After reading about the legendary breakfast at Dreams on Trip Advisor big things were expected and we were not disappointed. As we were directed to the basement a banquet of fresh bread, eggs, meat, juice and fruit lined the table.

There is one main countryside trip to do in Dalat, this can be done by bus or motorbike. After assessing the roads on our way into the city we had opted for the safe bus. We weren't sure what to expect as 9 destinations were to be visited in one day, surely this is going to be rubbish we thought. Luckily we were pleasantly surprised and welcomed the pace of the trip, in, out and little time to hang about, just what we like.

The trip went a little like this:
- Flower garden
A green house full of gerbras? It's was lovely to see all the bright dazzling colours.

- Minority village
This was a bit of a strange one....we pulled up at a family house. We could look at the garden and peek our heads into the kitchen, while the family stood and stared. A monkey sat in the tree on a lead and a drugged up guy asked if Matt wanted to join him.

- Coffee factory
Vietnam is the second biggest exporter of coffee in the world. After being shown the coffee bean trees we were introduced to some weasels....why you ask? Well these little creatures help to make one of the most expensive coffees around. How you ask?....They eat the bean, they digest the bean and then after 6 hours the factory workers collect the beans again. And yes your imagination is seeing what happens correctly. We decided that we should really try this coffee, wow it is strong! We sneakily poured in all of the extra water, the full cup of milk and about 4 sugars in each cup. Matt was quite partial to the 'Mocha Weasel' but wasn't a fan of the 'Cherry Weasel'.

- Silk worms
This was an interesting stop. We realised that we have never really thought about exactly how silk is made. Some very clever creatures are involved in the process. As we walked around the working factory we were able to see each step, very interesting.

- Cricket farm
A garden full of crickets, guinea pigs, crocodiles and deers. We think that this was a place which bred animals for restaurants, but we were not told this directly. Before leaving, we were served up a plate of fried crickets and chilli sauce. After a few deep breathes, the cricket was thrown in, chewed and swallowed down with a large gulp of water. When in Vietnam....

- Pagoda
We really are 'templed' and 'pagoda'd' out. Another happy Buddah, same same but different.

- Elephant falls
One of the most photographed waterfalls in Vietnam. But getting to it is not easy. Health and safety is not really a factor of tourist attractions in Vietnam. You pay 10,000VD to climb to the top and the foot of the waterfall using tiny uneven steps, a rickerty handrail and lots of mud due to the large amount of spray. A highlight of the walk was a comedy slip in the mud from Char. Luckily she managed to stay on her feet, but splashing mud up herself and dropping a bottle of water to the floor, it was a close call. How we did not end up with a face full of mud or a broken ankle is a miracle. But the view was well worth it.

- Lunch at a local restaurant
We aren't really sure what we ate.... But possibly some frog?!

- French railway station
We didn't really understand the point of this stop but the trains were lovely old carriages.

- Crazy House
The name says it all, and we don't even know how to go about explaining this but here we go....No we can't! Take a look at the photos. One wierd place!

After a busy day we decided to take another trip to our new favourite cafe 'Bicycle' for coffee and smoothies.

M & C xxxx