[monumentum]

Day #9: Dalat (8-may-2010)

Datanla waterfall wasn't one that was worth all the walking into the thick forestry just to witness. Wasn't an exact spectacle, but nonetheless still a great way to start a morning. It was an outright tourist attraction, straight from the entrance you'd see crowds & commotion, tour buses & guides hailing flagsNot a place that true nature lovers would fancy, for it's brimming with signs of human activities. Even at secluded corners of the greenery, a loudspeaker out of nowhere would boom the welcome message in Vietnamese & English respectively. So was there stone paths to facilitate walking supposedly for those allergic to grass.

The highlight of Datanla waterfall was probably this so-called roller coaster which takes you about in the 'wilderness' for a small fee of 25k VND, which I myself didnt bear to part with. Not so much of that, but the time was limited & I figured I'd be better off snapping some photos along the way on foot.

As you'd see, this waterfall is indeed small, yet tourist cluttered. No matter how you angled your photo, some tourists would definitely be caught in it. So the topless lady appears to be pouring water into the falls. Awww... That's sweet? No from the posture I guess she's more like scooping water from it. What a pain!

Another sign of being a tourist attraction? How could you forget the souvenir stalls? Yes, they stretch across a considerable length of path. Where the permanent 'stalls' per se ended, there was still a continuation of stall-less vendors hawking their produce of handmade souvenirs & cold drinks on makeshift mats (which they'd probably clear away at the end of the day) along the way. In conclusion I'd still classify Datunla Waterfall as quite a letdown, being a WATERFALL, that is.

You can call me a failure. But I'd still have to admit that I have no idea what's the name of this magnificent temple I visited next. Above is one of the photos that led to the temple. Lots of walking indeed! No, the one below isnt even the temple itself after a harrowing, scorching walk, it's just a side gate.

So look, more more more walking... On & on as if there's no tomorrow. It doesnt seem that long so you'd say. But under that sun with a daypack containing more than a litre of water, batteries & all the other whatnots... That's NO joke.

So when I finally reached the main compound of the temple, this little 'pondok' was where I sought refuge from the sun.

Below would be the main temple building with a typical temple layout as its interior. In front of this main building was a flower fest? Or is it a permanent garden display of flowers? I had & have no idea. But still, being such a freak, Flowers-the-untouchable still seemed pleasing to the eyes. Perhaps simply due to the fact that I love colors.

The temple overlooking the lily pond with countless dried out, browning water lily pads floating bleakly on its surface. It was poorly maintained in that sense, but the willow trees along the huge pond, forming avenues on its banks, was quite a sight indeed! Needless to even mention the scenic layers of mountain blues (& greens) in the background.

Pardon me for such poorly taken macro shots. I'm stillllllll learning.. But otherwise, they're such lovable & grostesque little beings at the same time. Their colors undoubtedly are appealing though! Doesn't fall short of the cute bokeh patches in the background. They weren't hard to achieve, just.. Out-of-focus. (;

That's Dalat city you see there! So in a way we're just teetering on the brink of... Dalat! Massive huh? I never thought Dalat would look so populated before I'd arrived here. So now I know.

Along the edge of Dalat city was this Hoa Violet. A cafe, & more so was the whole range of villa-like bungalows for rent @ USD500/month. No 2 houses had the same design. According to Chung, the designs were inspired by that of Vietnam's colonial masters. It was practically screaming out this fact when I saw the houses, for they totally did not look like a Vietnamese's doings.

I wonder who'd live in somewhere like this for US$500/month, but Chung said this was a popular accommodation for family travels, & perhaps a rather cheap one at that, if your family was really big.

Chung & I had a vegetarian lunch at Long Hoa Vien temple, yet another unforgettable place. You'd see why. I ordered rice, while Chung had noodles & tofu. As always, the Vietnamese diet is packed with vegetables as side dishes tied with your main meal. Probably the reason why I hardly saw any fat, or even plump locals throughout my entire stay there! It's awesome how fit they stay when we're struggling to back in our respective countries. To hell with office jobs, sedentary lifestyles, food choices & the financial stability to squander on them.

Apart from the sumptuous yet highly affordable meal they served, Long Hoa Vien boasts a long long dragon frolicking in its compound with a body made up of beer bottles (Chung told me this). Cool uh! The other colorful parts the dragon consisted of broken ceramic wares pieced together to give the surface of the dragon, thus also contributing to its colors.

How many glass bottles do you figure make up the entire dragon's body? Or even just the length in the picture below? You wonder, so do I.

Not only is the dragon drawn up with a mosaic of series of ceramic fragments, the main gate of Long Hoa Vien was practically a collage of them. See how nicely the (probably millions) fragments tessellate to form such a charming whole?

Zoom on into the picture below & you'd probably get the idea of how this works.

Vietnamese works of art, in this way, are incredible. How long it took, & how many craftsmen were involved? Considering that the picture below showing the high walls surrounding Long Hoa Vien weren't an exception to the mosaic family, so weren't the various embellishments lining the walls & the ground.

The photo above was its majestic main gate taken from the outside. Gorgeous, is it not? By that I don't mean I take great photographs, just that the architecture alone is enough to send you into jaw-dropping awe. The detailed workmanship of each sculpture drew this place deep into memories.

Just sitting outside of Long Hoa Vien is the 7-storey pagoda of Chua Linh Phuoc (No I've got no idea what its specific name is). Impressive it was though. Like when you didnt know the name of that pretty girl-next-door, but still can be attracted to her, I find the mystery gets me like.. More.

Below is the picture indicating its ground flloor. These Gods were probably the Guardians of the Pagoda. Yes, they might terrify little children, but I guess what caught me was the details forming every single inch of visible surface here. On both sides of the Guardian Gods, were the staricases leading up to the 2nd storey of the pagoda.

I shall cut words short regarding this pagoda. For it's really beyond words. It only pays to be there yourself. Lastly, the below includes the Buddhas & Goddess of Mercy in the pagoda at the various storeys, & the breath-taking surroundings that the pagoda overlooks.

Finally, the long-awaited Chua Linh Phuoc. Yes to the sophisticated exterior. But the interior was a true match too.

Above is the end of Chua Linh Phuoc's interior. So off we go now to the open. Where the Goddess of Mercy stands tall against the looming black clouds. She's another majestic figure you'd see very often in Vietnam. So would I pray to her when I'm back home sometimes, I certainly I did while in Vietnam too. Despite the transparent plastic that people encase Her in, She's still towering & dominant, isn't She?

The last stop that Chung brought me to for the day was the Old Railway Station, also known as the Cremaillere (the spelling tests my patience) Railway.

Of course, this train below looks just like a still exhibit, but it DOES run! I wouldn't have believed it if I didnt see it with my very eyes.

I doubt this runs though. Hmmm... Unless I see it for myself.

The quaint, dimly-lit interior of the railway station did give me some problems snapping a decent shot of it without a tripod, so I ended up with the one below. To cut the embarrassment, please view in minimum size, unless you wouldnt spare a thought for my dignity of course! ;X Nonetheless, do pay attention to the glinting reflections cast by the tinted glass on the walls. Enchanting uh?

So it was already an awfully long day, yet having not been drained, I decided to spend the last night in Dalat fruitfully. Thus, wandering was my forte & I utilised it. Below shows Dalat market at dusk, still vibrant with life.

I tried a couple of street food, many of which I hadnt the hands to shoot any photos. In a sense, food draws me more than shooting would. The below was one I had sufficient time to take a photo of before she served up those kebab-like treats.

No I hadnt forgotten to keep myself healthy. So here, fruits. The one below is a common sight in Dalat market. However, I regret to say that they were... Horrible. Or at least just the ones I bought. They're bitter & sour, hard, lacking juice. You'd shut your eyes by reflex should you eat the ones I myself struggled to finish. I wouldn't try that again. The side effects of TRYING stuff!

Counter-effect. This below was YUM. Just that some were VERY difficult to open.

My dinner was interesting tonight. Everything in banana leaf. So I miscommunicated with the stall vendor, spent a meagre 14k VND, & I had to drown my stomach with 20 pieces of the following 'cakes'. No they weren't at all bad, but having to choke on so many all at once was slightly more than a challenge. The incentive that kept me going was the dip of a combination of chilli & fish sauce (below). Awesome stuff.

The type below with an entire shrimp & a slice of meat (presumably pork? I've no idea!) in it, boiled in glutinous rice, was especially delicious.

Ok, much as I would praise Dalat, I wouldnt forget the little guys who accompanied me in my hotel room. There were so many of them (of various species too!) everywhere - In my bed, in the shower, hiding in my shoes, camouflaging with my sandals, crawling on my backpack, flying around the lights. I felt my room was actually crowded. You couldnt possibly install aircon in hotel rooms in Dalat (you wouldnt need that anyway!). So when you open the windows there'd certainly be conditions tied with it. Below, one little guy just simply perched himself on my trousers. Cute? (X

Finally, let's go back to my dessert. Sweet, juicy, & most of all, MANGO-ish. I started the day sweet, & I ended it sweet too!