Seeing the outside of the house in the daylight for the first time, I appreciated that we were on top of a hill looking out over the town and the farmlands that surround it. As well as running a guesthouse and tours, the family owns and works some of the land, growing fruit, vegetables and flowers in the temperate climate and striking red soil of the region. The hills are a patchwork of different crops and greenhouses.
The temperature in Dalat is much cooler than in Saigon and remains similar the year round. Our host, wearing a jumper, told us that today was around 20°C and that in winter it can drop as low as 15°C(!). Brrr.
Our hosts took us on the back of their motorbikes the short distance into town. On the way, we passed many people dressed up in warm clothes, jackets and woolly hats. The weather was like a warm summer's day in England.
Our first port of call is the so-called 'Crazy House'. The architecture calls to mind a film set and involves winding staircases which crawl over the roofs of the buildings. Around and between the buildings is a network of passageways, containing nooks with tables and chairs here and there. The effect is as though one had entered a dream and the walls are morphing and warping around you. Every now and then, we passed a locked door, which gave us the clue that it is also possible to stay there. Indeed, when we happened upon the breakfast room, the dishes were just being cleared away, although I'm not sure how the guests managed to navigate their way to breakfast.
We met up with a German couple also staying at the homestay and together walked around Xuan Huong Lake.
Couples and groups of friends - naturally dressed in jackets and jumpers - were picnicking on the side of the lake. With the backdrop of the mountains over the lake, the cool air and the gabled roofs of the colourful houses, we almost thought we were in an Alpine village.
We did a full tour of the lake's 6km circumference, taking in the flower garden. This was more along the lines I had expected from the botanical garden in Saigon, but was not as impressive as some European efforts. We ended our walk in the central market, where the local produce is sold, including fresh and dried or candied fruit, as well as wine.
Back at the homestay, we refreshed ourselves with slices of persimmon and dragon fruit. After this, our host took us, shod in wellies, to walk among the abundant crops on the hillside. It was at times tricky to clamber after our host, who made his way nimbly between the rows of brassicas and strawberries.
We made our way to the family's coffee plantation and tasted the ripe red beans from the bush. Removing the skin, there is a sweet layer covering the green beans underneath, which have a raw taste only vaguely reminiscent of the deep roast they will become.
Work in the fields is backbreaking manual labour, only minimally aided though mechanisation - a diesel-powered push-along plough, water pipes for irrigation. Harvesting is done entirely by hand. Alongside the crops, the odd guava and papaya tree grows, which the family uses for their own meals. The crops of fruit, vegetables, coffee and flowers are sold across Vietnam.
At the house, we prepared the evening meal as a group - slicing pumpkin, stringing beans and chopping cauliflower. The diet here is naturally high in vegetables.
Preparations went more smoothly than yesterday and we feasted on cauliflower tempura, the freshest-tasting green beans with spring onions, fried aubergine, and pumpkin in a clear soup - and, of course, rice. All of the natural flavours of the vegetables were allowed to stand alone and made for a most satisfying meal.
We repaired to the living room for tea and fruit (pineapple), and chatted about our experiences travelling.
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