Da Lat

Ad and I took a trip out to the central highland city of Da Lat. The French built many little chalets in the mountains of the city because the temperature is about 24 C year round. The bus ride is 8 hours each way, but it is a worth the journey. I have a theory that the more sweet things a person eats, the sweeter they become. EVERYONE in Da Lat is exceptionally nice- I think it is from the strawberries.

Trek through Liang Bian Mountain- we walked halfway then went back down to get the motorbike. The top seemed to get higher and further away with each step.




This is Hang Nga Crazy House, a Gaudiesque guesthouse built by a woman who studies architecture in Russia. Made me miss Barcelona...





We drove out to a silk farm and it is fascinating. Here is how it is done:
Silk moths lay eggs on specially prepared paper. The eggs hatch and the caterpillars (silkworms) are fed fresh mulberry leaves. After about 35 days and 4 moltings, the caterpillars are 10,000 times heavier than when hatched, and are ready to begin spinning a cocoon. A straw frame is placed over the tray of caterpillars, and each caterpillar begins spinning a cocoon by moving its head in a "figure 8" pattern.

Two glands produce liquid silk and force it through openings in the head called spinnerets. Liquid silk is coated in sericin, a water-soluble protective gum, and solidifies on contact with the air. Within 2-3 days, the caterpillar spins about 1 mile of filament and is completely encased in a cocoon. Most caterpillars are then killed by heat and some are allowed to metamorphose into moths to breed the next generation of caterpillars.

Commercially reared silkworm pupae are killed by dipping them in boiling water before the adult moths emerge, or by piercing them with a needle, allowing the whole cocoon to be unraveled as one continuous thread. This permits a much stronger cloth to be woven from the silk.

Then it is thread onto a wheel and spun-

From the silk farm on to Elephant Falls where got to go BEHIND the waterfalls! Niagara was amazing, but here we actually got to PARTICIPATE in the waterfall! I think it was especially invigorating because of the death defying hike that we had to do to get there.




Sorry no pictures from behind the waterfall- couldn't get the camera wet. So instead I leave you with this goofy picture of Ad at the very hokey Valley of Love where Vietnamese guys dressed as American cowboys try to take you on horseback around statues of Mickey and Minnie holding hands.