On Tuesday, January 23rd, after breakfast we got on the bus and went to a flower garden. Dalat's altitude and climate make it the flower-growing capital of Vietnam. In order to keep better control of heat and watering, most flowers are grown in semi-greenhouses. Dalat is also the coffee capital of Vietnam, which is the world's number two exporter of coffee. Nearby, we stopped where coffee beans were being dried in the sun. Then we drove out into the country, partway down, to a coffee plantation, where they produce weasel coffee: they kept a number of weasels, to eat coffee beans. Their digestive system, while not harming the inner bean, makes chemical reactions that enhance the taste of the coffee. We tried some.
Next, was a drive to the vicinity of the village of Buon Chuoi ("Banana Village"). The last stretch of dirt road was travelled in a tractor-drawn cart. The people who lived here belonged to one of Vietnam's more than 50 ethnic minorities. We visited the Catholic church and talked with a deacon. Then, we walked through the village, visiting with the people, including the village chief, whose wife demonstrated her backstrap loom.
Back in Dalat, four of us went with Tom to the University, where we talked with a professor, then a group of students (all female) picked us up and walked us through the campus, to the library. Along the way, we had a fun chat with these delightful girls, talking about our lives and popular culture.
We ended up by going to dinner at a very good restaurant called Da Quy.
No comments:
Post a Comment