5/13/13 -- Delightful De Lat, and CooCoo for Crazy House!

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Above is the Complete Vietnam Ride Map - 2600km!
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Drenched, But Happy After A Heavy Rainstorm
Just Outside of Da Lat, Vietnam

Tomorrow i'll be riding into Siagon, completing a nearly two week, 1600 mile journey down the amazing country of Vietnam! I'm thrilled to be arriving a bit early, as i'll get to keep the motorbike for a couple more days in the city. It looks and sounds like a big place, so having some wheels will undoubtedly be helpful. My VN Visa expires on May 19th, so i'll need to visit the Cambodian Embassy ASAP to pull my next visa. I'll be returning the Sufat bike to a Flamingo Travel affiliate, and they'll take care of shipping it back to Hanoi for me. For ease and simplicity, i'm going to take a sleeper bus from HCMC to Phnom Penh to avoid any boarder crossing troubles with a motorcycle. 

Josh Lookin Cool at Hai Van Pass

Three days ago I bid a fond farewell to my new friend Josh. He's been a super fun travel buddy for the last three weeks, but alas he must return to work. He made it to where he wanted: the charming beach town of Hoi Ann. We hung out for an extra day, chowing down on good food and catching some rays at the beach. Josh teased me mercilessly about using the word 'delightful,' as I apparently use it frequently - thus the title of this post!  Here's to you Josh: I had a great time traveling, and hope our paths cross again in the future. :-)

The little Sufat 110 motorbike has continued to be a maintenance hassle. I knew the day I picked it up it was going to be trouble. "Its a good bike - it's a copy of a Honda." I remember Huang at Flamingo Travel telling me. "Yeah, there's a reason people copy Honda - because they make good products!" I responded as I rode away, frustrated. As fun as this trip has been, every moment has been tempered by the threat of imminent failure of some part of the motorcycle. Weird things happen, primarily due to poor design. One example is the chain: motorcycle chains stretch over time, it happens to all manufacturers, no

Lesson Learned:
Never buy or rent knockoff motorcycles!

matter the quality of the bike. The Sufat however stretches the chain about 10 times faster than a normal bike due to a suspension design that pulls the drivetrain SOO tight it's like a piano string every time you go over a bump in the road. I end up having to re-tension the chain every 300 miles or so, when this should only have to be done every 3000 miles on a well manufactured bike. Suffice it to say, I pushed forward on a loose chain to about 400 miles, and it came flying off the rear chainring at about 50km/hr, jamming itself all up and ultimately shearing off a number of bolts and destroying the rear wheel bearings. Under normal circumstances this would be a BIG problem, but again i've been astounded by the speed, honesty, and amazing affordability of the mechanics in Vietnam. A local guy at a shop had the whole rear end torn down, parts replaced, and back together in about 22 minutes flat. His fee? $2.50. Amazing!

Pre-Rain Thunderclouds
Just Outside De Lat Vietnam

I've decided that i'm more of a mountain person than an ocean person. Derek Emmons and I used to have this debate all the time - he loves the warmth and humidity of the ocean, and I love the cool, breezy views of the mountains. They both have their beauty, but nothing inspires tingles on the back of my neck like the epic vistas that I was immersed in throughout yesterday's ride. The road from Na Trang to Da Lat winds its way through foggy rainforest, maintaining a steep incline all the way to the pass at about 5,500 feet. The little Sufat struggled, but pulled all the way up the mountain - even through a series of wild downpours. At the summit I was sopping wet, with 'waterproof' shoes that were more like mini foot-bathtubs at this point. Check out the ride statistics by clicking the map below - look at the elevation climb! Wow!

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A Small Taste of Da Lat's Bustling Flower Trade

This world-class road dropped me into the delightful town of De Lat, Vietnam. The city has a rich history, with unique French-style early 19th century architecture that stands in contrast to almost all other buildings i've seen in Vietnam. It reminds me a lot of Sapa here - a bustling town perched around a lake in the mountains. The economy seems primarily driven by Vietnamese tourists (very few westerners here), and a flourishing flower trade. The hillsides surrounding the entire city are covered with greenhouses as far as the eye can see - in the evening they reflect the waning sunlight like a thousand mirrors. Every flower you can imagine is grown here - dahlias, roses, orchids, bromeliads, you name it, they have it! The market is thriving, and they produce much of the product that you see throughout the country. It certainly makes for some lovely photographs. 

The "Crazy House"
Da Lat, Vietnam

I have a penchant for tootling around on the motorbike when I arrive in a new town, and last night being no different, I happened to stumble across "The Crazy House!" This hauntingly beautiful complex has the feel of Gaudi design, taken to a Fantasia-esque extreme. Apparently envisioned by the wife of one of Ho Chi Minh's closest aides, the entire complex screams anti-conformist in conflict with the new Communist ideals being set forth in the country at the time of the buildings inception. The main constructs are elaborate cottages, all built from masonry-over-rebar techniques. Every detail is hand painted with care. The walls undulate and bend, and the buildings are connected by charming narrow walkways, arching high through the air. If you let your imagination run wild, you get the feeling you might be a ladybug or ant, working your

The "Crazy House"
Makes Me Feel Like A Kid At Disneyland

way down the stem of a giant leaf. I found myself giddy with excitement as I explored all the nooks and crannies of this magic world. There are about a dozen cottage/dens hidden throughout the towers and trees which can be rented for a reasonable rate. Each room is unique, sporting some type of animal totem. Beds are tucked into natural alcoves, and the walls and doors are curved, as though guests were living in a large tree knot. There's something magical about this place - it feels alive and vibrant, as though fantasy has been brought to life!