It was Thursday, 25 September 2008. That day I was on a day trip between Buon Ma Thuot and Da Lat. I had indicated to the guide that I needed to have a look at the Dray Sap and Dray Nur Waterfalls, and they said okay. And so we set off, west of Buon Ma Thuot, but not before enjoying some superb coffee at a local coffee shop!
Here, you see one of the staff preparing some coffee for me. At this shop, you have the option of getting your beans and having them ground on the spot. You don't find many of such places in Singapore these days!
So, I am now in Buon Ma Thuot City, the provincial capital of Dak Lak. BMT is nestled deep in the Central Highlands, the biggest and most well-known coffee-producing region in Vietnam.
I arrived last night on an old ATR72 from Ho Chi Minh City and today has been a busy day of sorts. The day passed with the bat of an eyelid as yours truly checked out the most aromatic coffee he has ever tasted in some of the coolest cafes he has ever seen.
Tomorrow I will be on my way to Da Lat, but in case you think I'm going to hop on a Mai Linh bus for a 4-hour ride, I have booked for myself a 7-seater car (lots of room!) that will take me to the waterfalls and lake and most importantly, the coffee plantations and factories. The travel agent said they would try to arrange for me to try my hand at roasting coffee. I am excited about tomorrow. I love the Central Highlands.
