Lăng Cô

Up and out and into the city to meet the sight seeing bus to Hoi An. Not something I knew about until Tinh suggested it, and worth it for lunch alone!

Tinh has given me an old usb charger so I can charge the phone, now for a solution for the SLR.

Sam a Viet/Thai our guide. Only spare seat was next to me, great to talk to, from everything to the current wars to Trump.

First stop was a 250+ year old bridge. Than Toan Tile Bridge. Was built in 1776 and has been restored many times. The whole area was 4 m underwater in 2001. Every house hold has a boat, so they can escape a flood if they need to.

From there to Lang Co Bay, right on the coast, brackish bay on one side of the narrow inlet and the sea on the other. And oyster and fish farming the main industry. We had 30 min here, time enough to devour a plate of Sam recommended oyster spring rolls - positively delicious.

We were then on our way to follow the old scenic route along the coast and over the mountain that divided the north & south. Hazy, and trying to rain, so not a great view, but Sam showed me a photo of a clear day and yes, not the day to be there.

We came across a single vehicle accident here, a truck
had lost control. Sam went on to tell us then that 29 people a day are killed and 150+ injured everyday in road accidents. Staggering but not surprising and the government are trying to get stricter enforcement in place. But …

Through Denang, where Sam jumped off and got us all a Banh Mi for lunch and a stop at the Marble Mountains, hard to fathom that the whole mountains are made of marble and there doesn’t seem to be a chance that they’ll ever run out. Sam was telling me the craftsman make good money (In Viet Nam standards). The big statues are worth $10000’s of USD and are shipped all over the world.

There are a series of pagodas on the top, 108 steps up & down (of course). I caught the elevator, yes - an elevator attached to the edge of a mountain, for the bus loads of ladies in their in appropriate walking shoes! I wandered around like a little old lady paranoid about the uneven surfaces and the steep steps, leg and foot throbbing from sitting down. Found a cafe for a mango juice and put my foot up before we were off again.

Finally arrived in Hoi An, and got dropped near the Homestay for the next few days. Vinh my host is very friendly and helpful - after I asked for a tech shop, he produced an adapter for me as I haven’t been able to charge my camera since I left mine in a wall somewhere or it fell out of my bag on the train in the dark, and of course some tailor recommendations. Dropped off some laundry, got 2 skirts ordered and then wandered off to eat to the night market and to find an atm.

Hoi An is beautiful in the dark, all pretty coloured lights and fairy lights. A delicious selection of BBQ for dinner, half a pineapple and some
Peanut Rice Cake. Said no to a dozen happy hour cocktail buckets, massages and foot massages and pedicures.

I keep getting told, by the locals that there are hardly any tourists here…, I wouldn’t want to be here in the peak season.

I scored a Commonwealth Bank CC while I was at the atm. Just sitting on top of the ledge. Thought it safer to take it than leave it there. I’ve messaged a woman with the same name through FB, if I don’t hear from her I’ll destroy it.

I have an early walking tour in the morning and that’s all that’s planned so far.
It’s 9.30
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