Dalat-170606 Having spent excellent R&R- general hedonism-manicures,pedicures and massages out the ying yang-time for some adventure.In the form of Easy Riders- a chpater of 30 bikers who take you on individual trips 3-5 days around the less travelled Lonely Planet Route. My driver Minh- full of useful and useless information- funny and a careful type took me inland from Nha Trang towards the mountains of Dalat. The most exquisite scenery ranging rom salt beds, clay brick making villages, shrimps farms into beautiful jungle and mountain area. It reminded me of the verdant undulating hills of New Zealand combined with the lush tropical Fig tree drive in Antigua. -culminating in a mini Switzerland of fir trees and exact architecture. Pleasantly cooler and home of some average grapes.On our way through we stayed with a hill tribe -Mnong. A simple, hardworking and dear group who put the "I" in industrious. They are of darker appearance more like the Khmer of Cambodia - and well grounded in natural and simple living. My accomodation was a "LONG HOUSE" which as it sounds is long, and generally accomodates upto 17 people. However,on this soiree I was the sole tenant- along with an eratic mouse, flying objects the size of wellington boots and a pink neon mosquito net which did the job it was designed for . Helped by good ear plugs and a good book I had a pretty peaceful night EXCEPT for the largest of stumbling creatures -in the form of Minh the inebriated driver. After one too many bottles of the local hooch - his volume and confidence in full swing proceeded to ask me 17 times"ISH OK FER ME TO SHEEP HERE?" To which I retorted in a Prime Miss Jean Brodie tone- "Kindly shut it and get horizontal in the drivers quarters or else he will be without a pillion." Obediantly he scurried off and was delightfully humble the following morning. My bum is so sore- after only 3 days- thought of Louis -10 weeeks!! Already have a John Wayne lilt to my stride!! Dalat-a romanctic escape for budding lovers- waterfalls, Temples galore and bright lights- Vietnamese tourists dressed in their Sunday best clothes- clippy cloppy shoes and shiny suits-happy and proud. 1 -2 days sufficed-time to go back to coast.Glorious beach- clear water- crab and cuttlefish BBQ'd on beach washed down with a couple of Tigers( beer not mammal)