Last dig into Vietnam

Indeed, the country is controlled: people don't talk about politics, citizens and foreigners activities are closely tracked, in streets police officers are undercover, some internet websites are blocked (the BBC for instance). It's not as bad as Iran, however. What makes me write this paragraph could be that the leading power limits the Buddhism practice, as well. Charismatic monks had to escape the country. I heard of Vietnamese communities in France (Le Village des Pruniers = Plum village = Mai Lang, Zen Buddhism). A Wise and properly Informed Person (in Vietnam, one speaking English and French is obviously over 60 :-) told me that culture, meditation practices and education were much more developed in the past. Me: "What past?" Wis&Inf Person: "before 1954".    

International news again. India has just introduced a new law: "Large businesses have been asked to spend 2% of their profits each year on Corporate Social Responsibility". Indeed, India's government hopes that this charity could help the country to provide reliable basic services to Indians.

India, Vietnam, Asia are over for me now, I'm leaving in a few days, toward Europe.    

Rien de tel qu'un bon pote, dans un bon endroit, ou devant un bon repas, un peu d'exotisme et de fantaisie pour profiter de la vie :-)

Thanks to Joey, a nice Californian, I shared brief but revitalizing sunshine on the Villa Cam Ly roof. We also talked about many things: Obama, Holland, Merkel, Sri Lanka, India, Cambodia, Thailand, meditation, Jesus Christ, Mexican food, pizzas, music, the weather, death, our lives, clothes, the crazy receptionist of the Villa, 90s movies! :-)

Ce n'est pas un mythe, le chapeau vietnamien est toujours de rigueur, parmi les jeunes aussi ;-)

Vue panoramique du toit de la Villa avec du soleil !

Me, training for skiing! 

Pho, THE Vietnam dish

French transition VN

Il pleut ici, peut être un peu trop finalement. ;-) Non, non, je ne me plains pas, loin de moi toute inflexion négative ! hihi. Mais mes légères petites chaussures de marche basses Merrell, Goretex, toutes neuves il y a de ça un an et demi, ne sont plus imperméables DU TOUT ! Comment dire... Ce n'est pas tant la membrane qui est foutue - évidemment - que les trous habillement parsemés tout autour du chausson qui rendent le refuge illusoire ! Je m'invente donc des petits moments ensoleillés dans ces journées mouillées. Un de ces passe-temps participe également à la préparation de mon retour imminent. Il me plonge dans l'univers français à nouveau. A la réception de la Villa Cam Ly, internet connecté à un équipement audio particulièrement performant est à disposition des mélomanes. Khaled, Faudel et Rachid Taha, tout juste sortis du concert 1,2,3 Soleils à Bercy (1998) réchauffent mes après-midis. Intéressant de s'apercevoir à quel point le son du Maghreb sonne la bonne vieille France ! :-)            

Music is utterly everywhere, dozens of karaokes in town, people even practicing karaoke at home. From what I could see in wandering in small streets, many people are pretty well equipped sound-wise. I could not tell if it is Da Lat, the French city, or in all Vietnam... Some bars organise singing session all together, whoever wishes can join the performance! I had to promote Patricia Kaas "Mademoiselle Chante le Blues", song I have sung throughout my Eastern Trip, in each and every country. :-) I also met 5 good fathers, inviting me for dinner after having played billiards and already gulped a few litres of beer. We ended up playing guitar, me listening to these friendly men, nostalgic of the time they used to know all the French songs by heart: Dalida, Sylvie Vartan, Johnny Hallyday, Michel Delpech, stuff I actually don't know that well, hehe!    

Finally, 2 dollars for a helmet was the condition to hitchhike in Vietnam ;-) Police is everywhere, people scared. The Chinese Iron Grip considerably influences Vietnam!   

Kilian at Dalanta, one of the many touristic
waterfalls around Dalat 

Tu, un des nombreux anciens éclairés
parlant un français presque irréprochable ! 

Alexandre Yersin, father of Da Lat
Founder of Pasteur Institutes in Indochina   

Quiet Vietnam

That's ex-ac-tly what I needed :-)
Thanks to its weather, Da Lat is indeed, the garden of southern Vietnam: vegetables, fruits, a lot of flowers too. You can see greenhouses everywhere, some tourists saying "it's not that pretty, though". I don't mind, in my plate, the vegetables are full of vitamins, that's my point, hehehe!
Nothing to do, not a lot of people to talk to, nobody harassing me in the streets! Just me and my small laptop, a few pillows, my old worn-out hiking shoes, books (even if I struggle to find English books in this city :-/ ). I am an ascetic these days, and that makes me happy :-) The more I study, the more I realise that what I practice is Yoga. Name is not important... but still.

Writing a blog is completely addictive. Crazy, man! Probably because it is utterly egocentric Hehehe! Remind me to stop writing when I got back home, guys! Roz, you can see your friends now. You can talk to them on the phone or write emails otherwise! Easy! No need to send photos of your small bikini every week, hihihi!

Ca faisait longtemps que je ne vous avais pas parlé de la Ragi Girl, Martine. Mais elle continue à faire avancer le smilblic en France ! Avec un pastier breton, elle a fait des pâtes au millet vendéen (sans gluten et avec de la farine de pois chiche), la commercialisation dans une biocoop est prévue pour dans quelques mois. Et un article de plus dans Ouest France :
http://www.ouest-france.fr/actu/actuLocale_-Martine-Dugue-veut-promouvoir-la-culture-des-millets-_85095-avd-20130824-65782815_actuLocale.Htm

Toutes les photos sont prises quand il fait très beau (et trop chaud !). Mais c'est souvent nuageux. Et il pleut pas mal, tous les jours en fait, en fin de journée, 1 ou plusieurs heures. C'est réellement un temps très agréable. :-)

Une serre de fleurs

Merci Bao Anh de me faire visiter la région !

Un champ de fraisiers

Dans une pagoda, de nuit
Pleins de mudra !

Une nouvelle robe
un fruit du dragon dans les mains
Le devant de la Villa Cam Ly

La Villa Cam Ly de derrière