Dalat, the place I fell in love with

The French, in an effort to find a temperate climate similar to Europe for their resort, “discovered” the Lam Vien plateau in the early years of the 20th century. As for me, I “discovered” Da Lat by chance, at the invitation of a friend in Vung Tau. Taking the night bus, I arrived in Da Lat when it was still dark, shivering in the bitter cold, watching in amazement as the city slowly emerged from the early morning mist, illuminated by the rays of dawn.

We, the young people of that year, leisurely explored a dreamy Da Lat on winding steep roads, occasionally stopping to take pictures with yellow wild sunflowers, eagerly going down to Datalan waterfall together, amazed by the tall pine rows at the entrance to the Golden Valley tourist area... Not only nature, people, Da Lat life also captivated us with the sounds of the guitar, the rustic singing of the mother and daughter of the owner of the Cung To Chieu music shop, of a cup of hot soy milk on the shore of Xuan Huong Lake...

Check-in clay construction with famous song about Da Lat "Ai len xu hoa dao" in Da Lat

A few years later, I returned to Da Lat, my old friends were gone, the person who was with me was now my lover and strangely, Da Lat seemed to have changed, more cheerful and dreamy. We struggled to drive our motorbikes up the slope of Nga Ba Tinh, then trembled with fear as we followed the road down to the valley to find Ma Rung Lu Quan. But whether going up or down the hill, I was satisfied with the dreamy scenery of the purple house by the lake here. I held up the camera to take a picture of my fragile lover leaning against the purple trees along the road leading to the house on the hill in the late afternoon mist and felt trembling. This time coming to Da Lat, I also got to go to Lang Biang peak, wander around the market, buy many things to bring back, and also get angry for no reason countless times.

The third time coming to Da Lat, the highland city has not changed much, but we are very different. The couple who loved each other years ago, are now a family with two tails following behind. Da Lat's weather is fickle, rain and sun all four seasons in a day. Wearing a pair of raincoats covering the whole house, we wandered around the roads that had passed our youth. There were times when the two children were too tired, falling asleep in their mother's arms, on their father's shoulders, when the morning light shone through the window on the old train. And Da Lat is different now, the culinary journey is now at the request of the children, eating honey-grilled chicken, grilled chicken skin, salmon... then eating avocado ice cream, a dish that requires eating several cups at a time to satisfy the craving. Then at night, when the children are fast asleep, the scene becomes so peaceful, the couple sits together to watch the city, a peace different from the past, a peace of happiness. So Dalat is not only for young singles, Dalat is also suitable for young families.

I have been to many places, to many famous cities, but for me, Da Lat is still a city that I accidentally fell in love with. Not a possessive love, but a love that never ends. Every time I see Da Lat again, that love gently envelops all my emotions, recalls beautiful memories, soothes my fatigue, and then I breathe deeply to satisfy my longing.

LE NGOC SON

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/da-lat-noi-toi-da-trot-yeu-post800441.html