05.03 Day 50 Danang
Tuesday 5th March - Danang (Day 50)
Breakfast is included every morning at Lahome Villas, but to the kids disappointment, it's a local rather than western breakfast. Yesterday was a noodle soup, complete with congealed pig's blood (all four of us left that bit untouched), today it's a beef soup with bread rolls. The kids content themselves with the warm crunchy bread.
A school heavy morning, with Seb also having one of his online classes - he has a couple a week, whereas Sienna only has one per fortnight - he contributes well, in his slightly robotic voice to ensure he’s clearly understood. Sienna is happy with her protractor out measuring angles in triangles.
Lunch for Kate, Sienna and Seb comes from our closest Banh Mi lady, her cart perched on the corner of two streets outside a Billiards club (60k vnd), whilst I take the chance to have a final My Quang nearby (25k vnd).
The afternoon is spent in the pool playing games with breaks also for calls to Australia (Javier, one of Seb’s friends - which mostly consists of Javier showing Seb all of his 97 Pokemon cards, but they’re both happy) and the UK (my parents) with the kids running around with my phone giving a guided, if dizzy, tour.
For dinner we head out once again in the backstreets - which are always seemingly full of parked coaches. Everyday guests are collected from nearby hotels and as part of a tour are brought to a spa or organic food shop or to a large, seemingly purpose built restaurant such as Hot Pot. You can tell where a bus load of people are, as despite them being indoors most of the time, the entrepreneurial local ladies on bikes spread out their wares, so the moment a bus arrives or the tourists exit the restaurant, they’re faced with 2/3/4 displays of anything from hats to sunglasses to bags to shoes. These ladies must know the schedule of these dozens and dozens of coaches doing their daily circuit.
Our dinner venue is again someone’s front of house (it’s Minecraft on the TV tonight, or rather, a YouTube video showing someone else playing Minecraft), whilst the mum, dad and eldest daughter churn out just two dishes with variations, flat or rolled crisp breads with toppings, each individually prepared and cooked in front of us on the street. The kids are none too impressed with my choice tonight so get themselves egg Banh Mi’s from the previously visited place two doors down. When you have to wait a few minutes because the bread hasn’t finished baking, you know it’s fresh. They do come back around a little when we get three small frozen yoghurts in my chosen spot. All up 90k vnd ($6).
From here we opt to walk to the beach - we had intended to go on the beach in the afternoon but it was too hot and exposed, so we were grateful for our pool. Danang has somewhat of a party scene, but as we’re in our room by 8pm, that passes us by - but on the beach you can see various beach clubs and bars with lights flashing and music blaring - though most places seem very quiet people wise. The kids are happy for a late night (for them) play on the beach making sand volcanoes (Sienna wanted mountains) and sand balls to throw. After a thorough rinse off, I think we’re all done.