- 16 hours ago
Bill Bailey’s Vietnam - Season 1 Episode 3 -
Da Lat
Da Lat
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00I've left behind the noise and the traffic and the hustle and bustle of Saigon for the elegant colonial retreat, the lofted verdant hills of Dalat, where I hope to breathe some clean mountain air and to achieve a zen state of calm.
00:17But before I do that, send it!
00:20Woohoo!
00:24Hold that thought.
00:25Vietnam. Of course, it's a place of tea plantations, traffic, temples, but then it's something else entirely.
00:42Come with me on an unusual, unfiltered, unforgettable adventure.
00:53Give me five.
00:54My mind's off on a whole bunch of other tangents.
00:58I'm thinking about a sandwich I had in 1982.
01:01As this nation commemorates 50 years since the end of the war.
01:04So is it safe, right?
01:06I'll explore this fertile land, ask the big questions.
01:10Am I in the right place?
01:11Embrace new experiences, even my own future.
01:15Problem, you are smart and tested.
01:18Is there any, you know, good news?
01:21Navigate tight spaces.
01:23I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to get out.
01:25Make some new friends.
01:28Separated at birth.
01:29This is a voyage of discovery, of strange encounters.
01:32This is your whole life in a plant.
01:34And kindred spirits.
01:37An enchanted stroll to one of the most fascinating places on Earth.
01:41Welcome to Bill Bailey's Vietnam Adventure.
01:44Before we get back to my scenic flight, I want to show you where I am.
02:01This is the central highlands of Vietnam, where thanks to the altitude and the lush green hills,
02:08things grow well up here.
02:09And I've heard so do tourist attractions.
02:12I'm just outside the picturesque town of Dalat, about six hours' drive north from the big smoke of Ho Chi Minh City.
02:19And boy, do I feel a world away from all the scooters.
02:23By the time you reach Dalat, you've already realized, in Vietnam, things are done a little differently.
02:30And up here in the hills, I reckon they might be different again, in the most unexpected of ways.
02:36Starting with this place.
02:37This is the De Tandler Waterfall Park.
02:43Some kind of adrenaline adventure sports town, where you can be at one with nature,
02:48and simultaneously satisfy the daredevil in you.
02:51It's a big drawcard for locals and international tourists alike.
02:55I'm suiting up for a zip line, way above the tree line.
02:59And while I look remarkably like some kind of gormless window cleaner,
03:03I can assure you, there are no office buildings in sight.
03:07I'm feeling a little nervous, a little anxious.
03:13But here goes nothing.
03:18Send it! Woo-hoo!
03:24And just like that, I'm flying 1,500 metres on a zip line in Vietnam.
03:30I love the feeling of wind through my trots.
03:32It's not necessarily what I came for, but no complaints.
03:37The whole thing's over in just two minutes.
03:58I would happily have had more and the good news is I can have more this park
04:05has something for everyone especially adrenaline junkies I shall next conquer
04:10the Alpine coaster an ambitious 2,400 meter track the longest coaster in
04:17Vietnam and also the most informative yes
04:28well what important instructions okay
04:37yes ascending into the trees I feel a sense of trepidation that I haven't quite understood
04:51the instructions
05:00I think I just hit maximum speed on this thing it's a wonder me teeth didn't fly
05:17out as you wind your way around the park you hear the sound of the mighty to Tanler Falls this is
05:25nature at its best but there are some other features of the park not to be missed you see
05:32nothing says natural beauty like a giant gold frog playing a saxophone or this oh I mean he's got
05:40some got some tackle on him I'm not sure that was ever a thing in Jurassic Park was it well look at
05:47the size of his it is a lovely spot I mean it's genuinely beautiful here you know there's a
05:57beautiful waterfall we're in a lovely lush valley but it's almost like that's not quite enough we
06:05need a few other things to bring in the tourists you know we need a a cutesy little bridge we need
06:11some pitch statues we need a couple of t-rex and some dinosaur eggs somewhere for people to take
06:18selfies because that's after all what this is about but then again that's that's what tourism is about
06:25people want to they see things on Instagram and tiktok and they want to take the picture themselves I
06:31can't believe I'm doing this yeah well come on I couldn't help yourself it's the roar of to Tanler
06:39Falls that really grabs people here it's nature's own roller coaster thundering through the trees but
06:45there could be another reason that punters flock to this park I can't quite believe what this is
06:51this is cheese flavored ice cream look it's in the shape of a piece of cheese a popular dessert in Asia
07:02it's unexpected sweet yet savory flavor like so much of Vietnam leaves you wanting more
07:08yeah tastes like cheese in ice cream form I think I've found my favorite thing in the world ever
07:24that's unbelievable oh my word but the cheesy ice cream is just one of the many delights
07:34luring people to this alpine oasis the town of Dalat was dreamt up by a homesick Frenchman named
07:41Yersin who fell in love with the alpine region founding it in 1893 you know the guy Yersin you know
07:49the the famous Swiss born French bacteriologist who discovered the bubonic plague bacillus come on
07:55it's named after him Yersinia pestis yeah yeah yeah you know him yeah anyway Dalat became renowned for
08:03growth and abundance for pine forests tea asparagus and would you believe growing artichokes this is a
08:11vegetable I knew nothing about before today so a trip to an artichoke farm in the central highlands
08:16of Dalat was high on my list hello hey if we flash forward to the end of my time with Dalat artichokes
08:25you might be surprised to see how much my love for them grew you have captured my heart with all your
08:36different qualities I have looked upon you and I have maybe underestimated you I have looked at the
08:44other vegetables and plants into it where they are more attractive but now look at you and I think
08:48oh my god you are truly the queen of the vegetable patch let me show you how this love affair began this
08:59successful farm is called artichoke valley in the Lam Dong highlands of Dalat a popular region for these
09:06magnificent plants I didn't expect to see it here in Vietnam this is a vegetable that's you know we
09:14see it in Europe a lot we take it from Frank the friendship yeah this farm is run by Twan who left
09:21the real estate game to join his parents who have been harvesting artichokes for decades I've never been
09:27to an artichoke farm and I really want to understand more about them down there yeah okay okay it's quite
09:33tough isn't it what a beauty the Vietnam government once collectivized farming stripping away incentive
09:48for nearly crippling its food supply but today with a freer market and growing opportunity farmers
09:54like Twan and his mother's son are thriving on their own and it turns out they're lucrative and
10:00rather magical in more ways than one a lot of things you see good for liver for kidney sleeping well
10:09it's good for skin you know older not good in your thing it's kind of like a cleansing yes yes like
10:15medicine medicine yeah it's a powerhouse in holistic Eastern medicine and for skeptics out there research
10:22from Western medicine proves its efficacy I'm waking up to the potential this precious plant has and the
10:28best is yet to come so you can use every part of the root that I wouldn't put in alcohol for
10:37drinking good from any stronger yeah yeah make it this into that the oh the fruit but the alcoholic
10:44drink yeah yeah we try on the sun and then put in strong alcohol and maybe for six months or a few
10:50yeah it's really good really good artichoke whiskey I had no idea this had so many different uses yes
10:57it's amazing the choke is chopped up boiled and used in everything from tea to simple soup to medicinal
11:05whiskey now I'm listening so this is artichoke hooch I never thought I'd be drinking artichoke whiskey
11:12my whole perception of this vegetable has changed I'm going to rename it I'm going to call it the party
11:20choke yes cheers oh yes this stuff is potent just the one for me for now I genuinely had no idea
11:39the humble artichoke was so versatile I've underestimated it pretty much my whole life
11:45it has so many uses I mean you get up in the morning have a cup of artichoke tea lunchtime have
11:52some artichoke stew and then take various parts of the leaf for health properties liver cleansing helps
12:02you sleep at night it's good for fertility and then in the evening you have a few glasses of happy water
12:09this is your whole life in a plant it's amazing I'm sorry I've misjudged you
12:15it's all right
12:18sorry I've had it's quite strong that happy water isn't it
12:27Dalat is a town where contradictions collide especially at this place the valley of love
12:40where legend has it couples who visit are known to break up after they come here risky business if
12:46you ask me the valley of love is a grand tourist destination with a reputation to match I'm curious
12:52to see what all the hype is about just a few kilometers north of Dalat town this love themed
12:58wonderland has me feeling a little uneasy so this is it I get a whole buggy to myself really things are
13:09looking up all right flooring I'm flying solo in the valley of love but I get my own private tour of
13:29the park amongst the splendor I spot some familiar faces what I mean that is truly
13:57terrifying
14:00what am I what is happening I've had two sips of artichoke whiskey and I'm
14:23dancing with Trump this is one of these days not turned out as I imagine at all
14:29why there is a wannabe Madame Tussauds in a love park I don't know but here I am it doesn't really look like Dwayne Johnson
14:39this is really it's really eerie because there's no one here it's just me and these sort of slightly strange looking waxworks
14:55oh no no no frozen in time in a strange sort of paradox this is quickly becoming the most bizarre exhibit in a park full of oddities and I thought I'd seed it all
15:11oh
15:16oh sweet mother of what the is that
15:22having said that I may end up here one day in fact let's just recreate what that might look like
15:38see you in your nightmares
15:55my friends at the wax attraction seem like the only ones here the valley of love is apparently one of the most popular attractions in Dalat but no matter where I look there's no love to be found
16:08what is the flamingo obsession I just don't get it
16:14some bloke locally that makes flamingos and he's just cleaning up he's got a bunch of flamingo molds and he's just trying to flog them to anywhere he'll take them
16:28and the tunnel of you know the valley of love people have said yeah well
16:32how many have you got and he goes how many do you want
16:34four dozen
16:36more than that even
16:38but they all look a bit grubby
16:41I think every one of them could do with a jet wash
16:43I think the Trump waxwork was in better shape and that's saying something
16:50nothing says I love you like 64 knackered flamingos
16:54as I leave this touristy park I'm reminded that for about 10 years after the end of the war
17:08Vietnam was closed off to the world
17:11since then tourism has really picked up in huge numbers
17:14and for Dalat they flock here for the romantic landscapes
17:18one of the most beautiful locations that I'm keen to see is less about kitschy romance and more to do with contentment and inner peace
17:27nestled into the hills of Dalat and overlooking the serene Tuen Lum Lake is the Truk Lam Monastery
17:34a more authentic kind of tourist attraction
17:37hello
17:38hello
17:39lovely to meet you
17:40nice to meet you
17:41my name is Bill
17:42my name is Bong Huynh
17:44my name is Bong Huynh
17:45nice to meet you
17:46good to meet you
17:47the grounds of the monastery are stunning with around 60 monks ranging in age from 20 to 93 years old
17:54tending to the gardens
17:56my guides Su Bon Dat and Su Bon Huynh
18:00have dedicated their lives to Buddhism and life here
18:03so how long have you been here at this monastery?
18:06eleven years
18:08eleven years?
18:09this is my third year here
18:10third year, right
18:11Su Bon Huynh tells me that Buddhism came from India
18:15and was established here during the second century
18:18it surprises me that Vietnam is an atheist country with Buddhism the second most popular religion
18:24what is so spiritual about Buddhism is the fact that you can gain so much from it
18:39you can get a sense of enlightenment
18:46a bit of peace
18:48a bit of peace
18:49and a sense of
18:51I don't know
18:52just what we would call happiness I suppose
18:54yeah, correct
18:56happiness
18:57happiness
18:58no more pain
18:59no more sad
19:00yeah
19:01no more stress
19:03no more stress
19:07sounds great
19:09where do I sign up?
19:11the Buddhist monks
19:12the Buddhist monk's commitment is so fascinating
19:14I'm imagining how I would fare trying to live this life
19:18I mean do you leave the monastery and do you have families?
19:23I mean how does that work?
19:25the monastery is their home
19:27yeah
19:28so they don't have the contract with their family members anymore
19:33so they have their time to focus on the practice
19:38yes
19:39so once you join the monastery
19:40yes
19:41this is your family
19:42yes
19:43we are like brothers and sisters
19:44yeah
19:45for me
19:46that would be difficult
19:49you know
19:50a sacrifice
19:52in a way
19:53I would have to give up something
19:55correct
19:56yeah
19:57it's really tough for the people who decide to take this role seriously
20:00when they become a monk
20:03is there a way that I can achieve all that enlightenment
20:07and have all the other things
20:10I'm slowly realizing that you can't have your cake and eat it too
20:14I'm willing to give it a try
20:16true happiness is from
20:17from inside
20:18within
20:19you can come and stay with us
20:21yeah
20:22I'd love to
20:23how long?
20:24maybe some day or one week
20:26yes
20:28or end up staying there for 11 years
20:32who knows
20:33I love to find my family
20:34yeah
20:35I'm not coming back
20:36I'm
20:37I've achieved a state of inner peace
20:40I need to give meditation a try
20:43before I commit to 11 years
20:45not sure how I'm going to go with this
20:47the monks are going to teach me how to relax my mind
20:50no small undertaking
20:52no small undertaking
21:00let the thoughts go away
21:01yes
21:02but how do you
21:03how do you do that?
21:04it's difficult
21:05that's what we practice
21:06it's hard
21:07yeah
21:08I'm thinking about a sandwich I had in 1982
21:10so that's why when you have many years of practice
21:13you have the power to control your thoughts
21:17okay
21:43how about your meditation?
22:01it's very peaceful
22:03I mean it's just
22:07an unusual
22:08for me to be this
22:10quiet
22:11quiet
22:12yes
22:13and
22:14still
22:15for that amount of time
22:16right
22:17and
22:18I can see actually
22:19it's something
22:20that if I would practice more
22:22I'd get a lot out of
22:24because it
22:25I can start to sort of sense
22:27things slowing down
22:29so that's one version of how the meditation was for me
22:32I wanted to protect the monks from the mayhem inside my mind
22:36I found a meditating quite hard
22:38because
22:39my mind's always
22:40active
22:41it's always churning
22:42thinking about things
22:43he said
22:44if you close your eyes
22:45you might fall asleep
22:46so I thought
22:47I won't do that then
22:49because I probably will fall asleep
22:51so I used to keep your eyes slightly open
22:53so I kept my eyes slightly open
22:54I was focusing on the carpet
22:56and then
22:57I couldn't help thinking
22:58that's quite a busy
23:00design
23:01for a meditation carpet
23:03you know
23:04I mean there's a lot going on
23:05and then I'm thinking
23:06I used to live in a flat that had that same carpet
23:09and then I'm thinking
23:10I remember that time
23:11and I remember the people I stayed in the flat with
23:13and suddenly
23:14my mind's
23:15off
23:16on a whole bunch of other tangents
23:18so I thought
23:19I better close my eyes
23:20and then I'm closing my eyes
23:21I'm thinking
23:22oh I've got a little bit of a wobbly tooth
23:23I've got to get that scene tooth
23:24oh
23:25I'm on my toe
23:26and it's like
23:27it's so hard
23:28it's so hard
23:29we're
23:30I'm just
23:31thinking about stuff
23:32all the time
23:33it would take me a long time
23:35to get to where these guys are
23:37the dedication required
23:39to achieve enlightenment
23:40is impressive
23:41but it's also
23:43stressing me out
23:44I don't know whether I could
23:46make that
23:47sacrifice
23:48my life
23:49you know
23:50career
23:51family
23:52and I get
23:53an enormous amount
23:54of happiness
23:55from that
23:56but I wouldn't mind
23:57a bit of that
23:58spiritual enlightenment
23:59you know
24:00just a bit of meditation
24:01I think maybe
24:02I could learn from that
24:03if I could do maybe
24:04an hour a week
24:05or maybe
24:07like the second
24:08Thursday in every month
24:09and get a glimpse
24:11of spiritual enlightenment
24:13I think that would do me
24:17For me
24:18it's about finding
24:19moments of peace
24:20in everyday life
24:21life
24:22in the back streets
24:23of Dalat
24:24I may just have found
24:25such a moment
24:26on the side of the road
24:27I've never had the desire
24:28for a head wash
24:29until now
24:30or a fried banana
24:31for that better
24:32what is it though
24:34banana
24:35banana
24:36oh
24:37is this like fried banana
24:39yeah
24:41good
24:42yummy
24:43oh
24:44I know this
24:45it doesn't say
24:46hair washing
24:47just head
24:48yeah
24:49well yeah
24:50go on then
24:51yeah
24:52no that's right
24:53no hair
24:54that's right
24:55just the head
24:56you're all right
24:57you don't need to rub it in
24:58what's happening
25:01smells very fragrant
25:04is this bliss
25:11well
25:12it's a curious sensation
25:13but
25:14not unpleasant
25:15it's been a hell of a day
25:16I've got to say
25:17been an amazing day
25:18I've done
25:20you know
25:21I've had a bit of
25:23enlightenment
25:24meditation
25:26cheesy ice cream
25:28and a deep fried banana
25:30and a head wash
25:31I mean that is
25:33it's like best day ever
25:35I don't think I've had my ears cleaned out like that since I was about five
25:54that was fantastic
25:56I'm in a bit of a daze I've got to say
25:59if the Buddhist monks don't do it for you then
26:02the head wash and the neck massage will
26:04I feel
26:06truly in a state
26:07of
26:09zen
26:10calm
26:21life up in the fresh mountain air is treating me well
26:25Dalat has captivated me with this curious mix of East and West
26:29you can see the French influence in the architecture around town
26:33many of the houses look like they're straight out of the French Alps
26:37but there's one house that's a bit bigger a bit fancier
26:40well it's more of a palace
26:42this is Bao Dai's palace
26:44the last emperor of Vietnam
26:46he was a leaf in the wind of the shifting powers of this nation
26:50he's long gone now
26:51but I'm intrigued to see how a monarch lived in Vietnam
26:55if only I could sort out my footwear
26:58so you have to wear protective booties over your shoes but
27:02I'm it seems to have defeated me
27:05I don't quite know
27:08am I supposed to take
27:10if I take my shoe off
27:11oh maybe that's it
27:15that's it
27:16you're supposed to take your shoe off
27:17it's like I'm entering some sort of crime scene
27:19which you could say
27:21it was
27:22an imperial crime
27:24so yes in some ways ideologically it is
27:27but the feet are just so inordinately big or something
27:32what are we doing with shoes
27:33excuse me
27:34I haven't even got in yet
27:35and I'm already confused
27:37no glass slippers required here
27:39just the kind that won't scuff the royal floorboards
27:42so far my first impressions are
27:46it's not quite Buckingham Palace
27:49more art deco on a budget
27:52tucked into the corner of the drawing room
27:55is Baudet's grand piano
27:57that's no longer looking so grand
28:01come on
28:03it'd be rude not to
28:04yeah this could do with a lot of tea I'll see
28:06I mean it is a bit knackered
28:07look at it
28:08oh dear
28:10the palace was built in the 1930s
28:13just after Baudet ascended the throne
28:15under French colonial rule
28:17and it served as a summer retreat for the emperor
28:20who took to hunting in the woods around Dalat
28:23he also took to philandering
28:25gambling
28:26and general debauchery
28:27I mean I'm no brilliant artist myself
28:30but
28:31I wouldn't be happy with that
28:36this is the queen's bedroom
28:38it was a kind of political marriage
28:41between her and Baudet
28:43he was a bit of a playboy
28:44she said look you have to stop all that
28:47I'll only marry you if you make me a queen
28:50and so he agreed
28:52sort of rashly
28:53sort of thing a bloke would do
28:54yeah yeah I'll do that
28:56he couldn't help himself
28:57he was you know born into this privilege
29:02but this privilege wasn't to last
29:04his life became a story of riches to rags
29:07which is never the right way round
29:09when the French rule ended abruptly in 1954
29:12he went into exile in France
29:14and never returned to Vietnam
29:17he died in a modest apartment in Paris in 1997
29:24now it wouldn't be a Vietnamese tourist attraction
29:27without a photo opportunity
29:29and at the palace
29:30visitors are offered the chance to dress up in full emperor garb
29:34how do you get fitted up to one of these
29:37alright I'll take these off
29:38I've got some proper shoes on
29:39take these things off
29:41as they say
29:42if you can't beat them
29:43join them
29:44I think it's important to get a sense of what it feels like
29:46to walk in someone else's shoes
29:49yeah this is it
29:50this is the stuff
29:51well perhaps not literally
29:52I've got my shoes on the wrong way round
29:54hold on a minute
29:55I can't
29:56I can't do that
29:57it's ridiculous
29:58this particular subtle gold number
30:00is the emperor's ceremonial dress
30:02perfect for this occasion
30:05I might just start wearing this around the house
30:14bring me a toasted cheese sandwich
30:26while the French may have finally bid adieu to Vietnam
30:29the spirit they planted in Da Lat
30:32has grown into something wonderfully Vietnamese
30:35shortly I'll be heading out of town by train
30:37to a local tea plantation
30:38and for the trip
30:39I'll need some sustenance
30:42it's a great little market
30:43it's got everything
30:44it's a perfect place
30:45to load up on sort of
30:47travel snacks
30:52oh strawberry
30:53oh it's dried
30:55very happy with these
31:00oh my god
31:01look at that
31:03delicious
31:08oh
31:10yeah
31:11yes
31:12really good
31:14might be my new favourite thing
31:15oh
31:16artichoke tea
31:17smell it
31:18smell it
31:21sorry it's just
31:22the cup's a bit hot
31:23nom nom nom
31:24very hot
31:25no no no it burnt my fingers
31:28artichoke tea of course
31:30another use for this wondrous plant
31:32but I want to get a taste for real tea
31:34which has been quietly brewing for centuries
31:36in the highlands
31:38my mode of transport
31:39the Da Lat Plateau Rail
31:42I'm departing from the Da Lat train station
31:44a revered historical landmark
31:48built in the 1930s
31:49it proudly holds the title of Vietnam's oldest railway station
31:53got the three pointed
31:56sort of pediments in the middle
31:59which
32:01some say
32:02echo the three peaks
32:04the Lam Yang mountain range
32:07me and my strawberries are bound for the hills of Trimat
32:10it's a 30 minute heritage train journey
32:13with the prospect of a proper brew at the end of it
32:17but first
32:18I need to find my seat
32:20it's a big thing in Britain
32:23if you get the wrong seat
32:24the wrong coach
32:25it's just the worst
32:28kind of bad behaviour
32:30it's just
32:31so disrespectful
32:33so I'm slightly
32:35anxious because
32:37it says coach 5 seat 19
32:39but I don't know which one that is
32:40it goes to the core of my British embarrassment
32:44to feel that I'm sitting in the wrong seat
32:46I'd be mortified
32:49is this the right
32:50am I in the right place
32:51it says coach 5 seat 19
32:54I mean this isn't 19
32:56is this coach 5?
32:57it seems the train comes with a resident saxophonist
33:01I've got a feeling this
33:06might be the least of my worries
33:08I mean it's not quite the Orient Express
33:10but it does have its own peculiar charm
33:13during the war in 1973
33:16the railway line was heavily damaged
33:18but after the country's reunification in 1975
33:21it was restored
33:22and now serves as a reminder
33:25of Vietnam's colonial past
33:28take one
33:30I love a train ride
33:31especially when sharing local produce with new friends
33:33take two
33:42lock yourselves out
33:46nice eh?
33:47thank you
33:48yeah you're welcome
33:53produce which turned out to be very popular
34:03well I mean I'm enjoying the train journey
34:06very much
34:07I just hadn't counted on the Vietnamese Kenny G
34:10but er
34:12I just
34:13you know
34:14just roll with it
34:15I suppose
34:17all my strawberries went down well
34:19they didn't last long
34:20I nearly bought the big
34:22tub
34:23I should have bought a big tub
34:25I'm making friends here already
34:28ok ready?
34:291, 2, 3
34:30hey!
34:32whoo!
34:40the cool air
34:43the rolling hills
34:45and the lush landscape of Dalat
34:47all conspire to create
34:49the perfect ingredients
34:51for a decent cup of tea
34:55drinking tea is such a big part of British life
34:58it's like we've claimed it
35:00as a hard national brew
35:02but of course tea's been around for thousands of years
35:05and in fact it started in the 3rd century BC in China
35:07has gradually spread throughout Asia
35:11and here in the
35:13cool hills
35:15Dalat
35:16it's very conducive
35:18for tea cultivation
35:19and in fact
35:20it's now become
35:22one of Vietnam's
35:24major exports
35:26at 1650 meters above sea level
35:28and with an average temperature of around 20 degrees Celsius
35:32these hills are fertile
35:33farmer Tack's family has passed down the art of cultivation over generations
35:39and just break it off
35:40yeah you can break it
35:41yeah like this
35:42like that
35:43just the green ones
35:44yeah
35:45ok
35:46the dark ones we don't use ok?
35:47ok
35:48so they leave that
35:49so all of these
35:50yeah waiting for you
35:51ok
35:52help us
35:53yeah I will
35:54just a couple more leaves to pick
35:56won't take me long
35:57Tack's going to make me work for it
36:00there's a few days worth of harvest in here
36:02one kilogram the people earn
36:05five thousand don only
36:07that means one US dollar
36:09they have to pick five kilogram
36:11ok
36:12if you want to have the noodle for today
36:14you have to pick like ten kilogram
36:17that's a lot
36:18yeah work
36:19yeah you got to work fast
36:20yeah
36:21if you want to have the beef noodle
36:23if you want noodles
36:24yes sir
36:25yeah
36:26well I like noodles
36:27so you have to pick ten kilogram
36:29keep picking
36:30there's no
36:31you know
36:32yeah
36:33no time saving machinery here
36:35the preference is to pick by hand
36:37to maintain a high quality of leaves
36:39ensuring that no brown bits get through
36:42my mum had this great expression she said
36:44I wouldn't do that for all the tea in China
36:46which is when you think about it it's a lot
36:49no I don't know what she'd do with all the tea in China
36:51I mean she wouldn't have the distribution network so
36:56and you look around here and you sort of think
36:58yeah I can see what
36:59I can see where that comes from
37:01you can't hang about
37:03you've got to get amongst it
37:06yeah
37:08another hundred grams
37:10there you go
37:11good
37:12our culture
37:13we have the tea culture as well
37:14yes
37:15well that's the same
37:16obviously it's the same in Britain
37:18really
37:19every time anyone comes in the house
37:21somebody says
37:22cup of tea
37:23ah really
37:24yeah
37:25I just think that a cup of whiskey
37:26no
37:27whiskey's later
37:28all right
37:29yeah you wouldn't start the day with what
37:31you might start the day with whiskey
37:32but there wouldn't be much left of the day
37:34life on the land
37:36quite physical work
37:37so I'm grateful for a lift back to the factory
37:40see ya
37:41this is a great old wagon
37:47I noticed it was Russian
37:49yeah
37:50that's in the old Russian car
37:52to support from Vietnam War before
37:53right
37:54yes
37:55a big too older than me
37:57yes
37:58it's vintage
37:59about my age
38:00yeah
38:01really
38:02you look young
38:03oh thanks
38:04high five
38:05give me five
38:06I've never been more ready for a cup of tea
38:12yeah
38:13what a beautiful color as well look at that
38:15yes
38:16thank you very much
38:17come on
38:18in Vietnamese we say
38:19come on
38:20come on
38:21yeah like come on
38:22come on
38:23I know
38:24in Vietnam we just say enjoy the tea
38:26enjoy the tea
38:27yeah but we don't cheer
38:28no you don't do that
38:29we don't cheer with the tea
38:30there you go
38:31cheers
38:32cheers
38:33be careful it's too hot
38:36oh
38:37nighty
38:38oh that's delicious
38:39as a Brit
38:40I thought I knew tea
38:41but here in Vietnam
38:43it's a ritual
38:44not just a cuppa
38:45will I go back to Builder's Brew at home
38:47probably
38:48but I'll drink with a little more reverence
38:50for the leaves
38:51and how they ended up in my cup
38:55away from the day-to-day routine of tea cultivation
38:58a much older rhythm runs through these hills
39:01the ancient music of the Cahoe people
39:04whose roots here go back far beyond the plantations
39:07one of my favorite things to do when traveling
39:10is listening to the sounds of local musicians
39:12connecting to the traditional culture through music
39:16the Cahoe ethnic minority
39:18is one of the oldest indigenous groups in Vietnam's central highlands
39:22believed to have existed for around two and a half thousand years
39:26I'm visiting their music room
39:28to understand more about how they lived
39:30and their instruments might hold the key
39:33oh
39:35what an amazing sound you guys make
39:39hello I'm Bill
39:41nice to meet you
39:43nice to meet you
39:44nice to meet you
39:45so this follows like a
39:47a pattern of
39:48you know a scale
39:49such a beautiful sound I can't help myself
39:57got to get on the tools
39:58so you just sort of
40:00like each each stone has a different
40:03it's a lovely sound isn't it beautiful
40:16renowned for musical traditions particularly gong festivals
40:19in 2008 the Cahoe gong culture was recognized by UNESCO
40:24as an oral masterpiece of humanity
40:26where do these stones come from
40:28mention mostly they come from the river
40:30the first purpose of them to scare
40:32oh
40:33and scare the animals
40:34the animals come in
40:35they just scare them
40:36they shake
40:37ding ding ding
40:38like that and they run away
40:39yeah
40:40it's amazing
40:41I don't think I've ever seen anything like it
40:42the Cahoe have lived in harmony in the Longbyang mountains for generations
40:46and still pass their songs and stories on by word of mouth
40:51funny how the French have even influenced this ancient music
40:54adapting their traditional sound into a recognizable tune
40:57the Cahoe people express their emotions share stories and connect with their natural environment
41:22all the instruments are you know handmade
41:25so all of these are you know just made from wood and twine and bamboo
41:31yeah
41:32they're using hand for shaping them
41:33yeah
41:34and make from bamboo and use hand they don't have any technology to creating this kind of sound
41:39so most of them
41:40I love the simplicity of these instruments
41:43no fancy gear no big production just a purity of tone
41:47a sound that's been echoing through the hills for generations
41:50this is more traditional sort of like like a xylophone
41:55seems like you're missing a note here
42:09where's the C where's the C you need another C there
42:14right up my alley as it were
42:23I mean any chance I get to play with musicians wherever they are in the world
42:30whatever instrument whatever culture I will take
42:33because it just proves to me yet again that there's this language that music is which transcends all kinds of cultural barriers
42:48playing with these guys today gave me that little glimpse into this rich history
42:54history that we perhaps don't know much about I certainly don't of Vietnam
43:01and it's mountain people and it's more than 50 I think different ethnic groups
43:16I'm getting the feeling that Dalat is the kind of place where you come looking for misty pine forests
43:21and can discover something quite different
43:24it keeps you guessing in the best possible way
43:27it's Vietnam's highland wild card
43:30expect the unexpected
43:32and then something comes along stranger still
43:35cloud hunting is a popular pre-dawn mission to the hilltops
43:39to capture the sunrise over the endless rolling hills
43:42and it's all about timing
43:44hundreds of young peoples
43:47couples
43:48all dressed up to the nines
43:50a hush of anticipation
43:53as their fingers poised over the record buttons of their devices
43:57sense of romance in the air
44:01as the sun gradually creeps over the horizon
44:04illuminating the fog filled valleys
44:07and initiating a sense of wonder
44:10in all of those gathered here
44:12to capture this moment
44:14forever
44:15forever
44:16on their Instagram reels
44:18and their tiktoks
44:20yeah this all sounds lovely
44:21but
44:22it means you have to get up at the crack of dawn
44:24but if you come a bit later
44:25then
44:26you get the place yourself
44:28which for me is much nicer
44:31much nicer
44:36now the cynic in me is alive and well
44:38a well rested cynic
44:40at that
44:41i could see why
44:44i could see why
44:45when alexandre yersin
44:48first came here
44:49in the end of the 19th century
44:51why he was so taken with the place
44:52and why it was so popular with the french
44:55during colonial rule
44:56there's something about this place
45:01that really kind of gets under your skin
45:03with the natural beauty of it
45:07the welcoming nature of the local people
45:10it's a place it's very easy to fall in love with
45:14next time on bill bailey's vietnam
45:21and i'm just about to take part in a bit of laughing yoga
45:27my ears have never been hairier
45:29get a bit of a trim
45:30people shouting
45:31this is like a health and safety nightmare
45:36so
45:37it's very bad
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