So after arriving to dalat on the cool bike I check into the  Dalat Backpacker Hostel which I get a huge private room so Seems nice although maybe a little quiet and small for me. Quickly dropping off my bags I stroll into town which is 10mins – not too far but a bit of a walk at night on your own and use the nice main church as my point to not get lost and a fancy 5 star hotel. 

   
    
    
   

I reach the markets  and have a wander around there mainly as I need to be back at the hostel for 6.30 for a welcome dinner. The market is interesting and busy all trying to sell the same stuff! The first bit is the flower market and that is really pretty with cute little bonsai trees and heart from flowrs. The fruit looks lovely and safe to eat lol but I wander into the meat section and if your not a hard out meat eater then it’s bit tough to see. Pidgeons, ducks, chickens, roosters all in cages ready for the chop squeezed in so bit sad. The meat also laid out and looks very animal like with chicken legs stuck in the air and the organs all laid out not presented like the local Sainsburys lol. Outside there are more live animals, frogs trying to hop out a basket and live eels and fish ready to to be killed I guess beaten when needed. Such a different culture. I see one person lovingly stroke her live chickens she is selling. I move away into the spices and rice and amazed at how many different rice there are- I only thought there were a few! The Vietnamese are very sweet but desperate for your money and as soon as you go up to them as on the hard sell and say “you buy for me please” all the time and give a sad look. 

   
    
   

After the market I head back to the hostel for the really nice welcome dinner where we all sit on the floor in lobby, shoes off and there 7 of us mostly American or Canadian and a guy from Amsterdam. All seem a cool bunch and are all booked on the same canyoning tour next door. Just have a few beers in the hostel rooftop area, bought so cheaply at shop next door and taken up. The sky roof has great views of the city and is pretty chilled night just chatting, but being tired from the heavy nights in Nha trang and the early start on the bike I decide to have an early night as up early for a day of canyoning and waterfall abseiling.

3rd November 2015