A Typical Day

Over the last week and a half in Da Lat, I've settled in to a good routine. I'm up around 6 thanks to the neighborhood rooster and the never ending tennis matches going on outside my window. It's a nice guesthouse but not very sound proof! I then either run about 20-30 minutes (ive got a Bolder Boulder to train for!) or attempt some yoga in my room before getting ready for work. On my walk to the Clinic, I stop by the corner shop for yogurt and a banana from the fruit lady. In the afternoon, she sells fried bananas and sweet potatoes which are always tempting! I arrive at 8 and we are most busy in the morning before 1130 when Vi and I head to the food shop down the street. This is pretty much a women's home where she serves us rice, veggies, soup and two main dishes that fill both of us for a whopping $1.25 each. I then read or relax until returning to work at 1:30 til around 4 when Vi and I walk down to the center of town, around a 30 minute walk, and get dinner, chat by the chicken church (theres a chicken on the windvane on top the church) or in the park or just walk around. I've been reading a lot at night and just finished the 1,000+ page Atlas Shrugged which is an interesting book to read while in a socialist country.

Observations so far:
1. I could really get used to these work hours.
2. The Vietnamese like babies and like having a lot of them. They're everywhere. Slightly disconcerting as articles I've read show concern for a burgeoning population that may not be able to support itself.
3. Spending a lot of time with my Vietnamese sidekick Vi has been awesome as I definitely lead more of a 'local' life than a traveler here thanks to her. We actually joke that I am a local since I end up giving directions to lost tourists looking for the Crazy House (the infamous hotel that's just down the street from me... Will post it later). I've noticed the price difference between restaurants by me and the ones on the tourist street which is about a $2 more a meal (that's a lot around here!).
4. Da Lat is a beautiful town that I'm sure has sadly lost some of its allure since it reigned as the main French resort town but still has some charm in between the roar of mopeds and slight haze of pollution on the horizon.

More observations on this fascinating country to come!