to the Chicken Village. I asked a few times about Avian flu but kept getting "no risk of Chicken Flu". Agree. Turns out to be an 8 foot high concrete chicken with souvenier shops nearby. Some negotiating (getting the hange of it) and then paying her the original asking price and getting a nice hug and soft punch in the shoulder – wonder where they learned that.

Through sugar cane, coffee plantations and lovely agricultural lands. No trucks or traffic on these roads, outstanding roads. Not flat but good quality and deserted. Would have been outstanding riding except for the very strong headwind. Oh, and it was 37C.

100 + km day with hills and headwinds and I packed it in for the final 46km hiway 1 ride to Phan Thiet.

Excellent Novatel, with Golf Course, in anoter place that does not seem to be part of Vietnam. Right on the beach.

So far I have ridden and or seen the Mekong, the Northern region with its mountains, ethnic minorities and real mountains. Then Hanoi as a architechtural Paris with just a bit more traffic but close to the same charm. The North Central Highlands with their challenging 'hills'. And the more southern ones with planations and beaches.

Housing has been of four varieties, seen them all but presented below in historical order.

A). Hay and mud

B). Cocunut leaves and some mud

C). Wood (various constructions including log cabins.

D) Brick with the clay from this area. Clay is converted to brick using the rice hulls.

Then comes modern contstruction looking much like our homes except more brightly painted.

Outstanding buffet at the hotel. Lobster (grilled to order, I had two), local crabs (grilled to order, I had three – as good a dungeness but I was very hungry and thé grilling in butter likely helped), shrimp and shrimp rolls, and baked clams and lots of other non seafood items bypassed. A couple of beers rounded out an excellent meal.

Will send this when I get to HCMH tomorrow evening, the 16th. New Years Eve. Dinner at the Majastic on their rooftop restaurant. Fireworks over the Saigon River. About $600K worth smoke and color.

Off early in the am to see the final day of sights and cycling.

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