Chapter 3.1 - Da Lat, here I come

I wonder if I will ever find restful sleep during my time in Vietnam.

It's 8:41 am as I write this. The view from the window shows a green mountain landscape. The road was bumpy just now. Now it's smooth again. Not far to the bus stop in Da Lat, according to my Google maps. The photos look stupid through the window. So unfortunately nothing to see, sorry for that...

I'm really exhausted. Somehow the sleeping cabins on the bus are okay, but everything rocks and shakes regularly. The bus driver honks like crazy, even at night. I think this is how they show that they notice each other here. I just want a Grab Car and my room. A bed and a shower.

10:38 am

I'm finally in my room. But don't think that my plan A worked out. I had actually booked a different homestay. But I wandered around for almost an hour, asked the residents. No one could help me solve my problem. I even called, but no one could understand me. So I quickly booked a room nearby. I'm now paying 2€ more per night, but at least I have a room. And a bed. Above all, a shower!

I'm having my German student snack for breakfast and I'm going to lie down for a while. I had imagined that I would keep the pack until the end... Well, that didn't work out.

I feel exhausted...

To my surprise, the owners and their children speak German. Of course, not as their native language, but I can understand them. When the woman asks for my passport, she tells me that the German and Taiwanese passports are the most powerful in the world. But what did she mean by that? :D

I'm glad I stayed here. Somehow I feel comfortable. Even if the lobby probably doesn't offer the same kind of company as the Language Exchange Hostel in Saigon. But, we will see

Photos of the room and hostel will be in the next blog entry 🤞 Please understand.

4:00 pm

I wake up. I'm totally exhausted. I don't feel like doing anything. I was supposed to eat, explore the city on a motorcycle. Now I'm lying here feeling drained.

The bus ride just killed me. I try to calm down and somehow motivate myself.

9:25 pm

I've been walking since 5 pm. Since my feet are sore from my flip-flops, I'm wearing socks and sandals. I've always thought this style was totally ridiculous, but maybe the average tourist wears this combination only because they have sore feet?

Weird thought, but who knows...

Now that I'm back in the room, I have to say that I'm very happy that I motivated myself. I walked around the Ho Xuan Huang Lake, with an extended stop at the OK department store. Something like Kaufland and Geleria combined.

In this department store, they sing karaoke on a stage, there's an arcade that I would have entered with my cloud. But since I was alone and hungry, I was driven to continue to find food. It's unbelievable what they have here. From fast food corndogs to classic Vietnamese food and desserts like soft serve ice cream or fruits.

Really everything your heart desires.

Okay, there were no schnitzels or currywurst, but this is Asia, isn't it.

I treat myself to three chicken legs, Banh Mi, a noodle soup with various fish and sausages. There's also salad and milk tea.

Delicious. The tea surprises me. It tastes like coffee with milk at first, but the gelatin pieces are unusual. Somehow still interesting.

For less than 5€, I walk out of the supermarket feeling satisfied. I still need water and some nuts. On my way out, I withdraw cash again and see a popcorn stand as I pass by. At this point: shoutouts to my beloved.

I sit on the steps of this lookout point, under which the OK department store is located. Lots of hustle and bustle from tourists and locals. Still nice to look at, because the sun has already set. The city begins to light up in colorful LED lights and neon signs.

After a short chillout and a nice phone call, I continue walking. At that moment, I decide to walk around the entire lake.

My path leads through the busier part of the city to the less crowded part of the city.

At this point, let the pictures speak.

I return to the homestay after 4 hours. Tomorrow I will definitely rent a motorcycle. I'm getting excited to ride around here now.

Now I just hope I can sleep.

Love,

See you tomorrow