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Viet Nam

flowers and gardens

Xin Chào from Đà Lạt,

What thought process leads to the idea that you can make coffee out of beans after they have been through an animal? (??!!)

coffee beans: so far, so normal

We are in Đà Lạt for a weekend, looking for another patch of a fascinating country (me) and cooler weather (Linda). On the way to a visit to a big waterfall, there’s a suggested stop: a nice café overlooking a lovely lake, a break in the journey, do you need a rest? You get the picture. It turns out this is the café where they serve weasel coffee. Eh?

lake near lavender farm

This is a conundrum I can’t quite fathom. But anyway, we are stopped and sitting expectantly in the well-patronised outdoor terrace. Linda promises opaquely that she will look after the orders and she won’t tell me whether I have consumed this weasel coffee or not. Report to dear reader: I really don’t want to know but I’m confident it tastes the same.

premium price

So, what are we paying for here? Maybe it’s the extra step in the production process (as witnessed by the sleeping weasels in the boxes downstairs). Or is it the maintenance of the weasels. Perhaps it’s a marketing trick.

Dutch windmills in Đà Lạt

The biggest attraction in Đà Lạt is possibly the Botanic Garden. Linda didn’t quite know where to look – either for colours or for superlatives. This is a place where flowers grow anywhere – not merely in a manufactured spot like Botanic Gardens. Đà Lạt is the source of most of Việt Nam’s cut flowers – it’s a short journey for them down to the city (Ho Chi Minh City) for the markets. How about I let the flowers show themselves here.

orchids galore

Hẹn gặp lại from Đà Lạt

Greg

Other photos from hereabouts

a real horse and real flowers
beautiful setting
orchids
orchids
lake outside the town
Lâm Đồng Waterfall, near Đà Lạt
Lâm Đồng waterfall
Đà Lạt Railway Station – just joy rides these days
at the other end of the train ride
Đà Lạt township
relaxing view waiting for weasel coffee
modern looking Buddha
Thác Datanla near Đà Lạt
not just in spring
Pongour Waterfall near Đà Lạt
salvias

2 replies on “flowers and gardens”

I did try the Weasel Coffee while I was in Dalat, contrary to popular belief of it being an Marketing stunt, it tastes great, being more hearthy and one can’t say how it came to be, but it’s worth a try nonetheless.

Best not to inquire about the origins of your food, you reckon. The curious thing is : who would have thought that it was a good idea in the first place? There’s an interesting thought process going on there, not all related to marketing. It’s definitely added another tourism site to the region, anyway.

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