16th -18th hoi an

16th
Today we head out (hung over) on the bike and find the marble mountains down the coastal road past china beach. The mountains themselves stand isolated in the flat landscape, they aren’t so high so as to really be mountains, but they are impressively decorated with pagodas and statutes. We head up one of the mountains and enjoy views over the sea. Also, we see amazing statutes of Buddha carved into expansive caves within the rock, where worships burn incense and chant their prayers. It is very tranquil and beautiful, well worth a visit.
The 30km trip along the coast to Hoi An is scenic and enjoyable on the bike, although I could do with more power to take advantage of the long straight road. My bike struggles to reach 60km/ph but I guess in the interest of safety that’s for the best.
We arrive in Hoi An early in the afternoon and have a look around the quaint riverside village. It is a beautiful spot, but I can’t help feeling like I’m in Disneyland. It is so “traditional and authentic” that its a bit fake, every single building is hawking some kind of souvenir or bloody tailoring service. Still it is nice but i’m glad we make efforts to get off the beaten track and see some of the real Vietnam, even if it can be a bit more difficult.
We stop for coffees and lunch at a cheap cafe in a prime spot overlooking the river and famous bridge, then we take a stroll around town. The buildings are small and well maintained creating a beautiful appearance, among the houses and shops there are many ancient sites such as pagodas and small temples – the highlight is the Japanese bridge which is ornately covered with dragon carvings and religious motifs. It is a long way from the busy city of Danang.
In the evening hung over we search for a bowling alley without luck and end up spending time buying stuff at the market. Kath gets a new outfit and flip flops for £3 and I get a leather belt and motorbike helmet (with man utd logo) for £2. Dannang market is awesome – with fix prices on everything so you cant get screwed on the negotiation. We finish up with a chill at the hotel and watch the premier league – united draw 0-0 with totenham, a good result, especially given young rafael’s harsh dismissal, however we could hav e had more if we just went for the jugular early on. Annoyingly I have to make do with a stream on sopcast, which although not great – seems to work a lot better out here in asia.
17th
Today we head to stay at Hoi An – leaving our bags behind at the hotel and just taking a rucksack. Today I really enjoy the ride over, as I now know the route and can get up a little speed on the way. The weather also stays pretty fine on the way although we do get a brief downpour once we arrive. The road between the two cities is remarkably straight like a roman road which doesn’t make for the most exciting riding, however the sand dunes and rice paddies alongside it make up for a lack of riding pleasure with great scenery.
We have trouble finding a guesthouse around Hoi An – with everywhere charging 3 or 4 times our budget – however perseverance pays off and we find a wicked hotel on the outskirts (keit) with a swimming pool and deluxe balcony for 10$ (£6.50) per night! The only downside is the club down the road which bangs out no unlimited “ NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO – There’s no limit!” its like being 12 all over again! So much for romantic views on the balcony!
We decide to make a dash for it to My Son – the holy land, which is a long bike ride away and supposedly harbours some of the most amazing ruins and sculptures in Vietnam. I am more excited by the bike route though, sweeping along the river banks we cruise through endless green paddies and irrigation channels while ramshackle makeshift dwellings mark out local houses and inventive stores and shops among the fields. Remarkably, despite very shoddy directions and no map and numerous wrong turns, we end up on the correct highway motoring towards our destination. The highway is even more mental than the usual road, we have to adopt driving in the hard shoulder to stay clear of trucks and coaches while other less conscientious road-users park up in the middle of the lane or cycle their dilapidated bicycles along the high octane carriageways!
It takes almost 2 hours to reach my son and we are worried about travelling back in the dark, but in the end it is worth it, the scenery en route is beautiful as flat fields full of buffalo and rice paddies lined by rivers fade away into the contrasting mountains that rise dramatically out of nowhere. The diversity of the landscape is breathtaking and the valley of forest where the ancient ruins rest is simply stunning. The ruins them self are rustic, covered in moss and lichen and falling apart in places, however given they were constructed over a thousand years ago (using an ancient technique of brick without mortar) they are in remarkably good shape. They have appear like Inca ruins I have seen on documentaries – but with many carved images of ancient Cham gods. A perfect spot for a quick beer before we rush back to Hoi An before the light fades.
The trip back goes quicker as I now know the route and although the light is fading we make it back without incident, stopping en route at a grandiose paddle steamer (now docked and turned into high class restaurant) – it is like being on the titanic and the view over the river is majestic. It is one of the poshest and most picturesque beers ive ever had without the price tag – £1.25 being extortionate in this part of the world!
The evening proves to be equally as picturesque and spectacular as by amazing chance we witness the monthly festival to celebrate the full moon. If you saw top gear’s Vietnam special you will have seen the lanterns on the river, this is Hoi An’s special attraction as they shut down the town from motorbikes and cars, replacing the hum drum of traffic with traditional music and singing. The streets become flooded and Buddhist effigies are lit up along the river as colourful paper lanterns light up the lake like fire flies in the night sky. The overall effect is tranquil and beautiful and we toast to our good fortune as we enjoy a feast overlooking the river.
18th to Saigon
We have a night train in the evening so we head back to the hotel and pick up our bags, dropping off the motorbike with the random guy we hired it from. As I expected the cheeky fucker says I am late returning it, explain that in Vietnam days are 12 hours not 24, I disagree with his temporal analysis (being aware that time is a universal constant), I do, however, settle on giving him an extra 40000 dong!
In the process of returning the bike I send Kath to go and pick up the guys helmet from the hotel, as I have bought myself a customised man utd one from the local market. However, some confusion occurs and it seems Kath has taken the hotel managers helmet by mistake and given it to the bike dude. The woman doesn’t look too pleased when we try to explain the situation, particularly given she doesn’t speak much English and our Vietnamese is non-existent. I decide the best option is to grab our bags from reception and make a sharp exit before they get all kung fu on our arses!
We spend the rest of the day chilling and using the wi-fi in the local food court/ cafe. Kath gets back into painting and makes a good first drawing of a fisherwoman on the river – I am very impressed. A pretty uneventful day in all and not much else to report.