Through the Central Highlands

The last evening in Nha Trang it was pouring down for hours, something usual by now. I was not unhappy to get away the next morning. By bus I travelled to Dalat, a city in the mountains, renowned for a whole bunch of things, too many to tell here...
The bus ride was very scenic indeed, as we were climbing up slowly but steady... more slowly than steady, actually. Dalat is at almost 1500 m altitude, if I'm right... The problem was that we were approaching the clouds, which were hanging quite low. The sun disappeared, and it started raining... fortunately it stopped after a while, we passed the clouds and could enjoy the gorgeous mountains and deep valleys again.
Dalat first appeared like a Swiss model village: so incredibly nice and clean and sweet. When we got off the bus, a motorcycle taxi brought me to a guesthouse, that was recommended in a guidebook, and I landed in reality again, in downtown Dalat. Traffic noise in narrow streets, the sidewalks a little dingy, the dark clouds made everything appear even more unpleasant. When I started strolling around, the daily downpour started, fortunately I was next to a little coffee shop. The coffee was good, the music which they put on, less. Let's call it politely "rock-bottom"... I didn't expect to hear "Modern Talking" in Vietnam... I don't know whether Non-Germans ever heard of this group... if not, don't look for it, please, it's better for your state of mind...
The downpour continued, as always I had left the umbrella in the guesthouse. A certain impression came over me - wrong time, wrong place... I decided that I didn't have to see more, went out into the rain to the next travel agency (as always in Vietnam, just around the corner) and bought the ticket to Saigon, for the next morning

This next morning the sun was shining, which was becoming something rare. We left Dalat, I didn't look back, also because again the landscape was breathtaking at times, especially when we descended a very narrow mountain road for I don't know how many kilometers. This road I would like to drive with a motorbike one day... something not always pleasant in this country, but the many bends, deep canyons and high rocky walls would make up for everything unpleasant like Vietnamese traffic...
When we had left the mountains behind us, we passed through Vietnam's most important coffee growing region. As far as one could see, all over the rolling hills, every meter seemed to be occupied by coffee plantations. Later also tea plantatins appeared, the road was seamed with tea and coffee shops...

When we finally came to National Highway Nr. 1, which would bring us to Saigon, I looked back. I had made a little detour on my way south, which wouldn't have been necessary, but that's travelling... a lot of hours on the buses, but at least through a beautiful region... and anyway, with a certain probability I will never come through here again...