Trippieness: Vietnam, May 27

Vietnam: Travel Day, May 27 Cat Tien to Da Lat

Leaving rugged Cat Tien, we take the boat across the river and just the other side are met by a driver, Minh, and guide, Thang, who speaks English. It's 4 hours to the mountain town of Da Lat, where we'll spend the night.

The road to Da Lat begins with an hour of jarring bumps and potholes in a narrow road alongside small farms and simple houses.

About the time the road improves to a 2-lane, Thang gets a phone call on his mobile. He calls to the driver to pull over, and then tells us that the Lodge still has our passports. NO!!!! But it's ok. They're sending someone to catch up to us and put them in our sweaty hands. Hotels in Vietnam keep guests' passports until checkout. They'd forgotten to give them back and we'd forgotten to verify that we had them in our possession. I feel sorry for the person driving to meet us--he's got the worst road conditions, two ways. But so grateful.

Coffee (in distance) grows on many hillsides in the central highlands.

We passed the 40 minute wait at a roadside cafe chatting with the guide who has a little girl two weeks younger than Nayeli. Cute as can be, looking at her photo on his phone. His parents are coffee farmers, and he affirms that Vietnamese coffee is the best, and also that the 'weasel'-enhanced beans really are the best--called Caphe Chon (Vietnam) or Kopi luwak or civet coffee. Thang works for Pine Track Adventure, leading mountain biking tours and climbing etc. but not so much during the rainy season, which is now. The drive was hard on the bum, and means we'll arrive after dark in Da Lat, but this respite to wait for our passports turns out to be a great time chatting with Thang.