18.04 - Day 21 - Hue to Hoi An, Vietnam
Saturday 18th April
Hue to Hoi An, Vietnam
Temperature Min 26 Max 31
8,761 steps
Last night Seb had said he wanted to come on a bike ride with me in the morning but now looking at the bikes they're all too big for him, so we plonk him on the back of mine and he and I wobble out of Tam Ting Vien onto the dusty road, cycling through our village and on to the next - Seb's blond hair again attracting the attention of locals buzzing to and from the market. I stop for a salted coffee before trundling back for a Vietnamese breakfast prepared by Jean - Com Hen, baby mussels from the Perfume River with noodles and various herbs like mint and banana flower. It's tasty enough which is suffice to say Jean sees Sienna and Seb's faces and brings them out breads and jam instead.
It's time to pack up and check-out as Troung arrives at 10am to take us the 150km south to our last Vietnam stop at Hoi An. We fit our three suitcases and bags into his seven-seater Mitsubishi Outlander and with a much greater degree of care than all of the mini bus drivers we'd experienced two years ago, head off and out of Hue to our first of two stops after 90 minutes of Sienna and said dozing at Lap An Lagoon.
This large lagoon by the sea front is filled with what we think are oyster farms, the shore also dotted with basic fishing boats. With misty hills overlooking it, it's become a destination of its own, with large restaurants over the water and tourist cafes for the buses to pull up at. Twenty minutes to stretch the legs is fine.
More interesting is our second stop at Hai Van Pass having wound our way up the mountain side (eschewing the 12km long tunnel) with multiple hairpin bends and a surprising number of petrol tankers - perhaps they're not allowed in the tunnel? At the top of the pass is a collection of cafes and shops keen to flag down any slowing or stopping cars or bikes into their spaces, but we ignore them and scramble up the fort/outpost, one of the first lines of defence but the city of Hue.
When the Mynytho mist clears you can see the sea on both sides including the outskirts of Denang to the south. An image of this pass is on one of the 9 urns we'd seen yesterday in Hue citadel and there's been something here since at least the 1400's.
It's down and down to sea level as we continue, skirting past Denang and onto Hoi-An. One noticeable difference between road and rail travel is the views. By rail once you're out of the city or town it's fields and fields of mostly rice. But by road it's a never ending collection of shops, small businesses, cafes and houses - with over 100 million people trying to make a living, roadside space is visibility for your business for the passing traffic. It's interesting to see even if it's not picturesque.
Arriving into Hoi-An and it's a bit like Hanoi where the Old Town is a microcosm within the actual city and within the Old Town tourists abound - although Hoi-An has done perhaps better job of retaining the architecture and buildings unbroken.
We're staying on Cam Nam Island, a 10 minute walk away at Mint Villa a three-story 6 room yellow guesthouse run by three sisters. One of its best redeeming features is it's swimming pool which is on the ground floor in the house but with no glass windows in the walls. We make immediate use of it right after checking in. Pawpaw would say that feature was in fact joint first, along with the building work one empty block away, where nine men are concreting the first floor in a basic but efficient way and of course no Health & Safety in sight.
Having not had a proper lunch, we soon find food nearby at Su Deli to provide sustenance to explore the Old Town. I pick it having spied some burgers on the menu for Sienna and Seb which they duly go for, while adults have noodles and fried prawns.
Into the Old Town we walk amongst the old merchant houses mostly all painted a Hoi-An yellow. These days they're still all selling, albeit souvenirs or and coffees and food. Paper lanterns are very popular - buying them, making them, and having them strong outside shops and across the narrow streets, so despite the hustle and bustle of crowds it retains a picture-esque charm.
Question is, second time around for us, do you take photos (people aside) if you know you took the same photo two years ago? Something new from two years ago is the recommendation of a Nutella pancake from a specific seller amongst the dozens of mobile carts out there. This recommendation for Sienna from her friend Matilda at school. We seek him out “ it's near the market next to the temple” as our instructions and Sienna and Seb heed Matilda's advice, very happy with the chocolatey outcome.
After browsing the shops and strolling along the waterfront where it dozens and dozens of small boats are decked with lanterns offering short rides on the river - the colours of the lanterns reflecting on the water, we slowly walk back to Mint Villa and to bed.
