Biking by motor power, hiking and biking by human power. We've done it all in the last three days in Dalat. Being greeted by the cool breezes of this elevated hill station was just what we needed. On Sunday, we scaled the three volcanic peaks of the Lian Biang Mountains, one of which is the highest peak in Dalat (close to 2200 m above sea level). Our efforts were rewarded by spectacular views of the Dalat countryside. In hindsight, our guided tour wasn't necessary as the path was clearly marked, but it was nice to have a Vietnamese companion along for the walk.
Yesterday, we chose to trade in our two feet for motorized wheels. We hired two Easy Riders guides to give us a fabulous tour of the countryside on their hogs. Yes, we looked pretty cool. Among other things, we got to go to a silk worm farm and visit a coffee and tea plantation. One of our Easy-Driver guides is a Vietnam War veteran who fought for the southern Vietnamese army as a paratrooper. It was very interesting to chat with him about the war and about Vietnam between the end of the war and the end of the Cold War. Since he fought against the communists from the North, he was sent to a reeducation camp from 1975-77. It was obvious that we were told a watered down version of the tough life he experienced in the reeducation camp.
The next day we went on an organized trip with Groovy Gecko to cycle from Dalat to Mui Ne. After a 1.5-hour van ride to the countryside, we set up our mountain bikes and started cycling uphill. We biked a total of 80 km including a 11 km highspeed descent, which was the highlight of the tour. Just before we reached the highway, we boarded the minivan again and continued to the coastal town of Mui Ne.
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