Walking around Da Lat....

            Fortified by my four slices of toast and hot green tea, I made arrangements with Villathol Hotel reception for a change of rooms for my second nights stay--Vietnamese traffic is not quiet and the klaxon is used liberally to assert ones position in the traffic flow, but just not outside my room at

Such fun those selfy sticks & tablets.....

all hours.
         Grey heavy skies foreboding worse to come greeted this day. The clouds in Da Lat hang noticeably lower than in the coastal regions and I had the feeling that if I raised my hand high, it would come down quite wet. The temperature in Da Lat seems to be about 23/24 C and is a temporary relief from the heat that I know is awaiting me again in Ho Chi Minh city tomorrow night.

            Today's plan of action is an extensive circular walk through several neighbourhoods that my hotel map indicates as "must see" sights in Da Lat. As in most of the Vietnamese cities that I have visited,  Da Lat is no exception in that it has a large scenic lake in the central district. A nice touch for the citizens to have somewhere peaceful to promenade in the evenings. Not sure about the water quality of the lake in Da Lat--- it does seem to have an unhealthy brown cast to it. Dined on a hamburger at the Lotteria fast food outlet near the lake--- Good value, but it came with some service efficiency issues. McD. is not yet in Vietnam, or I have not yet

Thought I was Paris by the Seine!!

come across one. With a population over 90 million, a very web cognisant and youthful population beginning to have some spending power, Vietnam might soon be ready for the golden arches. With hamburger nutrition doing its job, I made tracks through to the central market area. Noticed yesterday that my trusty old lightweight walking backpack had sprung a large hole in its base due to friction.  No point risking having my camera descend down said hole! Replacement bag acquired with price negotiation/haggle conducted over the sales lady's i-phone to English speaking daughter.
               Strolling on, taking as many 'people' pictures as I could, succeeded in having a series of warm and humorous conversations with a variety of folks that I encountered. Everyone I met was extremely friendly and did not register any annoyance at having their photo taken.
                 My last point of call was to the now virtually unused railway station, constructed by the French during the colonial era, it is in that typical colonial French /Chinese combination architectural style and colouring that

This load--I tested it, must have been 100 lbs plus!

marks major buildings of that period. Took the requisite pics to mark my visit, including some of a group of Buddhist nuns en visite, who had so much fun posing with each other at the end of their 'selfy sticks'. At this point, the heavens opened to deliver the long threatened down-pour. After 30 minutes waiting for the clouds to clear, I beat a tactical retreat in torrential rain, back to my hotel via taxi.