Around Dalat.

We reveled in the cool weather of Dalat--mid-70s during the day--and the fresh air of the mountains. There wasn't much to do in town, so we took a tour of the surrounding countryside.

The day was sunny and beautiful, and the hills were lush
with trees and coffee plantations.

The first stop was a lovely modern temple, featuring a statue
of Kwan-Yin complete with neon halos.

The steps to the main temple were guarded by a pair of ferocious cement dragons.

Inside were three immense plaster Buddhas.

And other multi-armed deities.

A tranquil meditation garden beckoned.

The happy Buddha made us grin uncontrollably.

Next, we climbed down a treacherous path of slippery rocks
to reach these impressive falls. I was ankle deep in mud by the time we
got back to our bus. Luckily, there was a big jug of water
for just such a contingency.

We also visited a silk factory.

The workers hook multiple cocoons to the spinning bobbins

and let them unravel to make the thread.

The automated looms use sheets of punched paper to produce intricate patterns.

The neighboring cricket farm produces a popular snack.

At the Dalat train station, we saw this well-preserved old steam locomotive.

Engineer P. at the throttle.

P.