The best ride

A young Frenchman at our hotel gave us directions to find the new road to Dalat. Directions included things like go about 15 minutes and when you see the big tree, take the small alley on the right after the roundabout. There were a few times we were not sure if we had missed a turn, but after an hour we had found the road (and he said it would take 45-60min). Piers has an excellent sense of direction. We were both in jeans and I had my bike shirt in but it got so chilly we had to wear our rain jackets and piers wore gloves. We did have a bit of rain also, but we've had a bit of rain everyday but I have not mentioned it as it has not held us up other than the very first day. 30km to find the road then 50km up the mountain- beautiful switchback road. There were no stops so no photos. I would have shot the scenery but also all the road signs which depict the type of hairpin turn you are about to encounter. Also all the falling rock signs. Very little traffic and the fewest buses and trucks we have encountered. The 50km had views if sheer vertical rock gave with water cascading down. The 50km down had 2 distinct climates. Dalat is the agricultural valley of Vietnam. After about 15km we were surrounded by planted fields and also about 35km of greenhouses. we also passed through a pine forest the beginning of the area where the native aboriginal people live- attractive wood homes instead of the normal brick and cement .Dalat was not at all what I expected. The old colonial French influence was less than I imagined. I finally was my first gilen Buddha. We went to the Palace Hotel for a drink- we did not see a soul. Churchill's ghost was the only guest. Piers and the bartender played a few games of pool.