19 Dec. 2011: FRENCH, FOWL, FUNERAL, AND FACE FASHION

Da Lat became a favourite holiday spot for the French colonizers of Vietnam in the 1920's. 20% of the population was European; the architecture, French pastries, and thousands of baroque chateaus still live on. There is even an impressive golf course from 1922 and the radio tower is a replica of the Eiffel Tower. During the American war, the fierce enemies agreed to spare this place because the officers on both sides had summer homes here! (Nevertheless, Da Lat fell to the Viet Cong without a shot fired April 3, 1975.)

The central market is amazing because we have never seen so many fruits and vegetables in season at the same time anywhere else.

We are at 5,000 ft. altitude, 8 degrees north of the equator, and in a sun and rain zone. Besides all the fruit you can name  (plus many Asian varieties), the climate is fine for peas, carrots, radishes, tomatoes, cucumbers, avocados, capsicums, lettuce, beets, green beans, potatoes, garlic, squash, and yams. Da Lat is famous all over Asia for its strawberry jam, dried fruits, apricot salty drinks, artichoke tea, and especially Vietnam's best wines. (Pat will tell you about the plants and flowers shortly...)

Other sights include a funeral van, local cowboys, swan paddle boats on the artificial lake, tropical fish from the coast and the latest fashion on a familiar face.