The guys bundled our bags up and secured them to the back of the bike the next morning. I couldn’t help but pause to take in the view from across the road of our hotel.
I settled in for a long ride and was surprised that we hadn’t even left town when we pulled in for our first stop - a beautiful old wooden church.
Ian and I walked around the outside of the church peeking in through the wooden door. Owen and Tien encouraged us to go in but people were praying so we just stepped in the door and stood quietly for a while.
Our next stop was a ‘minority’ village on the edge of town. Small homes lined narrow dirt roads and as usual, kids came out to take a look at the foreigners. One little guy shot at us with his toy guy – nice.
The community hall towered above us at the end of the road.
A couple kids waved good bye and we headed out into the country, sun blazing.
Eventually Tien pulled alongside a river and Owen followed suit. A suspension bridge stretched from the highway to a field that wobbled and shook as we walked across.
The bridge was the entranceway to a small quiet village. Kids yelled out from their doorways and giggled loudly when we responded in English. A path led us past simple wooden dwellings and small gardens to a community centre, much like the one we saw earlier.
We didn’t stay long and were soon back on the road, the landscape continuing to awe us. I took photo after photo of hills, fields, rivers, and rice paddies.
In the lowlands, the weather was warm but as we headed up into the hill and the clouds, it grew chilly and I had to don my warm coat again. Owen pulled over and pointed out the original Ho Chi Minh Trail…..
We made stops at villages, along the roads, at a waterfall, and for lunch in a small town not far from the borders of Cambodia and Laos.
Eventually we made it to Kham Duc, a very tiny town, and our hotel, Be Chau Giang Hotel. Rooms were small but clean but beds were rock hard. At first it was quite chilly in the room but after dinner the room warmed up. Dinner was hotpot soup: a pot of broth placed in the middle of the table over a flame. As it boils, veggies, ramen noodles, and meat – we opted for seafood – were added. It was quite yummy.
Our next day, our last, started early. Ian and I stepped out onto the tiny balcony of our room to take a look at our surroundings. It was great seeing the hills with the mist low over them.
My winter coat was needed for the first part of the journey and when I was finished with it, Tien took it to donate to a minority village. On route we passed waterfalls and a recently constructed dam. The picture isn’t the greatest but Owen said it was the first time he had seen the dam open.
On our left were the hills and on our right was the river. The drive was fantastic.
We headed to Hoi An, a small town on the coast of Vietnam just south of Danang, our final stop. Many tourists love Hoi An so I was quite intrigued with visiting there. Getting there was hell though – we turned off a super smooth highway onto a narrow dirt road full of potholes and puddles. I was quite miserable as the bike bumped, jerked and swerved; my neck, back, and butt all hurt and I was quickly getting fed up. When Tien pulled over and Owen followed, I couldn’t get off that bike fast enough. Owen was disappointed because we were so close to Hoi An, he figured we should just press on.
We reached Hoi An in no time, soon pulling into a small lot next to a restaurant. This was the first restaurant we’d been to in days that served Western food so I took advantage and ordered veggie spaghetti and Ian ordered curry. After lunch, we followed Owen on foot to the tourist area of Hoi An.
Hoi An located on the water was a trading village but in the 90s, it embraced tourism in a huge way. Its distinctive architecture has remained surprisingly intact and its narrow roads are car-free.
The town is shop after shop of souvenirs, clothes, food, spas, restaurants and boutique hotels. As we walked, I looked at Owen and asked: “is this what Hoi An is all about? Just shopping?” And indeed, that was what it had become: a town of shops. Mind you, the buildings are quite pretty, painted soft yellows, oranges, and blues with window boxes and shutters bordering the windows, and there is a distinct French feel to the place.
If you were interested in shopping or just chilling for a couple of days, eating good food and hanging out in a coffee shop reading, then I could see the appeal. It was definitely quaint but I had expected historic buildings and culture, not street after street of stores geared towards tourists.
Our day was coming to an end and both Ian and I were relieved – we loved the experience but it was tiring being on those bikes on the rough roads. A nice hotel room and a good hot bath were what we wanted. Danang was only a short ride up the coast from Hoi An and we were ready to say our good byes.
It was a fantastic trip and we were both very glad to have done it. What a great way to see the Central Highlands of Vietnam.
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