SIDE TRIP 7: Da Nang & Hoi an, Vietnam

Yesterday was mainly travel time so it was kind of relaxed and touristy. No meetings await in the next destination; thank God for small mercies.

After Hanoi, I flew to Da Nang from Nha Trang. I only heard of these places before in war movies and books; now I'm seeing them up close and personal. Traces of the war still linger like a dull ache - - barely discernible but there.

From Da Nang I backtracked to the quaint little town of Hoi An, recently declared a world heritage site. Combine Intramuros with Vigan and Ongpin and you can imagine what it's like.

My destination was really the old imperial city of Hue about 130 kilometers north of Hoi An but it was fun to take my time getting there. Between Da Nang and Hue, we had to traverse the Mountain and Cloud Pass - - very much like Kennon Road in Baguio but with a spectacular view of the South China Sea directly below it.

A bit further on, we stopped for late snacks at Lang Co Beach which resembled Boracay except that the sand wasn't as white or as fine, but close enough. The food at the resort was delicious, though.

Did I say food? Vietnamese cuisine definitely ranks high in my list of favorites.

But that's another story.

Miki

NHA TRANG


PERFUMED RIVER (HUE)


HOI AN