Another early start for us to be able to get ready and have breakfast before being picked up by two easy riders for the day. After our driving experience yesterday we chose to have guides take us around the outskirts of Da Lat to other villages with coffee farms, tea plantations, and vineyards.

We began by stopping at the railway station. Now dysfunctional apart from a 7km round trip, the station was once the main way for French holiday goers to reach Da Lat from the major cities. During the French colonial period, Da Lat became a holiday town due to its cooler temperatures and rural landscape. The French planted pine trees, build French architecture, and sustained various farms.

After the station we went to the coffee plantation to see the beans as fruit. Then we went to a cafe and got to try coffee. We also found a kitten to play with. Vietnam has some of the best coffee in the world.

Next up was tea. We visited a plantation before going to a tea museum. Here we learnt the history of tea and various traditions surrounding the drink. The UK drinks the most tea in the world per year. Here we saw the old machines used to process and ferment tea. We also got to try 2 types of oolong tea presented to us my a tea maker. They also gave us a free gift of tea leaves in a scent bag to make our backpacks smell a little fresher.

After lunch we went to the vineyard. The drive made us feel as if we were in Europe- Pine trees lined the road as we zipped along in 16°C weather through chalet lined villages. The vineyard was created by the French and grapes were brought over to grow. We sampled a white and two reds whilst watching a video on how they make wine.

On the way back we stopped at various temples and even a Catholic Church; again the French influence. Interesting our guides explained that the Vietnamese liked the French colonial period. The French brought modernization and they also like the European way of life.

One of the temples was called the dragon pagoda. Here the temple is made of old beer bottles and cracked plates the bowls. They were arranged to create patterns depicting the stories of the Buddha and various animals.

We had dinner before crashing early from a very busy few days.

-M