From Da Lat to Phan Thiet - Weasel coffee

Thursday, 22.2.2018

The breakfast is very delicious and at 7:30 am we start. There is a lot of traffic, but somehow it always works. We cycle once around the banana-shaped Xuan Huong Lake and then there are some steep climbs before we descend into the valley. We stop at a beautiful viewpoint and then Loc shows us coffee plants. Coffee, here in Vietnam, is 80% Robusta, is harvested once a year, and Vietnam is the second largest coffee producer after Brazil. Our next stop is a manufacturer of weasel coffee and rice wine. Here's some information about weasel coffee:

" Weasel Coffee - as valuable as gold

A kilo of this coffee costs $600. The reason is the extraction of coffee using the weasel in Vietnam. Don't wrinkle your nose now. The weasel eats the coffee beans and then excretes them. These excreted beans are then roasted and have an excellent flavor. All the bitter substances that the coffee would otherwise contain are gone. It is a pleasure to drink this coffee. You can't get this coffee in Vietnamese restaurants; it is too expensive and would not sell."

We see these cat-like weasels in their cages. In my opinion, not really appropriate for the animals. We also have the opportunity to taste this coffee. Since I never drink coffee, I don't taste this delicacy.

We also visit the rice wine distillery. Rice is mixed with yeast and left to ferment. After a few days, it is heated and the distillate becomes rice wine. Snakes are often added to rice wine to give it a special touch.

We then cycle another 25 km, this time with small waves. Afterwards, we get back on the bus and drive to a local restaurant. There we have sweet potato chips and then a very tasty soup. The bus then takes us to the mountains and we have 25 km downhill, flat, and occasionally short steep climbs around the mountain. After our break, we have a steep downhill of 10 km before we are in the plains and can cycle at a good pace. With over 100 km on the odometer, we end the day. Cycling was very enjoyable today because we were mostly riding in the countryside, without many mopeds and honking, and the many descents at a moderate pace were fun. Before we get back on the bus, Loc shows us dragon fruit plantations. Some plantations are illuminated at night to enable two harvests per year. Usually, there is only one harvest per year. Currently, it is not the harvest season and the bushes are growing flowers that will turn red and be ready for harvesting. A bush lasts about 10 years and must be pruned properly every year for the fruits to grow. This province is known for its dragon fruit plantations. I find the fruit very beautiful, both as uncut fruit and when cut open, but it doesn't have much taste.

Our hotel in Phan Thiet, the Ocean Dunes Resort, is located right by the sea and the resort is beautiful. However, the sea is rough, so you can't swim. There is a small pool instead. No road nearby. No mopeds, no cars, no honking!!!