Rainy beach days in Hoi An
We left Hue by bus, as it is only about a 2 hour journey, heading south to Hoi An. We were surprised to discover the bus we were put on is a sleeper bus, bound for a further destination. I have never seen such a thing, fully reclined seat stacked upon each other like pods, a bit cluster phobic, and in the middle of the day a bit awkward to sit, but I'm sure they are appreciated for those going the full 14 hours. Like most things in Vietnam, what was meant to be a 2 hour trip was 4.5 as the drivers stopped frequently to enjoy a cup of coffee or a full cooked lunch, as the passengers sat waiting on the side of the road. Once we pulled over, for no apparent reason, to see the driver walk over to a card game happening across the street. These guys are on Island time, and I'm telling you this is one of the reputable bus lines we read about here, many others stopping even more, and allowing friends to jump on and off and even people sleep on the isle floors! It all went fine, and we arrived in Hoi An that afternoon. We opted to stay slightly outside of the charming tourist swarmed city, at the local An Bang Beach. A lovely little beach town, and I'm sure buzzing with fun in the summer, but in December, practically abandoned.
It was a nice place to relax though, and our little spot, although suffering with some electrical issues, cutting power a few times in our stay, was charming. The beach was stormy, but we got a few good morning with no rain, and used the bikes they had there to rise to town to do some sight seeing.
The rice paddies were freshly harvested here as well, but it dint take away from the beautiful scale and quiet of them.
The town of Hoi An is tiny, and has many tourist attractions, I feel that we are becoming lazier tourists with each city, and getting pickier and pickier on what we pay admission to. (So many temples) So we strolled, took in some sights, had some lunch, and tried to bike back before the rain came back.
After a few days we left Hoi An and headed to Da Nang. Another familiar name for Americans, as it was also a hot spot in the Vietnam War and a station for GI's. You still see so much western influence there, more so than any place we have seen as of yet. It's a big city with lots of energy, and sadly we only stayed a day, not realizing how much we would like it. We had booked a FLIGHT to Ho Chi Minh City, as the night train and sleeping busses have become a bit less appealing, and for literally half the price you can arrive in 1 hour - as opposed to 14.
Ho Chi Minh City to come, but I will sign off here, as we have come down with some yucky head colds (maybe too much rainy season) and head south hoping for some drier and warmer weather!